South Wales Valleys: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Group of industrialised peri-urban valleys in South Wales}}

The '''south Wales valleys''' are a number of industrialised valleys in [[South Wales]]. Many of them running roughly parallel to each other, they stretch from eastern [[Carmarthenshire]] in the [[west]] to western [[Monmouthshire]] in the [[east]]. Located in roughly the centre is the famous [[Rhondda]] valley.

{{Redirect|The Valleys|the television series|The Valleys (TV series)|other uses|The Valley (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

The term "Valleys" is often incorrectly used as a synonym for Wales. As the Valleys are a closely defined area, this is wholly inaccurate. The term "The valleys" are sometimes also used to describe the Rhondda Valleys. These are correctly defined as plural, as they are separate and have distinct communities. The Rhondda Valleys are accurately described as plural, as the Rhondda splits at Porth into two valleys the Big and Small Rhondda - or Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach respectivly.The two valleys forming a "Y"

[[File:Cwmparc.jpg|thumb|[[Cwmparc]], near the head of the Rhondda Fawr, showing typical scenery]]

[[File:Our Valleys Dan, Valleys Regional Park Ein Cymoedd Dan, Parc Rhanbarthol y Cymoedd.webm|thumb|A short video about the Valleys Regional Park, by [[Natural Resources Wales]]]]

[[Image:Lossity.jpg|thumb|Lossity of Perthcelyn]]

The '''South Wales Valleys''' ({{langx|cy|Cymoedd De Cymru}}) are a group of industrialised [[peri-urban]] valleys in [[South Wales]]. Most of the valleys run north{{ndash}}south, roughly parallel to each other. Commonly referred to as "The Valleys" ({{langx|cy|Y Cymoedd}}), they stretch from [[Carmarthenshire]] in the west to [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] in the east; to the edge of the [[pastoralism|pastoral]] country of the [[Vale of Glamorgan]] and the coastal plain near the cities of [[Swansea]], [[Cardiff]], and [[Newport, Wales|Newport]].

==History==

[[File:View of Darranlas from Penrhiwcaradog Farm.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Cynon Valley]] from [[Penrhiwceiber|Penrhiwceiber, Rhondda Cynon Taf]]]]

Until the mid-[[nineteenth century]], the south Wales valleys were lightly inhabited (as was most of Wales) and known for their natural beauty. The [[Industrial Revolution]] changed this as the valleys became important centres for both the [[coal mining]] and [[iron]] industries. [[Merthyr Tydfil]], at the northern end of the [[River Taff|Taff valley]] became [[Wales]]'s largest town thanks to its growing [[iron]] works at [[Dowlais]] and [[Cyfarthfa]].

[[File:EbbwVale1.jpg|thumb|Ebbw Valley viewed from [[Ebbw Vale]]]]

Until the mid-19th century, the South Wales valleys were sparsely inhabited. The [[industrialisation]] of the Valleys occurred in two phases. First, in the second half of the 18th century, the [[iron]] industry was established on the northern edge of the Valleys, mainly by English entrepreneurs. This made South Wales the most important part of Britain for [[ironworks|ironmaking]] until the middle of the 19th century. Second, from 1850 until the outbreak of the [[First World War]], the [[South Wales Coalfield]] was developed to supply steam coal and [[anthracite]].<ref>Minchinton, W. E., ed. (1969) ''Industrial South Wales, 1750–1914''</ref>

