Dolavon's roots trace back to the Welsh settlers who arrived in the area in the 19th century. The town's name comes from Welsh: “dôl = meadow” and “afon = river." So this town is self-descriptive, built on a “meadow by the river”

The Welsh settled in this region in 1865 and you can see their mark here in Dolavon in the irrigation canals and water wheels, the classic brick buildings, and Welsh Protestant chapels.