Coordinates: 51°35′26″N 3°47′55″W / 51.59055, -3.79859 Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 11 KB) Summary Description: A blank map of the United Kingdom, with country outline and coastline; contact the author for help with modifications or add-ons Source: Reference map provided by Demis Mapper 6 Date: 2006-21-06 Author: User... Image File history File links Red_pog2. ... 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. ... 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. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping, concerning these countries; thus the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has used the phrase in reference to the parts of former Yugoslavia... This article is about the country. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The SA postcode area, also known as the Swansea postcode area[2], is a group of postal districts around Aberaeron, Ammanford, Boncath, Burry Port, Cardigan, Carmarthen, Clarbeston Road, Clynderwen, Crymych, Ferryside, Fishguard, Glogue, Goodwick, Haverfordwest, Kidwelly, Kilgetty, Lampeter, Llanarth, Llandeilo, Llandovery, Llandysul, Llanelli, Llanfyrnach, Llangadog, Llanwrda, Llanybydder, Milford Haven, Narberth... +44 redirects here. ... South Wales Police (Welsh: ) is one of the four Home Office police forces in Wales. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (Welsh Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru) is the fire and rescue service covering the Welsh principal areas of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Swansea. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Welsh Ambulance Service (also called the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust or Ymddiriedolaeth GIG Gwasanaethau Ambiwlans Cymru) was established on April 1, 1998 and has 2,500 staff providing ambulance and related services to the 2. ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... Aberavon is a parliamentary constituency of south Wales, on the right bank of the River Afan, near its mouth in Swansea Bay, the original village of Aberavon or Aberafan nowadays being a district of Port Talbot. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in Wales Lists of places within principal areas List of places in Anglesey List of places in Blaenau Gwent List of places in Bridgend List of places in Caerphilly List of places in Cardiff List of places in Carmarthenshire List... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Port Talbot (Welsh: Aberafan or Porth Talbot) is an industrial town in the traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales, with a population of approximately 50,000. Port Talbot is also the name of an electoral ward and a community in Neath Port Talbot county borough, which are closely related to the town. Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... 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. ... This article is about the country. ... 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. ... Neath Port Talbot (Welsh: ) is a county borough in Glamorgan, south Wales. ...

Arms of Port Talbot

Arms of Port Talbot This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Arms of Port Talbot This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ...

History

The town grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan (English name Aberavon), which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. It built its wealth on the abundance of coal in the vicinity and on the abundant water available in the River Afan to power machinery and operate the docks. The market town is a medieval phenomenon. ... Aberavon is a parliamentary constituency of south Wales, on the right bank of the river Afan, near its mouth in Swansea Bay, the original village of Aberavon or Aberafan nowadays being a district of Port Talbot. ... Afan is a river of South Wales, whose valley formed the territory of the medieval Lords of Afan. ... Coal Example chemical structure of coal Coal (pronounced ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... Afan is a river of South Wales, whose valley formed the territory of the medieval Lords of Afan. ...

The town got its new name from the Talbot family, who were related to the pioneer photographer, William Henry Fox Talbot. They were patrons of Margam Abbey, an ancient Cistercian foundation, and also built Margam Castle (1830-1839, architect: Thomas Hopper), a mock Gothic residence, now partially restored and open to the public along with the surrounding park. William Henry Fox Talbot (February 11, 1800 - September 17, 1877) was one of the first photographers and made major contributions to the photographic process. ... Margam Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Port Talbot. ... The Order of Cistercians (OCist) (Latin Cistercenses), otherwise Gimey or White Monks (from the colour of the habit, over which is worn a black scapular or apron) are a Catholic order of monks. ... Margam Castle is a castle built in Margam, Port Talbot, South Wales for the Talbot family. ... For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... Thomas Hopper (1776 – 1856) was an English architect of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, much favoured by King George VI, and particularly notable for his work on country houses across southern England, with occasional forays further afield, into Wales and Northern Ireland for example. ... The western facade of Reims Cathedral, France. ...

Water vapour rises in front of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot Steelworks

Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803-1890) was a wealthy landowner (and Liberal Member of Parliament for Glamorgan from 1830 until his death) who saw the potential of his property as a site for an extensive ironworks, which opened in early 1831. (This was just part of the industrialisation taking place across south Wales then; copper had been smelted at Neath since 1584, there were tinworks and ironworks at Pontardawe, and Swansea was developing into a world centre of metal-working.) CRM Talbot was also chairman and a major shareholder of the South Wales Railway. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1046x435, 13 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port Talbot ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1046x435, 13 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Port Talbot ... Water vapour rises in front of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot steelworks Port Talbot Steelworks is a large steel production plant in Port Talbot, Wales. ... Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (10 May 1803- January 1890) was a wealthy south Wales landowner, industrialist (and Liberal Member of Parliament for Glamorgan from 1830 until his death) who saw the potential of his familys estates as a site for an extensive ironworks, served by railways and a port... Image:Neatharms. ... 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. ...

