waterfall
Melincourt Falls
An 24m fall in the Neath Valley painted by Turner in 1795, reached by a short riverside path.
10 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomWales
Cwmafan
Wales, United Kingdom · Europe
About Cwmafan
Cwmafan works well as a base: 5 minutes from Taibach, 21km from Nedd Fechan Gorge.
Cwmafan is in Wales, United Kingdom, with about 5,300 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Taibach, about 4 km away.
Cwmafan (), also known as Cwmavon, is a large village and community in the Afan valley in Wales, lying within Neath Port Talbot County Borough. It had a population of 5,615 at the 2011 Census. Cwmafan is known for having a high percentage of Welsh speakers. In many ways it is a suburb of the nearby town of Port TalbotRead more
which is less than 2 miles (3 km) to the south. The literal translation of Cwmafan from Welsh to English is complex, Cwm means valley with Afan as the name of the river flowing through, hence the village residing within the Afan Valley. It could be a version of Afon which means river, so literally the "River Valley", this is common in Wales and the UK with many rivers being called Afon or Avon. There is also a Saint Afan, which it is possible the river was named after. There have been other suggestions but none accepted locally.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Cwmafan?
Within an hour or so of Cwmafan: Melincourt Falls (10 km), Henrhyd Falls (21 km), Sgwd Gwladys (Lady Falls) (21 km), Nedd Fechan Gorge (21 km).
Are there any good drives near Cwmafan?
The nearest famous roads are Black Mountain Pass (A4069), Countisbury Hill and Porlock Hill.
Where is Cwmafan?
Cwmafan is in Wales, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Taibach.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 5,336
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Wales
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.6167, -3.7620
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Cwmafan
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
waterfall
Henrhyd Falls
At 27m the highest waterfall in south Wales, and the Batcave entrance in The Dark Knight Rises; reached by a steep wooded path.
21 km · about 25 min drive
waterfall
Sgwd Gwladys (Lady Falls)
A graceful fall on the Afon Pyrddin near Pontneddfechan, also walkable behind, in the heart of Waterfall Country.
21 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Nedd Fechan Gorge
A limestone river gorge threaded with falls and caves between Pontneddfechan and Ystradfellte, the spine of Waterfall Country.
21 km · about 25 min drive
waterfall
Sgwd yr Eira
Spectacular waterfall in the Brecon Beacons where you can walk behind the curtain of water on a natural rock ledge, a truly unique experience.
22 km · about 25 min drive
waterfall
Sgwd Clun-Gwyn
The first of the Four Waterfalls on the Afon Mellte, a wide stepped fall in the limestone gorge near Ystradfellte.
23 km · about 25 min drive
beach
Three Cliffs Bay
Triple limestone peaks guard a sweep of sand where Pennard Pill meanders to the sea on the Gower: repeatedly voted among Britain's best beaches yet reached only on foot past a ruined castle. View from Pennard cliffs is the classic.
25 km · about 30 min drive
famous road
Black Mountain Pass (A4069)
Top Gear's favourite British road, a smooth, empty ribbon of hairpins and open bends over the western Brecon Beacons between Llangadog and Brynamman.
27 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Cwmafan
- 27 kmBlack Mountain Pass (A4069)Top Gear's favourite British road, a smooth, empty ribbon of hairpins and open bends over the western Brecon Beacons between Llangadog and Brynamman.
- 37 kmPen y FanThe highest peak in southern Britain at 886 metres, the flat-topped summit of the Brecon Beacons offering sweeping views across Wales.
- 37 kmCorn DuPen y Fan's twin summit at 873m, with a Bronze Age cairn and the finest view over the Beacons' north escarpment.
- 43 kmCountisbury HillA long 1-in-4 climb on the A39 out of Lynmouth onto Exmoor, with sweeping views over the Bristol Channel.
- 47 kmPorlock HillBritain's steepest A-road, where the A39 climbs out of Porlock onto Exmoor at gradients up to 1-in-4 with two severe hairpins. A scenic Victorian toll road offers a gentler coastal alternative.
- 47 kmPorlock Hill (A39)One of England's steepest A-roads at 1-in-4 with hairpins out of Porlock onto Exmoor; a toll road offers a gentler alternative.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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