The South Wales Valleys hosted Britain's only mountainous coalfields.<ref name="Davies">Davies, John; ''The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008.</ref> Topography defined the shape of the mining communities, with a "hand and fingers" pattern of urban development.<ref name="WSP">{{Cite web|url=http://wales.gov.uk/dpsp/wspatialplan/documents/wsp2008update/wsp2008updatee.pdf?lang=en|title=People, Places, Futures|access-date=18 June 2018|archive-date=16 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216093844/http://wales.gov.uk/dpsp/wspatialplan/documents/wsp2008update/wsp2008updatee.pdf?lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> There were fewer than 1,000 people in the [[Rhondda]] valley in 1851, 17,000 by 1870, 114,000 by 1901 and 153,000 by 1911; but the wider impact of urbanisation was constrained by geography—the Rhondda remained a collection of villages rather than a town.<ref name="Jenkins">Jenkins, P. (1992) ''A History of Modern Wales, 1536–1990''. Harlow: Longman.</ref> The population of the Valleys in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was disproportionately young and male; many of them were migrants drawn from other parts of Wales or from further afield.<ref name="Jenkins"/> The new communities had extremely high birth rates—in 1840, more than 20 per cent of [[Tredegar]]'s population was aged under seven, and Rhondda's birth rate in 1911 was 36 per thousand, levels usually associated with mid-19th century Britain.<ref name="Jenkins"/>

Although [[iron]] was the first industry to develop, the valleys would become most famous for their [[coal mines]]. These attracted huge numbers of people from [[rural]] areas to the valleys. This meant that many rows of [[terraced housing]] were built along the valley sides to accommodate the influx. The [[coal]] mined in the valleys was transported south along [[railway]]s and [[canal]]s to [[port]]s on the [[Bristol Channel]], notably [[Cardiff]], [[Newport]] and [[Swansea]]. [[Cardiff]] was soon among the most important [[coal]] ports in the [[world]] and [[Swansea]] among the most important steel ports.

[[Merthyr Tydfil]], at the northern end of the [[River Taff|Taff valley]], became Wales's largest town thanks to its growing [[ironworks]] at [[Dowlais]] and [[Cyfarthfa Ironworks|Cyfarthfa]]. The neighbouring [[Taff Bargoed Valley]] to the east became the centre of serious industrial and political strife during the 1930s, especially in and around the villages of [[Trelewis]] and [[Bedlinog]], which served the local collieries of Deep Navigation and [[Taff Merthyr]]. The [[South Wales coalfield]] attracted huge numbers of people from rural areas to the valleys; and many rows of [[terraced housing]] were built along the valley sides to accommodate the influx. The coal mined in the valleys was transported south along railways and canals to Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Cardiff was soon among the most important coal ports in the world, and Swansea among the most important [[steel]] ports.

==Decline==

The coal mining industry of the Valleys was buoyed throughout World War II, though there were expectations of a return to the pre-1939 industrial collapse after the end of the war. There was a sense of salvation when the government announced the [[National Coal Board|nationalisation of British coalmines]] in 1947; but the following decades saw a continual reduction in the output from the Welsh mines. The decline in the mining of coal after World War II was a country-wide issue, but South Wales was more severely affected than other areas of Britain. Oil had superseded coal as the fuel of choice in many industries, and there was political pressure influencing{{clarify|date=December 2017}} the supply of oil.<ref name="John590">John (1980), p. 590</ref> Of the few industries that still relied on coal, the demand was for quality coals, especially [[Coke (fuel)|coking coal]], which was required by the steel industry. Fifty percent of Glamorgan coal was now supplied to [[steelworks]],<ref name="John595">John (1980), p. 595</ref> with the second biggest market being domestic heating, in which the "smokeless" coal of the southern Wales coalfield again became fashionable after the [[Clean Air Act 1956|Clean Air Act of 1956]] was passed.<ref name="John596">John (1980), p. 596</ref> These two markets now controlled the fate of the mines in Wales, and as demand from both sectors fell, the mining industry contracted further. In addition exports to other areas of Europe, traditionally France, Italy and the [[Low Countries]], experienced a massive decline: from 33%{{Fix|text=of what?}} around 1900 to roughly 5% by 1980.<ref name="John596"/>

The [[World War II | Second World War]] marked the end of these [[heavy industry|heavy industries]] in the Valleys. [[Steel]] works and [[coal mines]] began to close, despite [[nationalisation]] by the [[United Kingdom|UK]] [[government]]. In [[1966]], the village of [[Aberfan]] in the [[River Taff|Taff]] valley suffered one of the worst [[disaster]]s in [[History of Wales | Welsh history]]. A mine waste tip on the top of the mountain slid down the valley side and destroyed the village [[primary school]], killing 144 people, 116 of them children.

