River Afan

The River Afan flows through the Afan Valley in south Wales, a landscape shaped by its medieval lords and later by industry. The river begins on the northern slopes of Mynydd Llangeinwyr near Blaengwynfi and winds south-west, running close to the River Neath. Along its course it passes Afan Argoed Country Park, then meets the Pelenna at Pontrhydyfen before turning toward Port Talbot. The river’s lower reaches were altered to build docks, leaving two weirs in its tidal section. A motte-and-bailey castle once stood by the river at Aberavon, though no trace remains above ground. The Afan’s history is marked by both industrial decline and ecological recovery. For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries the river carried pollution from coal and ironworks, turning waters acidic and orange in places. Whitworth Colliery was a major source of this pollution, staining the Pelenna tributary bright orange as far as Pontrhydyfen. Since the 1960s and 1970s the river has steadily improved, aided by fish passes and reed beds that treat mine drainage. Salmon and sea trout have begun to return to spawn, signalling a slow return to health. Visitors to the Afan Valley find a landscape of hills, waterfalls and reclaimed waterways. Afan Argoed Country Park offers paths through wooded valleys and along the river’s middle reaches. The Corrwg tributary drops through several waterfalls above Glyncorrwg, while the Pelenna still shows traces of its polluted past near Pontrhydyfen. At the river’s mouth, Port Talbot’s docks and weirs frame the final tidal stretch. The valley’s settlements—Cwmafan, Pontrhydyfen and Cymmer—stand among hills once ruled by the Lords of Afan.