Why visit Glanamman
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 4 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Glanamman
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About Glanamman
Glanamman (Welsh: Glanaman) is a mining village in the valley of the River Amman in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Glanamman has long been a stronghold of the Welsh language; village life is largely conducted in Welsh. Like the neighbouring village of Garnant it experienced a coal-mining boom in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the last big colliery closed in 1947 and coal has been extracted fitfully since then.
From the Wikipedia article Glanamman (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes4
History
The location of Garnant and Glanamman was known as Cwmamman ("Amman valley") before coal was discovered; until the 18th century it was a remote wilderness with just a few farms and rough mountain roads. Mining appears to have started at Brynlloi in 1757 and small coal workings proliferated in the first half of the 19th century. The arrival of the railway in 1840 meant that coal could be exported on an industrial scale through Llanelli docks, and the construction of two stations at Glanamman and Garnant promoted a distinction between the two communities.
Taking its name from the emblem of the Dynevor family, the "Raven" colliery in Garnant was operating by 1854. In 1891, the Gelliceidrim Collieries Company opened what became the largest of the coal mines at Glanamman, employing 632 men in 1932. "The Gelly" was nationalised in 1947 and closed in 1957. Since then the area has seen some small private mines come and go, such as a drift mine on Grenig Road in the 1970s.
From the History section of Glanamman on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Glanamman
Geography
The village is about 13 miles (21 kilometres) north of Swansea on the edge of the Black Mountain, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The River Amman flows through the village. Glanamman lies in the western part of the South Wales Coalfield, where the coal is particularly high-quality anthracite.
Economy
Traditionally the economy was based on coal-mining with some dairy farming, but the mines have closed and farms such as Gelli Fanwen have moved from milk production to beef-farming. The Raven Tinplate Works (sometimes confused with the Amman Tinplate Works in Garnant) were built on the site of the Cwmamman Brickworks in 1881. They operated until the early 1930s and were demolished after World War II; the site is now a council depot near the station.
Arts and culture
Since 1988 Cwmamman has been twinned with the village of Pouldergat, in Brittany. The village is a stronghold of the Welsh language, with 81% of the population able to speak it.
The first chain-driven bicycle in Wales and one of the first in the World was manufactured by the Defiance Cycle Company Glanamman and ridden to Swansea in 1885. This is commemorated on Easter Monday by retracing the same ride to Swansea.
Education
Glanamman used to have a primary school which opened in 1884 and closed in 2005. Glanamman was a category A, or Welsh medium school with most subjects taught in Welsh. Three local schools, Ysgol y Twyn, Ysgol Gynradd y Garnant and Ysgol Gynradd Glanaman, were merged to form Ysgol y Bedol (the Horseshoe School) on the north bank of the three rivers in Garnant. This primary school for ages 3–11 was opened in 2005. Ysgol y Bedol is also a Welsh medium school. The nearest secondary school is Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford.
From the Wikipedia article Glanamman, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Glanamman
- Dai DaviesWelsh footballer (1948-2011)
- Ryan DaviesWelsh comedian, actor, musician and singer (1937 – 1977)
- Sian Reese-WilliamsWelsh actress
- W. D. DaviesBritish theologian
- Robert JonesWelsh rugby union player, born 1965
- Arwel ThomasWelsh rugby union player
- Tecwyn IfanWelsh singer and songwriter
- Cefin CampbellWelsh politician (born 1958)
- Bryn GriffithsWelsh rugby union player
- James GriffithsWelsh rugby union player
- Gerwyn EdwardsWelsh cricketer
- Jeff HughesBritish historian of science
Born in Glanamman, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries1
Healthcare1
Map of Glanamman
19 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Swansea Airport (SWS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 15 miles away.
- Ammanford 2 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Llandybie 3 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Llandeilo 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Ystalyfera 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Clydach 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Gorseinon 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Seven Sisters 10 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Pontyberem 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Neath 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Swansea 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Glanamman
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Amman Valley Hospital (1), Sionk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Glanaman Cwmamman Road, Nigel Davies, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, laye, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.