Cwmbach is a village near Aberdare in the county of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Cwmbach means “Little Valley” in Welsh (Cwm = valley, Bach = little). With an approximate population of 5,000, the area is mostly known for its substantial coal mining industry,
Passing through Cwmbach, the Glamorganshire canal enabled traffic to pass north to south, so was ideally placed for coal mining and in 1837 the first deep pit was sunk at Abernant-y-Groes Colliery (later known as Cwmbach colliery). All coal was subsequently exported via the canal and train systems to Cardiff docks.

As the collieries expanded so did the village of Cwmbach. However, the closures of the pits (the final colliery Lletty Shenkin closed in 1922) resulted in high emigration and poverty. The location of the Cwmbach pit is today marked by a Rhondda Cynon Taf, (RCT) Heritage Trail plaque at the pit place.

In the 1950s however, a regeneration surge saw new social housing being built within the valley of Afon Cynon. Today, Cwmbach has two schools, two churches, two football clubs a small library a, police station and a small industrial estate between the Aberdare Canal and Afon Cynon.

Predominantly rural, parts of Ynys Cynon and Tirfounder Fields are defined as S.I.N.C. (Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation) and support a wide variety of birds, insects, and plants. Some notable examples are otter, mink, kingfisher, dipper, willow tit, bogbean, lesser water plantain, six dragonfly species and a variety of wading birds and summer migrants.

Cwmbach has a steep topography with higher elevations to the east. The Afon Cynon is the primary river bordering west. The Aberdare canal is the main river that runs through Cwmbach which flows parallel to the Afon Cynon and discharges into it just south of Cwmbach train station. The Southwest slopes are drained into the Aberdare Canal at notable points, the Northwest into the Afon Cynon in the adjacent community of Mountain Ash. (Further case study to follow).