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Banwen

Banwen
Banwen is located in Neath Port Talbot
Banwen
Banwen
Banwen shown within Neath Port Talbot
OS grid reference SN855095
Principal area
Ceremonial county
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NEATH
Postcode district SA10
Dialling code 01639
Police South Wales
Fire Mid and West Wales
Ambulance Welsh
EU Parliament Wales
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Neath Port TalbotCoordinates: 51°46′21″N 3°39′39″W / 51.7724°N 3.6608°W / 51.7724; -3.6608

Banwen is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough in Wales. Banwen is part of the community of Onllwyn along with the village of Onllwyn itself and the adjacent parish of Dyffryn Cellwen. Banwen is in the Upper Dulais Valley, with views over the southern slopes of the Brecon Beacons.

It has been suggested as the birthplace of Saint Patrick who recorded that he was born in the similarly named banavem taburniae somewhere on the west coast of Britain. A service is held on the Saint’s day at the Maen St Patrick that stands alongside the Roman Road Sarn Helen, from Neath to Brecon.

Copper, iron ore and tin were mined and crafted in early times, brickworks and opencast mining provided employment in later years. Now these big industries have gone.

Banwen is home to rugby union club Banwen RFC formed in 1947.

Stages of the Wales Rally GB are held at Walters Arena.

The Banwen Miners Hunt was founded in the village in 1962 following the demise of the West Glamorgan hunt. In the early days of the Hunt, the Duchess of Beaufort rode amongst the Banwen Miners.

Roman Road in Banwen is featured prominently as a location in The Strike, filmed in 1987 for the Channel 4 series The Comic Strip Presents... and broadcast in January 1988.



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