The Aberfan Public House

The Aberfan is currently starting it's second year as a free house under its new private ownership. Our aim is to provide a welcoming atmosphere facilitated by friendly staff who are always happy to serve refreshments with a smile. The bar is stocked with all the major beers and spirits so there is plenty to choose from whatever your preference.

If you prefer a quieter drink the lounge offers a more relaxed environment benefiting from a lower bar ideal for wheelchairs and provides easy access to the disabled toilets.

The Aberfan boasts a raised gaming area which is equipped with two pool tables, a dart board and gaming machine. On days with live entertainment the gaming area lends itself to be a stage giving a better view of the band and more space for our customers.

The Aberfan also provides a sheltered smoking area so that our customers can enjoy a cigarette and a drink whilst remaining on the premises and without affecting non-smoking patrons.

History

On August 7th 1872 Rhys Rhys applied to the Merthyr Tydfil local board of health to build a public house in the newly developing community of Aberfan as a social facility for the colliery workers living in the nearby Aberfan Row. Rhys Rhys was denied permission as there was no water but the public house was then built in the following years and called 'The Aberfan Hotel'.

In 1879 Rowland Thomas Griffiths, the owner of the land on which the Merthyr Vale colliery was sunk, became the president of the Aberfan Cricket Club and had his health drunk to in celebration at the club's first annual general meeting held in The Aberfan Hotel.

At the end of the 19th century The Aberfan had a new hotel keeper by the name of Walter Morgan, who was born in Llangorse Breconshire. His wife and all four daughters were natives of Merthyr Tydfil and helped with the running of the public house. They had a live-in servant to do the hard day to day chores and took in lodgers who worked in the colliery.

The Aberfan Hotel became the centre of the social life in this prosperous coal mining village, and it would not have be unusual for it to host choral singing and harp playing.

The village of Aberfan is famous for The Aberfan Disaster of 1966 when, on Friday, October 21, colliery waste tip number 7 (containing unwanted rock from the local mine) slid down Merthyr Mountain destroying 20 houses and a farm before going on to demolish virtually all of Pantglas Junior School and part of the separate senior school.

...more information on The Aberfan Disaster.