Editing Cynon Valley

{{Short description|Former coal mining valley in Wales}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{infobox historic subdivision
| Name                = Cynon Valley
| HQ                  = [[Aberdare]] ([[Welsh language|Welsh]]: Aberdâr)
| Status              = [[Districts of Wales|District]], [[borough status in the United Kingdom|Borough]]
| Start               = 1 April 1974
| End                 = 31 March 1996
| Replace             = [[Rhondda Cynon Taf]]
| image_map           = Cynon Valley au pays de Galles (1974-1996).svg
| image_map_caption   = Cynon Valley district (1974-1996) shown within Wales
| PopulationFirst     = 69,630<ref>Registrar General's annual estimated figure mid 1973</ref> 
| PopulationFirstYear = 1973 
| AreaFirst           = {{convert|44639|acre|km2}}<ref name=guidep60>{{cite book |title=Local government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System |year=1974 |publisher=[[HMSO]] |location=London |isbn=0-11-750847-0 |page=60 }}</ref> 
| AreaFirstYear       = 1974
| PopulationLast      = 65,600<ref>OPCS Key Population and statistics 1992 cited in {{cite book |title=Whitaker's Concise Almanack 1995 |year=1994 |publisher=J Whitaker & Sons |location=London |isbn=0-85021-247-2 |page=566}}</ref>
| PopulationLastYear  = 1992
}}

[[File:River Cynon Abercynon Aberdare Blog.jpg|thumb|[[River Cynon]] from [[Abercynon]] bridge]]

'''Cynon Valley''' ({{Langx|cy|Cwm Cynon}}) is a former [[South Wales Valleys|coal mining valley]] in [[Wales]]. It lies between [[Rhondda]] and the [[Merthyr Tydfil|Merthyr Valley]] and takes its name from the [[River Cynon]]. [[Aberdare]] is located in the north of the valley and [[Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf|Mountain Ash]] in the south. From 1974 to 1996, Cynon Valley was a [[Districts of Wales|local government district]].

At the [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]], the Cynon Valley had a population of 63,512,<ref name=census>{{cite web |url=http://www.assemblywales.org/03-030.pdf |title=2001 Census of Population. Key Statistics for Assembly Constituencies: Cynon Valley |publisher=Welsh Assembly |date=April 2003}}</ref> 12.1% of whom were [[Welsh language|Welsh]] speakers. In common with some of the other [[South Wales Valleys]], Cynon Valley had a high percentage of Welsh speakers until the early 20th century.{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}}

==Former district==
From 1974 to 1996, the [[borough status in the United Kingdom|borough]] of Cynon Valley was one of thirty-seven [[districts of Wales]]. The district was formed from the Aberdare and Mountain Ash [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]]s, the parish of [[Rhigos]] from Neath Rural District and the parish of Penderyn from [[Brecknockshire]].<ref name=guide>{{cite book |title=Local government in England and Wales: A Guide to the New System |year=1974 |publisher=[[HMSO]] |location=London |isbn=0-11-750847-0 |page=105}}</ref> It was one of six districts of [[Mid Glamorgan]], and in 1996 was merged into the larger [[unitary authority]] of [[Rhondda Cynon Taf]]. Throughout the council's existence, the [[Welsh Labour|Labour Party]] held a majority of the seats on the council.<ref name=electionscentre>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=19 October 2022}}</ref> The council was based at Rock Grounds on High Street in Aberdare, which was built in 1938 for one of the council's predecessors, [[Aberdare Urban District|Aberdare Urban District Council]].<ref>{{cite news |title=12,000 English to 27 Welsh books |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |work=Merthyr Express |date=15 January 1938 |page=24}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46630|page=8914|date=11 July 1975}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54332|page=3096|date=29 February 1996}}</ref>

==Parliamentary and Senedd constituency==
In [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983]], the [[parliamentary constituency]] of [[Cynon Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Cynon Valley]] was formed for the election of a member of parliament to the [[United Kingdom House of Commons|House of Commons]]. The constituency had identical boundaries to the local government district.<ref>The Parliamentary Constituencies (Wales) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983/418)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/1036/schedule/made |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies (Wales) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/1036) |publisher=The National Archives }}</ref>

In 1999, a [[Welsh Assembly]] constituency with the same boundaries was formed.

In [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]], the constituency was redefined as consisting of 15 electoral divisions of the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf: Aberaman North, Aberaman South, Abercynon, Aberdare East, Aberdare West/Llwydcoed, Cilfynydd, Cwmbach, Glyncoch, Hirwaun, Mountain Ash East, Mountain Ash West, Penrhiwceiber, Pen-y-waun, Rhigos, Ynysybwl.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1041/schedule/1/made |title=The Parliamentary Constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/10341) |publisher=The National Archives }}</ref>

The two main towns are Aberdare and Mountain Ash.

==Villages near Aberdare==
*[[Aberaman]]
*[[Abercwmboi]]
*[[Abernant, Rhondda Cynon Taf|Abernant]]
*[[Cefn Rhigos]]
* Croesbychan
*[[Cwm-Hwnt]]
*[[Cwmaman]]
*[[Cwmbach]]
*[[Cwmdare|Cwmdâr]]
* Gadlys
* Godreaman
*[[Hirwaun]]
*[[Llwydcoed]]
*[[Trecynon]]
*[[Penderyn, Rhondda Cynon Taf|Penderyn]]
*[[Penywaun]]
*[[Rhigos]]

==Villages near Mountain Ash==
*[[Abercynon]]
*[[Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf|Mountain Ash/Aberpennar]]
*[[Caegarw]]
*[[Carnetown]]
*[[Cefnpennar]]
*[[Cwmpennar]]
*[[Fernhill, Wales|Fernhill]]
*[[Miskin, Mountain Ash|Miskin]]
*[[Newtown, Rhondda Cynon Taf|Newtown]]
*[[Penrhiwceiber]]
*[[Perthcelyn]]
*[[Pontcynon]]
*[[Ynysboeth|Tyntetown]]
*[[Ynysboeth]]

==College==
[[Coleg y Cymoedd]] has a campus in the Cynon Valley based in [[Aberdare]].

==Comprehensive schools==
* [[Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun]] – Welsh-medium
* [[Mountain Ash Comprehensive School]]
* Aberdare Community School
* [[St. John the Baptist School (Aberdare)]]

==See also==
* [[The Cynon Valley Party]]
* [[River Cynon]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080518134402/http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/item10/2926 Sketches by the Bacon sisters; the pre-industrial Cynon valley of the 1830s]

{{Wales Districts}}
{{Mid Glamorgan elections}}

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[[Category:Mid Glamorgan]]
[[Category:Former subdivisions of Wales]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Wales]]
[[Category:Valleys of Rhondda Cynon Taf]]