Dare Valley Country Park

Over the next 120 years, the seams in the Maerdy mountain were gradually used up, with Merthyr Dare closing in 1884, Cwmdare in 1936, Nantmelin in 1957 when coal extraction stopped in the valley.

The Dare and Aman Branch of the Vale of Neath Railway reached the local Bwllfa Colliery in 1857.

[1] The second line to Cwmdare was built by the Taff Vale Railway and followed a route near the River Dare from a junction close to Aberdare.

[1] The Park was opened in December 1973, built on land reclaimed from over a century of coal mining in the area.

The land reclamation took two years and involved the clearing of coal tips and re-routing of the River Dare.