| Cilybebyll | |
|---|---|
 The Church of St John the Evangelist, Cilybebyll | |
  Cilybebyll Location withinNeath Port Talbot | |
| Population | 4,769 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SN7404 |
| Community |
|
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWANSEA |
| Postcode district | SA8 |
| Dialling code | 01792 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
51°43′08″N3°49′48″W / 51.719°N 3.830°W /51.719; -3.830  Map of the community | |
Cilybebyll (/ˌkɪləˈbɛbɪl/) is avillage andcommunity in theNeath Port Talbot County Borough,Wales. It includes the villages ofAlltwen, Fforest Gôch, Gellinudd andRhos. The village is located 2 miles (3.2 km) east ofPontardawe, 5 miles (8.0 km) north ofNeath and 10 miles (16 km) northeast ofSwansea. The community has a population of 4,769 in 2011 census.[3]
The Cilybebyll estate was established in the 15th century,[4] and after development by various families, by 1838 was recorded as having the largest land holding in the district. Plas Cilybebyll, the main house, was redeveloped in 1840 by Henry Leach, creating a south-facing Victorian facade on the property. His son Frances Edward Leach inherited the estate in 1848, changing his name to Lloyd in 1849 byRoyal Charter in order not to forfeit his inheritance. The family remained in residence until the early 20th century when the family records were passed to theSwansea Museum. Plas Cilybebyll is now a guest house.
Like much ofSouth Wales, small-scalecoal mining has taken place in the area for many centuries.[5] By 1849 it was producing large quantities of coal, which were readily transported around the world from the docks at Swansea.[6] The dangers of coal mining past and present are highlighted by two disasters in the locality. In 1858, 14 men and boys died as a result of engine fumes being accidentally pumped into the Primrose Colliery.[7] In 2008 the community council commemorated the 150th anniversary with a plaque on a park bench.
On 15 September 2011, water poured into the mine workings atGleision Colliery, a small scale colliery which had expanded as the price ofanthracite had risen. Three miners escaped to the surface, with one taken toMorriston Hospital. Units from theMines Rescue Service were called in from across the country, to rescue four men located 300 feet (91 m) below the surface.[8] Four bodies were subsequently found. Parallel inquiries into the causes of the disaster were launched bySouth Wales Police and theHealth and Safety Executive.[9]