The other major factor in the decline of coal was the massive under-investment in Welsh mines over the past decades. Most of the mines in the valleys were sunk between the 1850s and 1880s, so they were far smaller than most modern mines.<ref name="John588">John (1980), p. 588</ref> The Welsh mines were comparatively antiquated, with methods of ventilation, coal-preparation and power supply all of a decades-earlier standard.<ref name="John588"/> In 1945 the British coal industry as a whole cut 72% of its output mechanically, whereas in the south of Wales the figure was just 22%.<ref name="John588"/> The only way to ensure the financial survival of the mines in the valleys was massive investment from the [[National Coal Board]], but the "Plan for Coal" drawn up in 1950 was overly optimistic about the future demand for coal,<ref name="John589">John (1980), p. 589</ref> which was drastically reduced following an industrial recession in 1956 and an increased availability of oil.<ref name="John590"/> From 15,000 miners in 1947, Rhondda had just a single pit within the valleys producing coal in 1984, located at [[Maerdy]].<ref name="Davies748">Davies (2008), p. 748</ref>

In [[1979]], [[Margaret Thatcher]] became [[Prime Minister]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. [[Thatcherism| Her policies]] of [[free market]] economics soon clashed with the loss-making, government-owned [[National Coal Board]]. In [[1984]] and [[1985]], after the government announced plans to close many mines across the UK, [[UK miners' strike (1984-1985) |mineworkers went on strike]]. The ultimate failure of this strike led to the virtual destruction of the UK's coal industry. Today, the only deep coal mine left in the valleys is [[Tower Colliery]] in the [[Cynon Valley]]. This was bought by the [[workers]] in [[1994]], despite government attempts to close it. In the new millennium, the last of the [[steel]] industry closed, as [[Corus Group]] (formerly [[British Steel]]) closed its plant in [[Ebbw Vale]].

In 1966, the village of [[Aberfan]] in the [[River Taff|Taff]] valley suffered one of the worst disasters in [[Welsh history]], referred to today as the [[Aberfan disaster]]. A mine waste tip on the top of the mountain, which had been developed over a [[spring (hydrology)|spring]],<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lHGiDgAAQBAJ|title=Guidelines for Mine Waste Dump and Stockpile Design|last=Hawley|first=Mark|publisher=CRC Press|year=2017|isbn=978-1138197312|pages=3}}</ref> slid down the valley side and [[Aberfan disaster|destroyed the village junior school]], killing 144 people, 116 of them children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/21/aberfan-survivors-mark-50th-anniversary-of-disaster|title=Aberfan: Prince of Wales among those marking disaster's 50th anniversary|last=Morris|first=Steven|date=2016-10-21|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-10-08|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==The valleys today==

The closure of the [[heavy industry|heavy industries]] led to very high [[unemployment]] in the valleys and whilst measured unemployment has fallen considerably since the early 1990s, high levels of economic inactivity remain, particularly in the upper sections of the Valleys. In the [[1990s]], the [[government]] attracted [[light industry|light industries]] to try and reduce the level of [[unemployment]]. Many of these companies were from the [[Far East]] although these are increasingly being replaced by European and American owned operations. However, the [[economy]] remains weak and virtually the entire the area is poor enough to qualify for [[European Union]] [[Objective 1]] funding. Official statistics are somewhat misleading however in suggesting a rather uniform level of underperformance. The lower Valleys have typically performed more strongly economically, with the lower Taff and Ely Valleys in particular attracting inward investment and migration from firms and families priced out of Cardiff.

