Editing Abertillery (section)

== Coal mining ==
[[File:Towering.JPG|thumbnail|left|Guardian memorial at Parc Arael Griffin Six Bells.]]
Major industry came to the area in 1843 when the locality's first deep coal mine was sunk at Tir Nicholas Farm, [[Cwmtillery]]. The town developed rapidly thereafter and played a major part in the South Wales coalfield. Its population rose steeply, being 10,846 in the 1891 census and 21,945 ten years later. The population peaked just short of 40,000<ref name="visionofbritain.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10113611/cube/TOT_POP|title=Abertillery UD through time – Population Statistics – Total Population|website=www.visionofbritain.org.uk|access-date=21 June 2017}}</ref> around the beginning of the 1930s. Eventually there were six deep coal mines, numerous small coal levels, a tin works, brick works, iron foundry and light engineering businesses in the area. Just one of the coal mines, [[Cwmtillery]], produced over 32 million tons of coal in its lifetime and at its height employed 2760 men and boys.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/Gwent/CwmtilleryColliery.htm |title=Cwmtillery Colliery |website=welshcoalmines.co.uk |access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref>

In 1960 an underground explosion at [[Six Bells Colliery]] resulted in the loss of life of 45 local miners. Fifty years later the archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams officiated at the launch of the [[Guardian - mining memorial|''Guardian'' mining memorial]]. This artistically acclaimed monument standing at 20m tall overlooks Parc Arael Griffin, the now reclaimed and landscaped former colliery site. The adjoining Ty Ebbw Fach visitor centre provides conference facilities, a restaurant and a "mining valley" experience room. Not long after the disaster the renowned artist [[L. S. Lowry]] visited the area and recorded the scene. The resultant landscape painting now hangs in [[National Museum Cardiff]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/art/online/?action=show_item&item=2192|title=Six Bells, Abertillery, South Wales – LOWRY, Laurence Stephen|website=National Museum Wales|access-date=21 June 2017}}</ref>

The coal mines remained the predominant economic emphasis until the general run down of the industry in the 1980s.