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363:, as well as numerous tributary streams. Several waterfalls exist along the river's course. Although the water is clear today, discharge from the many collieries along its lower reaches led to significant pollution. Minor discharge sometimes leaks from the Glyncorrwg colliery, although its effects do not have a noticeably detrimental effect on the river.
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Multiple hypotheses exist regarding the origin of the river's name. One suggestion is that it is from "A-Ban" meaning "from the heights" due to its comparatively quick descent from hills to the sea. (Compare to the 'Ban' in "Bannau
Brycheiniog", the Brecon Beacons). However, such a name would be very
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To aid the construction of the docks at Port Talbot, the river was impounded and a diversion channel built that now forms the lower reaches of this river. There are two weirs in this final tidal reach of the Afan; Greenpark Weir at the upstream tidal limit, which has been reconstructed in 2017 and
383:. There were a number of collieries contributing to the pollution although the major source was the Whitworth Colliery. At the height of coal extraction in the valley, there were several deep pits and numerous levels. This pollution is now much mitigated following extensive work promoted by the
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For much of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the River Afan was severely polluted by the coal and iron industries. With the decline in the coal mining industry, the quality of the river improved in the 1960s and 1970s so that some
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was a small tributary of the Afan, just under 8 km and joining the Afan close to the sea. It was diverted in the 18th century into the ironworks at what was to become Port Talbot, to provide a source of water. It remains diverted, flowing into
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provides headwaters for the dock feeder channel that approximately follows the river's original route, and
Newbridge Weir, which is the most downstream weir, presents a barrier to fish passage and is in a poor state of repair.
219:
unusual for a river. It is not parallelled elsewhere, and does not fit in with the pattern of Welsh stream and river nomenclature in general. A. D. Mills believes the river derives ultimately from a personal name.
375:, suffered more severely from pollution than the main river because of the sulphur-rich coal that was produced by the mines in that area. As a result, the abandoned coal mines continued to discharge
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rich in iron and highly acidic. This turned much of the river orange down to the confluence of the Pelena with the main river Afan. The orange colour could often be seen as far down stream as
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The Corrwg is one of the Afan's principal tributaries. Its length is approximately 11 km, and its source lies above the village of
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period. No remains are now visible above ground, but the site of the castle is commemorated in local street names.
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on some weirs such as on the Dock feeder weir and the demolition of others such as at
Corlannau weir.
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on the river had to be made passable to allow fish to ascend the river. This required the creation of
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means 'mouth of the Afan', grew up on the banks of the river and was later subsumed by the town of
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encompasses the upper reaches of the river. The valley is traversed by the
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480:"Proceedings of CIWEM Conference on Minewater Treatment Using Wetlands".
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www.geograph.co.uk : photos of the Afan Valley and surrounding area
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in its middle reaches. It converges with the river
Pelenna at
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459:"LIST OF MINES in Great Britain and the Isle of Man, 1908"
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The
Pelenna, a major tributary that meets the Afan at
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Nantybar : a vanished village in the Afan Valley
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started to return to the river to spawn. A number of
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stood on the banks of the river as it passed through
254:. From here it turns southward towards Port Talbot.
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437:. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 98.
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423:Place Names of the Afan Valley A.B.Jones 1988
618:
604:
559:Afan Valley Angling and Conservation Club
227:The Afan rises on the northern slopes of
174:whose valley formed the territory of the
636:Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
529:Republished 2009 by Wuggles Publishing,
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312:Wind farm on the hills above Afan Valley
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297:. The Afan shares a watershed with the
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461:. Coal Mining History Resource Centre
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435:A Dictionary of British Place-Names
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554:Neath Port Talbot: The Afan Valley
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494:10.1111/j.1747-6593.1998.tb00150.x
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186:. Settlements in the area include
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281:To the east the Afan borders the
239:with which it shares its western
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482:Water and Environment Journal
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101:Physical characteristics
1139:Registered parks and gardens
1104:Parliamentary constituencies
391:to treat the mine drainage.
359:. It has a major tributary,
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1217:Rivers of Neath Port Talbot
119: • location
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152:Afon Corrwg, Afon Pelenna
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67:
62:
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16:For the Welsh saint, see
1222:Rivers with fish ladders
511:Richards, Beryl (2006).
