Talywain is a village situated between Garndiffaith, Abersychan and Pentwyn.
It falls under the district of Abersychan – a settlement and community north of Pontypool in Torfaen and lies within the boundaries of the historic county of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent. The ward is made up of Abersychan, Cwmavon, Garndiffaith, Talywain, Varteg, and Victoria Village.
Like many of the 17th century isolated agricultural hamlets in the forested South Wales Valleys, Abersychan became a thriving industrial centre in the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly for iron production.
After the discovery of iron stone locally, the principal ironworks were built by the British Iron Company in 1825, served mainly by the LNWR’s Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway. The ironwork’s main office building and quadrangle were designed by architect Decimus Burton, best known for his design of London Zoo. The works passed to the New British Iron Company in 1843 and to the Ebbw Vale Company in 1852, before closing in 1889. On 6 February 1890, an underground explosion at Llanerch Colliery killed 176
It has a long heritage in education and coal mining. The old ‘British’ coal-mining site was a great source of income and work for many of the local settlers and attracted people from far and wide with the chance of a stable job and living. The mine was produced coal and produce for a good half of a century before closing in May 1974.
The site of the former ironworks today is a core site of 71 hectares (180 acres), and a total land area of 526 hectares (1,300 acres), includes a number of listed buildings:
- Abersychan Limestone Railway: built c 1830 to carry limestone from Cwm Lascarn quarry to the British Ironworks.
- Air Furnace at British Ironworks
- British Colliery Pumping Engine House: a Cornish beam pumping engine house built by the
- British Iron Company. Built of sandstone with a slate roof, and retains several fixtures
- Cwmbyrgwm Colliery: Site of former colliery including remains of a water-balance headgear, chimney, oval shafts, water power dams, tramroad routes, and waste tips.
Various proposals have been made over the years to redevelop the site, currently under the ownership of HSBC, but none have so far passed the requirements of Torfaen county council
The former British School was demolished in the 1990s and a housing association development was built on the site.
Talywain offers hilltop views of the beautiful surrounding scenery. It has several public houses along with a few small shops and a nearby viaduct which used to be used as a main train track and transport from Pontypool to Blaenavon for many years. The village had a network of railway lines that served the local coal mines and ironworks.
Talywain has its own rugby and football clubs along with a golf course and golf driving range. The football club is called Fairfield F.C. and the rugby club, Talywain RFC.