Onllwyn

{{stack|File:Empty Coal wagons arrive at Onllwyn for loading . - geograph.org.uk - 804336.jpg}}

First developed by the Romans, the local village Banwen sits astride the Roman road of Sarn Helen. There are two Roman forts and the remains of a further Roman road within the community. {{Broader|Banwen}}

Local tradition has it that St Patrick was born here and taken prisoner to Ireland{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} by Irish raiders. A memorial stone in Banwen is the focus of celebrations and marches held on St Patrick's Day (March 17) to mark the event.

The parish was a centre of coal mining for over 200 years; there were once five pits that employed hundreds of men. Now all that remains is a coal washery and processing plant. On the route of the former Neath and Brecon Railway, there was a freight only line to the washery from the South Wales Main Line at Neath. The site of the washery (and the nearby Nant Helen surface mine) is being redeveloped as the Global Centre of Rail Excellence.{{cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=Lauren |title=Global rail test hub is all set for 2025 completion |work=Western Mail |date=8 June 2022 |page=26|issn=0307-5214}}{{cite magazine |last1=Sherratt |first1=Philip |title=A test centre with a view |magazine=Modern Railways |date=September 2022 |volume=79 |issue=888 |publisher=Key Publishing |location=Stamford |issn=0026-8356|page=68}}

Onllwyn was involved in several 20th-century coal mining strikes which brought the town notoriety. The political, labour and cultural connections between Onllwyn and the American coal mining region of Appalachia grew into an in-person cultural exchange in the 1970s. Musical performances took place at Onllwyn Miners' Welfare Hall in 1976, including one by The Strange Creek Singers featuring American musicians Hazel Dickens, Alice Gerrard, Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwartz, and Lamar Grier. The exchange was facilitated and filmed by Helen Lewis and John Gaventa.Tom Hansell, Patricia Beaver and Angela Wiley, [http://southernspaces.org/2015/keep-your-eye-upon-scale"Keep Your Eye upon the Scale,"] southernspaces.org accessed 6 October 2022

Onllwyn was also the setting for Pride, the award-winning 2014 film written by Stephen Beresford and directed by Matthew Warchus. The movie chronicles the true story of a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners' strike in 1984. {{cite news |last1=Kellaway |first1=Kate |title=When miners and gay activists united: the real story of the film Pride |work=The Guardian |date=31 Aug 2014 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/31/pride-film-gay-activists-miners-strike-interview | access-date= 23 May 2024 }}

{{OSM Location map

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| caption = Map of Onllwyn area. Three of the larger 20th century coalmines are shown as grey dots.{{cite web|url=http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/GlamWest/Onllyn.htm| website=welshcoalmines.co.uk| title=Glamorgan West - Onllwyn| access-date= 18 February 2023}} Other locations of note are shown as red dots.

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Commanding views of the Brecon Beacons, this now semi-rural location is popular for retired people. There is a Community College, "Dove Workshops", village shop, post office, pub, and association football and rugby union teams.

Onllwyn is in the parliamentary constituency of Neath.

Following a 2020 boundary review by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, Onllwyn was joined by the neighbouring communities of Crynant and Seven Sisters to become 'Crynant, Onllwyn and Seven Sisters' electoral ward, effective from the 2022 local elections.{{cite web |url=https://ldbc.gov.wales/sites/ldbc/files/review/NPT%20Final%20Recommendations%20Report.pdf |title=Review of the Electoral Arrangements of the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot |publisher=Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales |date=August 2020 |pages=24–25 |access-date=28 June 2022 }} Two councillors are elected to Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.

The former ward of Onllwyn consisted of some or all of the following settlements: Banwen, Dyffryn Cellwen and Onllwyn.

Onllwyn was bounded by the wards of Abercraf and Tawe Uchaf (both in Powys) to the north; Glynneath to the southeast; and Seven Sisters to the south west.

In the 2017 local council elections, the electorate turnout was 42%. The results were:

• Dai Francis, NUM trade unionist and father of MP Hywel Francis, was born in Onllwyn, and took as his bardic name "Dai o'r Onllwyn".

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.cwmdulais.org.uk/ Cwmdulais Historical Society]
• [https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2832057 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Onllwyn and surrounding area]

• Tom Hansell, Patricia Beaver and Angela Wiley, "Keep Your Eye upon the Scale," http://southernspaces.org/2015/keep-your-eye-upon-scale

{{Neath Port Talbot electoral wards}}

{{Neath Port Talbot communities}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Villages in Neath Port Talbot

Category:Communities in Neath Port Talbot

Category:Former wards of Neath Port Talbot

Category:Dulais Valley