Aberfan

Aberfan
240px South entrance to Aberfan in November 2005
Aberfan  Aberfan shown within Merthyr Tydfil
OS grid reference	SO070002
Community	Merthyr Vale
Principal area	Merthyr Tydfil
Ceremonial county	Mid Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Merthyr Tydfil
Postcode district	CF48
Dialling code	01443
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
Welsh Assembly	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
List of places UK Wales Merthyr Tydfil

Aberfan (Welsh pronunciation: [ˌabɛrˈvan]) is a former coalmining village in South Wales, 4 miles (6 km) south of Merthyr Tydfil Town. The Taff Trail (locally known as the "Canal Bank" or just "the bank") runs through Aberfan from Troed-y-rhiw, to Treharris. The River Taff also flows through Aberfan.

On 21 October 1966, it became known for the Aberfan disaster, when a colliery spoil heap collapsed into homes and a school, killing 116 children and 28 adults.

Education

There are now two schools, Ynysowen Primary School adjacent to the Grove Field and Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Rhyd-Y-Grug which has moved to the previously occupied Ynysowen Primary School building.

Facilities

• Aberfan & Merthyr Vale Community Centre - a community centre with a swimming pool, fitness room, weights room, cafe and a hall.
• The post office in the village is open six days a week.
• Aberfan Cemetery and Aberfan Disaster Remembrance Area

Aberfan disaster

Main article: Aberfan disaster

For many years, millions of cubic metres of excavated mining debris from the colliery were deposited on the side of Mynydd Merthyr, directly above the village of Aberfan on the opposite side of the valley. Huge piles, or "tips", of loose rock and mining spoil had been built up over a layer of highly porous sandstone that contained numerous underground springs, and several tips had been built up directly over these springs. Although local authorities had raised specific concerns in 1963 about spoil being tipped on the mountain above the village primary school, these were largely ignored by the National Coal Board's area management.

Early on the morning of Friday, 21 October 1966, after several days of heavy rain, a subsidence of about 3–6 metres occurred on the upper flank of colliery waste tip No. 7. At 9:15 a.m. more than 150,000 cubic metres of water-saturated debris broke away and flowed downhill at high speed. A mass of over 40,000 cubic metres of debris smashed into the village in a slurry 12 metres (39 ft) deep.

The slide destroyed a farm and twenty terraced houses along Moy Road, and slammed into the northern side of the Pantglas Junior School and part of the separate senior school, demolishing most of the structures and filling the classrooms with thick mud and rubble up to 10 metres (33 ft) deep. Mud and water from the slide flooded many other houses in the vicinity, forcing many villagers to evacuate their homes.

In total, 116 children and 28 adults were killed.

The Coventry Playground was built in 1972 on the site of the old Merthyr Vale School, with the monies collected by the people of Coventry. The playground was officially opened by the mayor of Coventry.

External links

• Old Merthyr Tydfil: Aberfan - Historical Photographs of Aberfan.