Aberfan, Merthyr Tydfil

Flower Delivery to Aberfan with Clare Florist

A former coal mining village, Aberfan is the site of one of the most tragic disasters of the post-World War II era. Parts of the village, particularly the junior school, were buried due to a catastrophic landslide.

Now, there's very little that reminds visitors about the village's tragic past. The most striking reminder is the abstract memorial garden, as well as the children's section in the cemetery. You can offer some Aberfan flowers to the departed when you visit the cemetery.

HISTORY

The name Aberfan is derived from the Fan stream that runs through the area up to the river Taff. It is said that there was a small Celtic hilltop settlement that existed during the 5th century. Aberfan was also made up entirely of farmland during the preceding years. The area was farmed right through the Middle Ages, and into the 19th century.

Hafod Tanglwys Farm

Located between Troedyrhiw and Aberfan, this ancient land holding is said to be the summer residence of Tanglwys, the daughter of 5th century Welsh Lord Brychan and sister of Tydfil and Rhun.

It consisted of two farmsteads, Hafod Tanglwys Isaf (Lower) and Hafod Tanglways Uchaf (Upper). Legend says that Tydfil was on her way to Hafod Tanglwys Farm when she was pursued and murdered by a band of Picts.

Other farms were established in the area during the Middle Ages too, including Ynys-y-gored and Pantglas Farm.

Development into mining village

The Merthyr Vale Colliery is located just close by and it was in production by 1875. Aberfan then became inhabited by colliers and their families. Many of the houses and buildings found in town can be traced back to the 1880's, including Capel Abergan, Bethania, Smyrna and Zion, as well as shops, pubs and the Pantglas School.

Aberfan Disaster

This happened on 21 October 1966. It was a Friday when the coal tips form the Merthyr Vale Colliery come tumbling down the mountain and buried the Pantglas School, houses and a farm.

144 people died that day, 116 of which were children between the ages of seven and ten. Although a rescue mission was carried out, only a few of the children were recovered alive.

The tips collapsed due to the build-up of water in a stream that ran underneath the tip itself.

On the site of the Pantglas School, the Aberfan Memorial Garden was built in order to commemorate those who died in the disaster of 1966. You can visit the garden and see flowers in Aberfan on the graves. Or, you can lay down flowers too.

WHAT IS THERE TO SEE

There is nothing much to see when in Aberfan. The main focus is a portion of the village cemetery consisting of two rows of white marble arches. In front of these arches are the graves of the 116 children that died during the Aberfan disaster.

It's not very touristy, but if you want to pay your respects, you can do so. You can send flowers to Aberfan or buy them there when you visit the children's memorial.

There are memorial gardens located to the north of the village too. It's a public space where there is a modest garden. The site serves as a tribute to those who perished in the disaster of 1966. This is for all those who died, all 144 of them. The other memorial was dedicated to the children.

There's nothing to remind you of the painful past when you get to Aberfan. The hillside where the landslide occurred has been reforested. Signs of being a mining village have disappeared too.

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