355:, in the hills south of
248:Afan Argoed Country Park
148: • right
1056:Natural sites and parks
1047:Neath and Tennant Canal
263:motte and bailey castle
313:
202:, whose name in Welsh
176:medieval Lords of Afan
167:
38:
515:. Talybont: Y Lolfa.
433:Mills, A. D. (2003).
311:
301:, a tributary of the
246:The river passes the
720:Cymer and Glyncorrwg
695:Clyne and Melincourt
582:51.63294°N 3.73398°W
389:engineered reed beds
1134:Scheduled monuments
1083:Margam Country Park
740:Gwynfi and Croeserw
578: /
387:in the creation of
134:Basin features
1078:Gnoll Country Park
828:Towns and villages
587:51.63294; -3.73398
385:Environment Agency
377:acid mine drainage
361:Afon Corrwg Fechan
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229:Mynydd Llangeinwyr
124:Mynydd Llangeinwyr
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1118:Listed buildings
627:Neath Port Talbot
405:Port Talbot Docks
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1144:Lord Lieutenants
1088:Melincourt Falls
1073:Afan Forest Park
1068:Aberdulais Falls
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505:Further reading
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317:Industrial past
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231:to the east of
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1063:Aberavon Beach
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198:. The town of
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535:9781904043133
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367:River Pelenna
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285:and then the
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1016:Neath Castle
895:Cwrt Herbert
750:Margam Moors
680:Briton Ferry
675:Blaenhonddan
665:Baglan Moors
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463:. Retrieved
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381:Pontrhydyfen
373:Pontrhydyfen
370:
350:
347:River Corrwg
320:
299:Rhondda Fawr
295:River Ogmore
287:River Llynfi
283:River Kenfig
280:
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252:Pontrhydyfen
245:
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217:
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192:Pontrhydyfen
179:
159:
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1212:Afan Valley
1042:River Neath
960:Port Talbot
885:Cwmllynfell
855:Blaenhoddan
850:Blaengwrach
775:Port Talbot
715:Cwmllynfell
670:Blaengwrach
643:Communities
585: /
342:Tributaries
336:fish passes
269:during the
237:River Neath
233:Blaengwynfi
208:Port Talbot
180:Afan Valley
139:Tributaries
94:Port Talbot
82:Blaengwynfi
1206:Categories
1159:Public art
1037:River Afan
1000:Ystalyfera
990:Tairgwaith
955:Pontardawe
945:Morfa Glas
940:Melincourt
870:Cilybebyll
840:Abergarwed
835:Aberdulais
810:Ystalyfera
770:Pontardawe
700:Coedffranc
690:Cilybebyll
660:Baglan Bay
570:51°37′59″N
411:References
357:Glyn-neath
353:Glyncorrwg
303:River Taff
184:A4107 road
160:River Afan
31:River Afan
18:Saint Afan
1179:Geography
1127:Grade II*
900:Glynneath
730:Glynneath
573:3°44′02″W
488:: 68–69.
328:sea trout
291:tributary
277:Geography
241:watershed
214:Etymology
168:Afon Afan
40:Afon Afan
975:Rhydyfro
970:Rhiwfawr
965:Resolven
920:Llangiwg
860:Cadoxton
780:Resolven
650:Aberavon
465:23 April
271:medieval
267:Aberavon
204:Aberafan
200:Aberavon
63:Location
1154:Museums
1122:Grade I
1009:Castles
890:Crynant
880:Cwmgors
865:Cilfrew
845:Alltwen
800:Taibach
765:Pelenna
760:Onllwyn
710:Cwmavon
705:Crynant
293:of the
188:Cwmafan
90:Cwmafan
68:Country
1109:Places
1097:Topics
1030:Rivers
985:Skewen
935:Margam
925:Lonlas
910:Goytre
745:Margam
655:Baglan
533:
519:
441:
324:salmon
223:Course
196:Cymmer
178:. The
142:
113:
110:Source
86:Cymmer
56:Cymmer
1191:Wales
1114:SSSIs
995:Tonna
950:Neath
915:Groes
875:Clyne
805:Tonna
755:Neath
332:weirs
172:Wales
164:Welsh
78:Towns
72:Wales
35:Welsh
685:Bryn
531:ISBN
517:ISBN
467:2009
439:ISBN
326:and
289:, a
194:and
158:The
490:doi
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486:12
484:.
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305:.
261:A
243:.
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619:e
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496:.
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162:(
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20:.
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