Aberfan

Aberfan is a small former mining village on the lower slopes of the South Wales Valleys just south of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, sitting above the valley of the River Taff and within easy reach of the hills that lead towards the Brecon Beacons. The landscape is marked by steep valley sides and the remnants of coal-industry infrastructure; since the mines closed the area has faced the same economic transition and regeneration challenges seen across former coal communities in the region.

Aberfan is best known for the 21 October 1966 disaster when a coal spoil tip collapsed onto the village school and houses, killing 144 people, 116 of them children. The tragedy had a profound social and cultural impact and led to a national inquiry that criticised the National Coal Board. Today the site is quiet and commemorated by an Aberfan Memorial Garden and cemetery, and the community marks the anniversary each year while the village remains a place of deep local memory and resilience.