In 1979, [[Margaret Thatcher]] became [[Prime Minister]] of the [[United Kingdom]]. [[Thatcherism|Her policies]] of [[free market]] economics soon clashed with the loss-making, government-owned National Coal Board. In 1984 and 1985, after the government announced plans to close many mines across the UK, [[1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike|mineworkers went on strike]]. This strike, and its ultimate failure, led to the virtual destruction of the UK's coal industry over the next decade, although arguably [[economic cost|costs]] of extraction and geological difficulties would have had the same result, perhaps a little later. No deep coal mines are left in the valleys since the closure in 2008 of [[Tower Colliery]] in the [[Cynon Valley]]. Tower had been bought by the workers in 1994, despite government attempts to close it.

==Culture==

The south Wales valleys became a symbol of the whole of [[Wales]] for many foreign people (including those in the other parts of the [[United Kingdom]]). Some visitors to other parts of Wales are surprised when they do not find [[coal mines]] and [[terraced housing]]. The valleys do, however, contain a [[List of Welsh principal areas by population |large percentage of the Welsh population]] and remain an important centre of [[Culture of Wales | Welsh culture]], despite the growing domination of [[Cardiff]]. The UK parliament's first [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] ([[Socialist]]) [[Member of Parliament|MP]], [[Keir Hardie]] was elected from the area and the Valleys remain a stronghold of [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] power. [[Rugby union]] is very [[Popularity|popular]] and [[rugby pitches]] can be seen along the valley floors. [[Football (soccer)|Football]] is also popular in the valleys, as in the rest of the British Isles. [[English language | English]] is the everyday language, except for the western valleys around [[Ammanford]] and the Upper Swansea valley, where [[Welsh language|Welsh]] is still widely spoken.

By 2002, the unemployment rates in the Welsh valleys were among the highest in the whole United Kingdom since the 1980s, and have been seen as a major factor in the rise in drug abuse in the local area, which was highlighted in the national media during the autumn of 2002 and largely linked to drug dealing gangs from [[Birmingham]] and [[Bristol]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2289127.stm | work=BBC News | title=Blunkett told of 'Valleys drug menace' | date=1 October 2002}}</ref>

The geographical shape of the valleys have their effect on culture. Many roads stretch along valleys connecting the different settlements in the valley. Consequently the different towns in a valley are more closely associated with each other than they are with towns in the neighbouring valley, even when the towns in the neighbouring valley are closer on the map. When describing where he or she come from, a valleys resident is far more like to explain in terms of which valley it is than in which borough council or unitary authority it lies. The Heads of the Valleys road, the [[A465 road]], is significant due to its connection of valleys with each other, and there are hopes that the dualling of this road will improve the economic performance of the region as the road becomes the main thoroughfare to Swansea and West Wales from the Midlands and North of England.

More recently however employment levels have risen significantly in the area, including growing faster than elsewhere in Wales.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.wales/employment-rate-growing-fastest-valleys-and-west-wales | title=Employment rate growing fastest in the Valleys and West Wales | date=31 March 2017 }}</ref>

==Transport==

This has been driven by billions of pounds of investment into the valleys from EU structural funds, UK government and Welsh government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fifty Years of Regeneration in the Valleys – What Can We Learn? |url=https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-08/fifty-years-of-regeneration-in-the-valleys-what-can-we-learn.pdf |website=gov.wales}}</ref> Significant further investments in the area are also planned to go ahead.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-40655893 | title=South Wales valleys action plan for 7,000 new jobs | work=BBC News | date=20 July 2017 }}</ref>

==Present day==

In terms of rail transport, the south of the Valleys is served by the [[South Wales Main Line]]. The many settlements in the Valleys are served by an extensive commuter network known as the [[Valley Lines]].