His only son Theodore died in 1876 following a hunting accident. It was therefore his daughter Emily Charlotte Talbot (1840-1918) who inherited her father's fortune and became just as notable in the development of ports and railways. With assistance from engineers Charles Meik and Patrick Meik she set about creating a port and railway system to attract business away from Cardiff and Swansea. The Port Talbot Railway and Dock Company opened a dock at Port Talbot and the Llynfi Railway in 1897, followed by the Ogmore Valley Extension and the South Wales Mineral Junction Railway (almost all these lines were closed as part of the Beeching Axe cuts in the mid 1960s, but some bridges and viaducts remain). By 1900, the dock was exporting over 500,000 tons of coal; it reached a peak of over three million tons in 1923. Emily Charlotte Talbot (1840-21 September 1918) was an heiress and industrialist of south Wales, the daughter of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot. ... Engineering is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... Charles Meik (born? - 1923) was an English engineer and part of a minor engineering dynasty. ... Patrick Meik (born? - died 1910) was an English engineer and part of a minor engineering dynasty. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... Many railway lines were closed as a result of the Beeching Axe The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Governments attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running the British railway system. ...

Margam Castle, not far from the Abbey

During the early twentieth century, the docks and Port Talbot Steelworks attracted considerable investment, and this was followed by the establishment of a chemical plant at Baglan Bay by British Petroleum in the 1960s. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Margam Abbey was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Port Talbot. ... Water vapour rises in front of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot steelworks Port Talbot Steelworks is a large steel production plant in Port Talbot, Wales. ... Baglan Bay is a district and community of Neath Port Talbot county borough, south Wales. ... This article is about the energy corporation. ...

In 1970 a new deep-water harbour was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. It was capable of discharging vessels of 100,000 DWT[1] each, a tenfold improvement on the old dock. By the early 21st century, due to further modification and dredging, the harbour was capable of harbouring vessels of over 130,000 DWT. Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... The Duke of Edinburgh is a dukedom associated with Edinburgh, Scotland. ...

The town saw serious decline in the late seventies and early eighties caused by the withdrawal or cutting back of major employers, especially the steel works. The borough council has been absorbed into the larger unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot. A unitary authority is a type of local authority, which has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. ... Neath Port Talbot (Welsh: ) is a county borough in Glamorgan, south Wales. ...

The Mittal Affair: "Cash for Influence"

Controversy erupted in 2002 as Plaid MP Adam Price exposed the link between U.K. prime minister Tony Blair and steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal in the Mittal Affair, also known as 'Garbagegate' or Cash for Infuence.^{[1][2] [3]} Mittal's LNM steel company, registered in the Dutch Antilles and maintaining less than 1% of its 100,000 plus workforce in the U.K., sought Blair's aid in its bid to purchase Romania's state steel industry. ^[4] The letter from Blair to the Romanian government, a copy of which Price was able to obtain, hinted that the privatisation of the firm and sale to Mittal might help smooth the way for Romania's entry into the European Union.^[5] See also Plaid Cymru: The Party of Wales Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (the National Party of Wales, the founding name) originated after a 1925 National Eisteddfod meeting, held in Pwllheli[1]. Representatives from the Army of the Welsh Home Rulers (Byddin Ymreolwr Cymru) and The Welsh Movement (Y Mudiad Cymreig), both... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Adam Robert Price (born September 23, 1968, Carmarthen) is a politician in Wales, and Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... Lakshmi Narayan Mittal[1] (or Lakshmi Nivas Mittal) (लक्ष्मी निवास मित्तल) (born June 15, 1950) is a London-based Indian billionaire industrialist, born in Sadulpur Village, in the Churu district of Rajasthan, India, and residing in Kensington, London. ... The Netherlands Antilles (Dutch: Nederlandse Antillen), previously known as the Netherlands West Indies, are part of the Lesser Antilles and consist of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea that form an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (none of the other Antilles use this term in...

The letter had a passage in it removed just prior to Blair's signing of it, describing Mittal as "a friend."^[6]

In exchange for Blair's support Mittal, already a Labour contributor, donated £125,000 more to Labour party funds a week after the 2001 U.K. General Elections, while as many as six-thousand of Welsh steelworkers were laid off that same year, Price and others pointed out.^[7] Mittal's company, then the fourth largest in the world, was a "major global competitor of Britain's own struggling steel industry, Corus, formerly known as British Steel." ^[8] Corus and Valkia Limited were two of the primary employers in South Wales, particularly in Ebbw Vale, Llanwern, and Port Talbot.^[9]. Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California during the Great Depression. ... For other uses, see Corus. ... British Steel is a large British steel producer, privatised in 1988 under the Thatcher government. ... For the Ebbw Vale in Australia, see Ebbw Vale, Queensland. ... Llanwern is an electoral district (ward) and smaller community (parish) in the urban-rural fringe of the City of Newport. ...

