Abersychan lies in the narrow northern section of the Afon Lwyd valley.

Abersychan was the birthplace of the politicians Roy Jenkins, Don Touhig and Paul Murphy (member of parliament for Torfaen); and of the rugby footballers Wilfred Hodder, Candy Evans and Bryn Meredith.

[3] After the discovery of iron stone locally, the principal ironworks were built by the British Iron Company in 1825, served mainly by the London and North Western Railway's Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway.

[4] Abersychan constitutes a community and electoral ward of the county borough of Torfaen.

In 1974 the area became part of the borough of Torfaen, in the new local government county of Gwent.

The village has a cricket team (Pontnewynydd CC) and is located right next to the old railway line.

The cricket club celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2006 with a successful tour to Cork, Ireland.