Pontardawe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Statistics
Pontardawe
Population:	5,043 (2001 Census)
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	Maps for SN721040
Administration
Principal area:	Neath Port Talbot
Constituent country:	Wales
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Police force:	South Wales Police
Ceremonial county:	West Glamorgan
Historic county:	Glamorganshire
Post office and telephone
Post town:	NEATH
Postal district:	SA8-SA9
Dialling code:	+44-1792
Politics
UK Parliament:	Neath
European Parliament:	Wales

Looking north over Pontardawe

Pontardawe (Welsh for "bridge on the River Tawe") is a town in the Swansea valley (Welsh: Cwmtawe) in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales. It is also the name of an electoral ward and a community coterminous with the town.

Pontardawe first came into being as a crossroads of two drovers' tracks, one from Swansea to Brecon, and the other from Neath to Llandeilo.

The town is dominated by St Peter's church which has a steeple rising high above Pontardawe.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century and up to the middle of the twentieth century the main industry in Pontardawe was steel and tinplate, with a number of steelworks and tinplate works exporting all over the world. None of the heavy industry remains; on the site of the Alloy works there is now a small industrial estate of a number of small engineering firms, motor maintenance, building supplies and a health centre for the area.

Attractions in the town include a canal and an arts centre. The annual folk festival is held during late August. The Cwmtawe rugby sevens competition attracts entries from far and wide. On a hill overlooking Pontardawe is the local golf course which has magnificent views of the Brecon Beacons and Bristol Channel from the 16th hole. The old stone bridge was built by William Edwards of Pontypridd, a famous bridge builder. He also built the bridge at Pontypridd, which was the longest single-span bridge in the world when it was constructed, and the bridge at Cenarth in west Wales. He was also responsible for the design of Morriston in the Swansea valley for Morris, a local industrialist.

Pontardawe has a Cricket team, a Rugby club - Pontardawe RFC, and a Soccer club. All three play on the recreation ground which was formerly owned by the steelworks and is now owned and maintained by the local authority. Pontardawe also has a very successful Karate/Kickboxing team who train at the arts centre who are members of the Welsh Contact Karate Association.

Notable people from Pontardawe include folk-singer Mary Hopkin, rugby player Gareth Edwards (voted by other international players as the greatest rugby player of all time), Martial Artist Lee Carter (British Self Defence Champion and Welsh Weapons Champion) and actress Rachel Thomas.

Pontardawe is twinned with Locminé in France.

Prior to local government reorganisation in 1974, Pontardawe and district was served by Pontardawe Rural District Council, but this merged in 1974 to become part of Lliw Valley DC; which was subsequently reorganised again when the Pontardawe area became a part of the present Neath Port Talbot county borough.

37.4% of the population of Pontardawe speak Welsh according to Neath-Port Talbot council figures. The local papur bro (Welsh-language newsletter) is Llais.

The town is also the location of the Constituency office of Gwenda Thomas AM.