{{Update|Present Day| reason=written heavily based on 2003 references |inaccurate=yes |date=January 2023}}

The Valleys are home to around 30% of the Welsh population, although this is declining slowly because of emigration, especially from the Upper Valleys.<ref name="David">David, R. et al. (2003) ''The Socio-Economic Characteristics of the South Wales Valleys in a Broader Context''. A report for the Welsh Assembly Government''.</ref> The area has a relatively high proportion of residents (over 90% in [[Blaenau Gwent]] and [[Merthyr Tydfil]]) born in Wales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=445 |title=Wales: Its People |publisher=Statistics.gov.uk |access-date=2013-05-06}}</ref>

The Valleys have the highest percentage of Welsh identifying population in all of Wales. Merthyr Tydfil reported the highest rate of Welsh identifying, with 70.0%. They also had the highest rates of reporting themselves to have 'No religion'.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gov.wales/ethnic-group-national-identity-language-and-religion-wales-census-2021-html | title=Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion in Wales (Census 2021) | date=29 November 2022 }}</ref> The Valleys as a whole do suffer from a number of socio-economic problems however. A high proportion of people report a limiting long-term health problem, especially in the Upper Valleys.<ref name="David"/> In 2006, only 64% of the working age population in the Heads of the Valleys was in employment compared with 69% in the Lower Valleys and 71% across Wales as a whole.<ref name="Turning">{{cite web |url=http://www.adjudicationpanelwales.org.uk/deet/publications/bande/hotv/turningheads/turningheadse.pdf;jsessionid=gm6jKLjGRkWngCvdCK2bwFQl0LQHGv5PzHYfnfmQCrqvBJ0TvMN3!2092468695?cr=4&lang=en&ts=3 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121223222127/http://www.adjudicationpanelwales.org.uk/deet/publications/bande/hotv/turningheads/turningheadse.pdf;jsessionid=gm6jKLjGRkWngCvdCK2bwFQl0LQHGv5PzHYfnfmQCrqvBJ0TvMN3!2092468695?cr=4&lang=en&ts=3 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=23 December 2012 |title=Turning heads... a strategy for the Heads of the Valleys. Welsh Assembly Government 2006 |publisher=Adjudicationpanelwales.org.uk |access-date=2013-05-06 }}</ref>

==List of important valleys in South Wales==

From west to east:

* [[River Loughor|Loughor Valley]] (forms border between [[Carmarthenshire]] in [[West Wales]] and [[Glamorgan]] in [[South Wales]])

* [[River Tawe|Tawe Valley]]

* [[Swansea Valley]]

* [[River Neath|Vale of Neath]]

* [[River Afan|Afan Valley]]

* [[Ogmore River|Ogmore Vale]]

* Ely Valley

* [[River Rhondda|Rhondda Valley]]

* [[River Cynon|Cynon Valley]]

* [[River Taff|Taff Valley]]

* [[River Rhymney|Rhymney Valley]] (forms border between [[Glamorgan]] and [[Monmouthshire]])

* [[River Sirhowy|Sirhowy Valley]]

* [[Ebbw River|Ebbw Valley]]

* Ebbw Fach Valley

* Llwyd Valley

* [[River Usk|Vale of Usk]]

* [[River Wye|Wye Valley]] (forms border between [[Monmouthshire]] in South Wales and [[Gloucestershire]] in [[South West England]])

A relatively large number of local people are employed in manufacturing, health and social services. Fewer work in managerial or professional occupations, and more in elementary occupations, compared to the rest of the country.<ref name="David"/> A large number of people commute to Cardiff, particularly in [[Caerphilly county borough|Caerphilly]], [[Torfaen]] and [[Rhondda Cynon Taf]]. Though the [[Valley Lines|rail network into Cardiff]] is extensive, train times and frequencies beyond [[Caerphilly]] and [[Pontypridd]] impede the development of a significant commuter market to city centre jobs.<ref name="David"/>

==See also==

* [[A465 road]]

* [[Glamorgan]]

* [[Carmarthenshire]]

Although the housing stock is not of significantly worse quality than elsewhere in Wales, there is a lack of variety in terms of private dwellings.<ref name="Turning"/> Many homes are low-priced, older and terraced, concentrated in the lowest [[Council Tax]] bands; few are higher-priced detached homes.<ref name="David"/> A report for the [[Welsh Government]] concluded that the Valleys is "a distressed area unique in Great Britain for the depth and concentration of its problems".<ref name="David"/> However, the area does benefit from a local landscape described as "stunning", improving road links such as the upgraded [[A465]], and public investment in regeneration initiatives.<ref name="Turning"/>

