There have been numerous tragedies and catastrophic events in the valley and surrounding areas over the years. The high density of industrialisation and mining made this almost inevitable. But I thought I’d start this page with the story of the tragic loss of life of four very young children and an adult who died while attempting to save them.
The story, which occurred prior to my birth, involved my 6 year old cousin and his 3 schoolmates who fell through the ice on a local pond. The story is best told by a couple of press articles, one contemporary article written from the perspective of a journalist, and the other written some time later from the perspective of one of the boys.
Coal Mining Tragedies
At Ynysdavid Colliery, also known as the Meadow Pit in Cwmafan, 12 colliers (miners) died due to a gas explosion on May 24, 1856, This and numerus other mining tragedies are summarized on this Welsh Mining Disasters page.