Pontardawe
Statistics
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. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. ... Neath Port Talbot (Welsh: ) is a county borough in Glamorgan, south Wales. ... Constituent country is an official term used to describe three of the four principal component parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK): England; Scotland; Wales. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... There are a number of policing agencies in the United Kingdom. ... South Wales Police (Welsh: Heddlu De Cymru) is one of the four Home Office police forces in Wales. ... The Preserved counties of Wales are the current areas used in Wales for ceremonial purposes such as Lieutenancy. ... West Glamorgan as a preserved county since 2003. ... Wales has thirteen traditional counties (or vice counties). ... Glamorgan or Morgannwg is a maritime traditional county of Wales, UK, and was previously a medieval kingdom or principality. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... To see the list in alphabetical order see the categories UK Parliamentary constituencies and UK Parliamentary constituencies (historic). ... Creation 1918 MP Peter Hain Party Labour Type House of Commons County West Glamorgan EP constituency Wales Neath is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Sign in the entrance of the European Parliament building in Brussels, written in all the official languages used in the European Union as of July 2006 The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The debating chamber, or hemicycle, in Strasbourg The European Parliament building in Brussels The European Parliament (formerly European... Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Wales_2. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1568x1026, 1118 KB)View of Pontardawe, looking north. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1568x1026, 1118 KB)View of Pontardawe, looking north. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... the River Tawe is a river in south Wales which meets the sea at Swansea (Abertawe in Welsh). ... Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town A town is a residential community of people ranging from a few hundred to several thousands, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas. ... the River Tawe is a river in south Wales which meets the sea at Swansea (Abertawe in Welsh). ... Neath Port Talbot (Welsh: ) is a county borough in Glamorgan, south Wales. ... The British Isles are divided into the following traditional counties (also vice counties or historic counties). ... Glamorgan or Glamorganshire (Welsh: ) is one of thirteen historic counties and former administrative counties of Wales. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods... A Community (welsh Cymuned) is the lowest level of Local Government structure in Wales, corresponding to a civil parish in England. ...

Pontardawe first came into being as a crossroads of two drovers' tracks, one from Swansea to Brecon, and the other from Neath to Llandeilo. Drovers were responsible for the long distance driving of animals to market in England. ... Swansea (Welsh: , mouth of the Tawe) is a city in Wales and a Welsh County. ... The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal basin at Brecon, the starting point of the Taff Trail. ... Neath (Welsh: Castell-Nedd) is a town and community with a population of approximately 45,898, located on the river of the same name (Welsh: Afon Nedd) in the traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales. ... Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, west Wales situated at the crossing of the River Tywi by the A40 on an elegant stone bridge. ...

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. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... The old Steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is sometimes described as a sea of electrons. ... Plating is the general name of surface-covering techniques in which a metal is coated onto a solid surface. ...

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. The Canal du Midi in Toulouse, France. ... An arts centre is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. ... Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby football in which only seven players per side feature. ... Part of the Brecon Beacons, looking from the highest point Pen y Fan, 886 m (2907 feet), to Cribyn, 795 m (2608 feet) The Brecon Beacons (Welsh: Bannau Brycheiniog) are a mountain range located in the south-east of Wales. ... The location of the Bristol Channel The Severn Bridge and Bristol Channel, looking northwestward from England towards Wales The Bristol Channel coast at Ilfracombe, North Devon, looking west towards Lee Bay The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from South West... William Edwards (1719-1789) was a Welsh Methodist minister who also practised as an architect and bridge engineer. ... Pontypridd is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, south Wales. ... Cenarth is a village on the border of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in Wales, lying on the River Teifi. ... West Wales is the west area of Wales bordered by South Wales to the east. ...

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 successfull Karate/Kickboxing team who train at the arts centre who are members of the Welsh Contact Karate Association. A scrum Rugby union (often referred to as rugby, union or football) is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby league. ... Pontardawe Rugby Football club is a rugby club based in Pontardawe, small town in the valley of the River Tawe in South Wales. ...

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. Mary Hopkin (born May 3, 1950) is a British singer. ... Gareth Edwards, born 12 July 1947 in Pontardawe, Wales, is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who plays scrum-half, considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. ... Rachel Thomas (February 10, 1905 - February 8, 1995), was a Welsh character actress, well-known to film and television audiences. ...

Pontardawe is twinned with Locminé in France. Sign denoting twin towns of Neckarsulm Town twinning or sister cities is a concept whereby towns or cities from geographically and politically distinct areas are paired, with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links. ...

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. The Local Government Act 1972 (1972 c. ... Lliw Valley was a local government district of Wales from 1974 to 1996. ... For local government purposes, Wales is divided into 22 unitary authorities. ...

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. Gwenda Thomas AM (born in Neath, 1942) is the Labour Welsh Assembly Member for Neath. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAfW) (Welsh: ) is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales, and is also responsible for most UK government departments in Wales. ...

Sports and recreation

Pontardawe RFC at the Cwmtawe 7's 2006

Pontardawe has a King George's Field, the Athletics Ground, in memorial to King George V at Parc Ynysderw Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1917x945, 397 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1917x945, 397 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... There are 471 King George V Playing Fields[2] in the United Kingdom, all part of an enormous memorial to King George V, each of which is an individual registered charity[3]. This is the page for Glamorgan. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 - 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, as a result of his creating it from the British branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ...

External links

• Pontardawe Town Council
• Pontardawe Info
• Pontardawe Arts Centre
• Gellionnen Unitarian Chapel
• Welsh Contact Karate