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An old view of Abersychan - from Pentwyn

Abersychan and Garndiffaith are the two main areas in the Abersychan Ward, which also includes Talywain, Pentwyn, Varteg, Victoria Village, and Cwmavon.

The Afon Llwyd (Grey River) runs down the valley to join the River Usk at Caerleon and marks the boundary of the coal-field.

There is no coal to the east of the river until the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. In the Abersychan ward, the ironworks and coal mines were all situated on the west side of the valley. Iron and coal was transported along the valley floor, mainly to Newport, originally by pack horse, then canal, and, finally, by rail.

The British Ironworks

Abersychan and Garndiffaith was, for many centuries, part of the county of Monmouthshire and part of the Trevethin diocese. The local government re-organisation meant a change of county name from Monmouthshire to Gwent in 1973 and in 1996 yet another re-organisation caused the county councils to change to county borough councils, and the Abersychan and Garndiffaith area is now part of the Torfaen County Borough Council area.

In the Abersychan and Garndiffaith area, within two miles from Varteg to Pentwyn, there were four iron works set up: Varteg, Golynos, Abersychan (British), and Pentwyn.

There was a huge influx of labour to feed the ironworks and their associated industries of coal, quarrying, and transport.

Richer ores from other places, the advent of steel, and the changing face of industry generally spelled the end of our four ironworks before the mid 18th Century, and coal became King.

The constituents of coal in the South Wales Field varies with the bituminous seams in the East and the Anthracite in the West, broadly speaking. A large percentage of the coal is good for making coke and also for steam making furnaces. There was a huge market for Welsh coal to supply the fleets of the world in the changeover from sail to iron clad, steam powered ships, and, for the next 100 years or so, the coal industry became the main employer in this area.

Most of our local history is that of iron and coal and the people who mined and worked them.

The transport of iron and coal down the valley to the coastal ports, initially to Newport, was by mule train" animal pack train, then tram roads to the canal head, then by canal boat. This was followed by the railways.

Passenger transport was by foot, horse, horse drawn vehicles, train, then by bus and train.

Talywain offers some hilltop views with beautiful surrounding scenery and a very warm small community. It offers several public houses along with a few small shops and a nearby viaduct which used to be used as a main train track and transport from Pontypool to Blaenavon for many years

Garndiffaith Viaduct from Viaduct Road

Talywain also has its own rugby and football clubs along with a soon to be 18 hole Golf Course and golf driving range.

Talywain's own football club and team is Fairfield F.C, The team has been running well over 30 years with a long history of cups and achievements at domestic level.

Talywain Rugby Club are the local rugby union club and has seen some of their players going on to play at semi-pro level for teams like Newport RFC and Pontypool RFC.

Garndiffaith area is renowned for its agricultural and industrial heritage based on mining of iron and coal. The adjacent former British Coal Corporation land is known as 'The Balance' after the Water Balance winding mechanism.

Remains of Water Balance at Cwm Byrgwm

Garndiffaith has a few small shops, a Public house and a police station. Garnteg has been the local primary school since it was opened in 1995, when Varteg and Garndiffaith primary schools merged.

Garndiffaith primary was later demolished and a new community hall was opened on the site.

Garndiffaith has a long established rugby football club currently playing in the Welsh Rugby Union League 3 East. A history group has recently been set up to research the history of the club and local community.

Varteg lies near Abersychan on the hills above the valley of the Afon Llwyd, between Pontypool and Blaenavon and has one of the two Welsh language medium primary schools in Torfaen, namely Ysgol Bryn Onnen.

The other is Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbrân, in Cwmbrân. It also has a cemetery which dates back to the 18th century.

On the Coity Mountain is the “Dog Stone”, an Iron memorial to Carlo “A celebrated Setter, the property of H M Kennard Esq. of Crumlin Hall, accidentally shot August 12th 1864”. Mr Kennard was on a shooting party organised by the Blaenavon Company when his beloved dog was killed.

He ordered the dog be buried where it fell and had the memorial cast in the ironworks before it was hauled up the mountain by ponies and erected over the grave.

Two other Kennard dogs, “Billy” and “Bones” have stone markers, found in the grounds of Ty Mawr, Blaenafon.

Pentwyn, Torfaen is a small village located in the district of Abersychan. It contains a post office, a chapel, several houses and a small play park.

The village has a cricket team (Pentwyn CC) and is located right next to the old railway line. The cricket club celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2006 with a successful tour to Cork, Ireland.

The village has superb views over the River Severn and Newport to the south.

Victoria Village is a small hamlet (place) located in the district of Abersychan. It comprises a small village school and a number of houses.

A small group of houses on Incline Road mark the beginning of the village and the village boundary is near Cwmavon.

Victoria Primary School is also in this area on large grounds. Many homes are built around the school's boundaries.

Cwmavon (Welsh: Cwmafon; translation: river valley) is a small village located near the towns of Abersychan and Blaenavon.

In the 1830's the building of the Westlakes Brewery brought employment to the village, but it remained essentially a sheep farming community.

The village population is very low, but there is a traditional public house there (the Rising Sun) close to the village.

Unfortunately Cwmavon has recently lost its only pub The Westlakes, named after the former brewery of the same name that is nearby and before that called the Railway Inn.

Its passing is a loss to the community and to all who remember the pub and will be mourned by all.

Due to Cwmavon's scenic setting it is a popular place for ramblers to explore the local countryside of valleys and mountains, industrial history and valleys heritage.