==External links==

* [http://www.data-wales.co.uk/valley1.htm The industrialisation of the South Wales Valleys]

Following devolution in the late 2000s, powers over the [[Wales and Borders]] rail franchise are now held by the [[Welsh Government]]. As a result, financing has been advanced through the [[Cardiff Capital Region#City deal|Cardiff City Deal]] for a [[South Wales Metro]]. The metro will consist of route electrification, new [[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles]] trains manufactured at [[Llanwern]] for use in 2023, new stations, more frequent services, and faster journey times across most valleys. The first major improvement is the re-opening of services between Ebbw Vale and Newport (via the [[Ebbw Valley Railway#Route|Gaer Tunnel]]) which is projected to be completed by 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/17704137.restoration-of-newport-ebbw-vale-rail-link-on-track-for-2021/|title=Restoration of Newport-Ebbw Vale rail link on track for 2021|website=South Wales Argus|date=13 June 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-12-11}}</ref>

* [http://www.southernwales.com/en/valleys.php South Wales Valleys tourist site]

* [http://blog.aberdare.org/ Aberdare Blog - Strong Views from the Valleys]

===Culture===

{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2009}}

[[File:Valleys_rugby_fields.jpg|thumb|Rugby fields marked on a map of the South Wales valleys]]

The South Wales Valleys contain a [[List of Welsh principal areas by population|large proportion of the Welsh population]] and remain an important centre of [[Welsh culture]], despite the growing economic dominance of Cardiff. The UK Parliament's first [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]], [[Keir Hardie]], was elected from the area, and the Valleys remain a stronghold of Labour Party power. [[Rugby union]] is very popular, and pitches can be seen along the valley corridors.

The geographical shape of the valleys has its effect on culture. Roads stretch along valleys and connect the different settlements in the valley, whereas neighbouring valleys are separated by hills and mountains. Consequently, the towns in a valley are more closely associated with each other than they are with towns in the neighbouring valley, even when the towns in the neighbouring valley are closer on the map.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

==Roads==

The [[A470]] from [[Cardiff]] is, as far as its junction with the [[A465 road|A465 Heads of the Valleys road]], a dual-carriageway providing direct access to [[Taff's Well]], [[Pontypridd]], [[Abercynon]] and [[Merthyr Tydfil]]. It links with the A4059 from [[Abercynon]], [[Aberdare]] and [[Hirwaun]]; the [[A472]] from [[Ystrad Mynach]] and [[Pontypool]], and the A4054 from [[Quakers Yard]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+ style="font-variant:small" | A465 upgrade sections are

! Section !! From / To !! Commencement date !! Completion date !! Status

|-

| 1 || [[Abergavenny]] to [[Gilwern]] || February 2005 || May 2008 || Complete

|-

| 2 || [[Gilwern]] to [[Brynmawr]] || December 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=http://a465gilwern2brynmawr.co.uk/2014/12/18/green-light-for-next-stage-of-widening-project/ |title=Green light for next stage of widening project &#124; A465 Section 2 |access-date=2015-02-21 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221232227/http://a465gilwern2brynmawr.co.uk/2014/12/18/green-light-for-next-stage-of-widening-project/ |archive-date=21 February 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref> || December 2021<ref>{{cite news |title=Heads of the Valleys road section opens three years late |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59796648 |access-date=5 January 2023 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> || Complete

|-

| 3 || [[Brynmawr]] to [[Tredegar]] || January 2013 || September 2015 || Complete

|-

| 4 || [[Tredegar]] to [[Dowlais|Dowlais Top]] || March 2002 || November 2004 || Complete

