Abercanaid (Welsh: Abercannaid) is a small village in the Welsh county borough of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom. It is situated 2.5 miles south of Merthyr town centre and is west of Pentrebach, across the River Taff and north of Troedyrhiw. The Taff Trail also runs through the village, adjacent to the Glamorganshire Canal, which was an important passage for the transport of iron and coal during the industrial boom in which the Valleys prospered.
It forms part of three villages in the Plymouth Electoral Ward, along with Pentrebach and Troedyrhiw.
History & Amenities Most of the village was built in 1860 to sustain the Lucitania Colliery. The village has three public houses, The Colliers Arms, The Richards Arms and Llywnyreos Inn respectively. The Richards Arms boast the football side for the village, whereas The Colliers Arms and Llywnyreos are more notable for their involvement in local league darts.
Abercanaid Train Station no longer exists but the remnants of it can be seen on approaching Pentrebach. Pentrebach Train Station was seen to be adequate enough to accommodate the people of both villages and thus acts as the local stop for people who live in Abercanaid.
Chapel Street was so named because of the three chapels that once stood in it, the only existing one left being the Zion Chapel on the corner of Cardiff Street. Craig Chapel was demolished in the late 1990s, being replaced by houses. The local church is St. Peters, which still functions for weddings, funerals, christenings and other events, it sits behind the now unused original Abercanaid Primary School building.
Work began on construction of a new, modern school, known as Abercanaid Community School in October 2001. The school is situated on the site of Abercanaid Park and is run by long-time headteacher Mike Sullivan. The school officially opened on January 22nd 2003. The school acts as a feeder school to Afon Taf High School, Cyfarthfa High School and Bishop Hedley High School.
A famous ex-pupil of the school is Petula Clark, who spent sometime as a child in the village living with family. She returned to Abercanaid on 24th January 2007 as part of the BBC series, 'Coming Home' and was greeted with open arms by the pupils who performed a selection of songs for her, including her own hit-song "Downtown".
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