View source for Onllwyn

{{Short description|Village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales}}
{{About|a village|the hill of this name northwest of Merthyr Tydfil|Penmoelallt}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                     = Wales
| static_image                =
| static_image_caption        = 
| coordinates                 = {{coord|51.77845|-3.67994|display=inline,title}}
| official_name               = Onllwyn
| welsh_name                  = 
| population                  = 1,194
| population_ref              = (2011 census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/onllwyn-w05000580#sthash.Ji9mriD5.dpbs|title=Ward population 2011 |access-date=12 April 2015}}</ref>
| unitary_wales               = [[Neath Port Talbot]]
| lieutenancy_wales           = [[West Glamorgan]]
| constituency_westminster    = [[Neath (UK Parliament constituency)|Neath]]
| constituency_welsh_assembly = [[Neath (National Assembly for Wales constituency)|Neath]]
| post_town                   = NEATH
| postcode_district           = SA10
| postcode_area               = SA
| dial_code                   = 01639
| os_grid_reference           = SN842102
| councillor1                 = 
| party1                      = 
| module= [[File:2024 Wales Neath Port Talbot Community Onllwyn map.svg|240px]]<br />Map of the community
}}
'''Onllwyn''' ({{IPA|cy|ˈɔnɬʊɨn}}) is a small village and [[Community (Wales)|community]] in [[Neath Port Talbot]], Wales, near [[Seven Sisters, Neath Port Talbot|Seven Sisters]]. The community area also covers the small settlements of [[Dyffryn Cellwen]] and [[Banwen]]. To the north is [[Coelbren, Powys]], while to the east the [[Afon Pyrddin]] forms the boundaries of both [[Powys]] and the [[Brecon Beacons National Park]].

==History==
{{stack|[[File:Empty Coal wagons arrive at Onllwyn for loading . - geograph.org.uk - 804336.jpg|thumb|EWS Class 66 shunts empty coal wagons towards the coal washery]]}}
First developed by the [[Roman Britain|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 [[Saint Patrick's Day|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 railway station|Neath]]. The site of the washery (and the nearby Nant Helen surface mine) is being redeveloped as the [[Global Centre of Rail Excellence]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

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]].<ref>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</ref>

Onllwyn was also the setting for ''[[Pride (2014 film)|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 [[1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike|British miners' strike in 1984]].  <ref>{{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 }}</ref> 

{{OSM Location map
| coord = {{coord|51.7818|-3.6672}}
| zoom =13     | scalemark = 20
| width = 350  | height = 360
| caption =  Map of Onllwyn area. Three of the larger 20th century coalmines are shown as grey dots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/GlamWest/Onllyn.htm| website=welshcoalmines.co.uk| title=Glamorgan West - Onllwyn| access-date= 18 February 2023}}</ref> Other locations of note are shown as red dots.

| map-data=Q748078  <!-- adds Neath Port Talbert boundary to interactive map -->
| map-data-text=Neath Port Talbot
| map-data-width=3
| map-data-color=#CC3333

| shape-colorD = hard red
| markD = Red pog.svg
| mark-sizeD   = 10
| label-sizeD  = 11
| label-colorD = hard grey
| label-posD   = bottom

| mark-coord1 = {{coord|51.77836|-3.6857346}} 
| label1      = Onllwyn No 1 | labela1=Coal mine
| mark-title1 = Onllwyn  No 1 Coal mine
| shape-color1 = hard grey
| mark1=black pog.svg

| mark-coord2 = {{coord|51.76981|-3.65498}} 
| label2      = Onllwyn ^No 3 Slant
| mark-title2 = Onllwyn No 3 Slant Coalmine
| shape-color2 = hard grey
| mark2=black pog.svg
| label-pos2=right|ldy2=-10

| mark-coord3 = {{coord|51.76977|-3.65787}}
| label3      = Onllwyn Trygloyn Slant
| mark-title3 = Onllwyn Trygloyn Slant Coalmine
| shape-color3 = hard grey
| mark3=black pog.svg
| ldx3= 39

