Cwmaman

Cwmaman () is a former coal mining village near Aberdare, South Wales. The name is Welsh for "Aman Valley"; the river Aman (a small tributary of the River Cynon) flows through the village. There are several hills nearby, such as Pen Foel Aman and Mynydd y Ffaldau. Within the village, there are three children's playgrounds and playing fields. Above the village there are several reservoirs accessible from several footpaths along the river.

==History== Cwmaman was a well-known coal-mining village which at one time boasted several collieries. Until the 19th century, the area was virtually uninhabited, with around 40 farm workers living in and around the community by 1841. By the end of the 1840s, the first coal pits were sunk and Cwmaman began to transform into a thriving industrial settlement. In the late 19th century Cwmaman housed the workers in five surrounding coal mines: the Fforchaman, Fforchneol, Bedwlwyn, Cwmneol, and the Cwmaman. Cwmaman Colliery was also known as Shepherd's Pit, in honour of its founder Thomas Shepherd, a name it shares with the village's first public house, the Shepherd's Arms, which was opened in 1850.