|-

| 5 || [[Dowlais|Dowlais Top]] to [[A470]] || Early 2021 <ref name=Dow>{{cite web|url=https://gov.wales/a465-section-5-and-6-dowlais-top-hirwaun-overview|publisher=[[Welsh Government]]|title=A465 section 5 and 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun |access-date=21 December 2019}}</ref> || Due by mid-2025 <ref name=Dow/> || Under construction

|-

| 6 || [[A470]] Junction to [[Hirwaun]] || Early 2021 <ref name=Dow/> || Due by mid-2025 <ref name=Dow/> || Under construction

|}

==Public transport==

[[Stagecoach in South Wales]] provides bus services linking many towns and villages directly to [[Cardiff city centre]].

[[File:South-east Wales rail network map.svg|thumb|right|300px|The Valley Lines network and surrounding routes]]

Many settlements in the Valleys are served by the [[Valley Lines]] network, an [[Commuter rail in the United Kingdom|urban rail network]] radiating from [[Cardiff]] which links them to the city's stations, principally [[Cardiff Queen Street]] and [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff Central]], with connections onto the [[South Wales Main Line]]. There are six main lines from [[Cardiff city centre|Central Cardiff]] to the Valleys:

*Valley Lines via Cardiff Queen Street

**[[Rhondda Line]] to Pontypridd to [[Treherbert]]

**[[Merthyr Line]] to Pontypridd and Abercynon continuing to either Aberdare or Merthyr Tydfil, plus the freight-only section beyond Aberdare to [[Hirwaun]]

**[[Rhymney Line]] to [[Rhymney]], plus the freight-only line from [[Ystrad Mynach]] to Cwmbargoed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2009/Route%2015%20-%20South%20Wales%20Valleys.pdf |title=Network Rail Route Plans 2009. Route 15, South Wales Valleys |access-date=2013-05-06 |archive-date=7 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607110329/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2009/Route%2015%20-%20South%20Wales%20Valleys.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

*Routes via the South Wales Main Line

**[[Maesteg Line]] to [[Bridgend]] and [[Maesteg]]

**[[Ebbw Valley Railway]] to [[Ebbw Vale]]

**[[Welsh Marches Line]] to [[Abergavenny]] continuing into the [[English West Midlands]], and to either [[North Wales]] or [[North West England]]

==Listed from west to east==

{{unreferencedsection|date=April 2023}}

{{div col}}

* [[Gwendraeth valley]]

* [[Loughor Valley]]

* [[River Amman|Amman Valley]]

* [[Swansea Valley]] (Tawe Valley)

* [[Dulais Valley]]

* [[Vale of Neath]]

* [[Afan Valley]]

* [[Llynfi Valley]]

* [[Garw Valley]]

* [[Ogmore Valley]]

* [[Rhondda Valley]]

* [[Cynon Valley]]

* [[Aber Valley]]

* [[River Ely|Ely Valley]]

* [[Taff Valley]]

* [[Taff Bargoed Valley]]

* [[Rhymney Valley]] (forms the historic boundary between [[Glamorgan]] and [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]])

* [[Sirhowy Valley]]

* [[Ebbw Valley]]

* [[Ebbw Fach Valley]]

* [[Llwyd Valley]]

{{div col end}}

== References ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==

* {{cite book |last=John |first=Arthur H. |title=Glamorgan County History, Volume V, Industrial Glamorgan from 1700 to 1970 |year=1980 |publisher=University of Wales Press |___location=Cardiff }}

== External links ==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050305023938/http://www.data-wales.co.uk/valley1.htm The industrialisation of the South Wales Valleys]

* [http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/ Welsh mining history]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070313093244/http://www.thevalleys.eu/index.php Old and New Library Images from the Valleys]

* [http://www.visitwales.com/explore/south-wales/valleys The official tourism website for The Valleys]

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|51.773|-3.345|display=title|region:GB_scale:100000}}

{{Regions of Wales|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Regions of Wales]]

[[Category:Valleys of Wales]]

[[Category:Geography of Wales]]