| mark-coord4 = {{coord|51.7811|-3.6425}} 
| label4      = Blast |labela4=Furnaces
| mark-title4 = Blast Furnaces at Banwen

| mark-coord5 = {{coord|51.782|-3.675}} 
| label5      = GCRE
| label-pos5=right
| mark-title5 = [[Global Centre of Rail Excellence]] (GCRE)

| mark-coord6 = {{coord|51.7763|-3.6680}} 
| label6      = Dyffryn Cellwen
| mark-size6=0
|label-pos6=top
|label-size6=13
| label-color6=black
| mark-title6 = none

| mark-coord7 = {{coord|51.7943|-3.66327}} 
| label7      = Henrhyd |labela7=Waterfall
|label-pos7=top
| mark-title7 = [[Henrhyd Falls]]

| mark-coord8 = {{coord|51.77603|-3.65811}} 
| label8      = St Patrick ^Memorial Stone
| mark-size8=8
|label-pos8=right|ldy8=10
|label-size8=10
| mark-title8 = Memorial Stone to St Patrick
| mark-coord11 = {{coord|51.7835|-3.6548}} 
| label11      = Roman Fort
| mark-title11 = Roman Auxiliary Fort| mark-size11=0
| label-pos11=top
| label-size11 = 12
| label-offset-x11= -28
| label-offset-y11= -2

| mark-coord12 = {{coord|51.7812|-3.6515}} 
| label12      = Roman^Marching^Camp
| mark-title12 = Roman Marching Camp| mark-size12=0
| label-angle12=-20
| label-size12 = 12|ldy12=-15

| mark-coord14 = {{coord|51.78465|-3.6556}} 
| label14      = ▢
| mark-title14 = none| mark-size14=0
| label-angle14=-9
| label-size14 = 14

| mark-coord22 = {{coord|51.7707|-3.6630}}
| label22     = Roman Road
| mark-title22 = none| mark-size22=0
| label-angle22=-78

| mark-coord23 = {{coord|51.7868|-3.645}} 
| label23      = Roman road
| label-pos23=center| label-size23=9
| ldy23=-11
| shape23=rule
| mark-title23 = none
| mark-size23=97
| shape-outline23=hard grey,2,60,dashed
| shape-angle23=-32
| label-angle23=-32

| mark-coord24 = {{coord|51.7844|-3.6535}} 
| label24      = ═ ═ ═ |label-pos24=centre
| mark-title24 = none| mark-size24=0
| label-angle24=-9
| label-size24 = 5 

| mark-coord33 = {{coord|51.7825|-3.653}}
| label33      = ▯
| label-size33 = 40
| label-color33=hard grey 50%
| mark-title33 = none| mark-size33=0
| label-angle33=-20
}}

==Present==
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.

==Government and politics==
Onllwyn is in the parliamentary constituency of [[Neath (UK Parliament constituency)|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, Neath Port Talbot|Seven Sisters]] to become 'Crynant, Onllwyn and Seven Sisters' [[electoral ward]], effective from the [[2022 Welsh local elections|2022 local elections]].<ref name="ldbc 21">{{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 }}</ref> 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 (electoral ward)|Glynneath]] to the southeast; and [[Seven Sisters (electoral ward)|Seven Sisters]] to the south west. 

In the [[2017 United Kingdom local elections|2017 local council elections]], the electorate turnout was 42%. The results were:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Candidate
!Party
!Votes
!Status
|-
||George Cawsey||Labour||273||Labour hold
|-
||Peter Westall||Independent||248||
|}

==Residents of note==
* [[Dai Francis (trade union leader)|Dai Francis]], [[National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)|NUM]] trade unionist and father of MP [[Hywel Francis]], was born in Onllwyn, and took as his bardic name "Dai o'r Onllwyn".

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[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]

==Further reading==
* 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]]