Future Of The Town

Potential development currently centres around the peripheral distributor road to the South, a so called Baglan Energy park to the West, Margam country park to the East and the Afan valley to the North. The town centre is now vintage C1970 and is ripe for a future face lift. The area around the towns railway station is now dominated by billboards and a derelect cinema.

The beach area of the town has recently been improved.

On 20 November 2007, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) granted consent for the world's largest biomass power station to be built at Port Talbot. This is expected to begin operation in 2010, and to provide enough electricity (from wood from environmentally-managed forests, mostly in North America) to supply half the homes in Wales with electricity. Unfortunatly it will also contribute to Port Talbots pollution problem. According to BBC news, it has the worst air quality anywhere in the world.

sport== Sporting teams in town include Aberavon Rugby Club (founded in 1876) who play in the Rugby Union Welsh Premier Division and Aberavon Quins RFC, Neath Port Talbot Steelers club who play in the Rugby League Conference, and footballing clubs Afan Lido F.C., Port Talbot Town F.C. who compete in the League of Wales, and also the First Division Welsh Champions Goytre United F.C. Jimmy's Bar pool team are also current national champions, despite problems with the slope on their table. Aberavon RFC is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1876. ... Aberavon Harlequins RFC is a Welsh rugby union team located in the Sandfields area of Port Talbot, and just a few minutes away from the town centre. ... The Rugby League Conference (RLC) (also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from United Co-operatives is a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales. ... Afan Lido F.C. is a football team, playing in the League of Wales. ... Port Talbot Town F.C. is a football team, playing in the League of Wales. ... The Welsh Premiership is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. ... Goytre United F.C. is a Welsh football club based in Port Talbot. ...

Education

There are five comprehensive schools situated within the Port Talbot area: Dyffryn, Glan Afan, St Joseph's R.C., Cymmer Afan, and Sandfields.

Media

In 2005 the area was granted its first dedicated radio station when Afan FM, a local group - [2] - were awarded a 5 year Community FM Radio licence to serve Port Talbot and its neighbouring town of Neath. It will broadcast a "music-based information service" targeting young people aged 11-25. Image:Neatharms. ...

Afan FM currently transmits to the area on 107.9FM

Geography

The town is built along the eastern rim of Swansea Bay with Swansea being located on the opposite side. The beach along the edge of the bay is known as Aberavon Sands which are protected from erosion by a groyne at the mouth of the River Afan. The north eastern edge of the town is marked by the River Neath. Questionably, the most famous landmark in the town is the Port Talbot Steelworks. Swansea Bay (Welsh: Bae Abertawe) is an inlet of the Bristol Channel lying south of Swansea, Wales. ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... Afan is a river of South Wales, whose valley formed the territory of the medieval Lords of Afan. ... River Neath (Afon Nedd in Welsh) is a river in south Wales running south west from its source to its confluence with Swansea Bay below Briton Ferry. ... Water vapour rises in front of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot steelworks Port Talbot Steelworks is a large steel production plant in Port Talbot, Wales. ...

Transport

Port Talbot is served by the South Wales Main Line at Port Talbot Parkway railway station where there are direct Inter-City trains to Swansea, Cardiff, London and Manchester. Port Talbot bus station, located adjacent to the Aberafan Centre in the centre of the town is the main bus transport hub in the town. It is a National Express stop. Local bus services are provided by First Cymru. The bus station's layout is very distinctive for the fact that buses always have to perform a 270° clockwise turn to exit the station. The South Wales Main Line is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in the UK. It diverges from the main line at Wootton Bassett near Swindon, first calling at Bristol Parkway, after which the line continues through the Severn Tunnel into South Wales. ... Port Talbot Parkway railway station is a railway station in Port Talbot, South Wales. ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... The Aberafan Centre is the only indoor shopping mall in Port Talbot, south Wales. ... National Express coach on route 561 National Express is the brand under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in the United Kingdom are marketed, and also the company that manages this network and operates some of the services. ... First Cymru Buses Ltd. ...

The M4 Motorway cuts through the town from south east to north west, crossing a central area on a concrete viaduct. Junctions 38 to 41 serve Port Talbot with junctions 40 and 41 being in the commercial heart of the town. This busy urban stretch of the M4, with tight bends, narrow lanes, short narrow slip roads and concrete walls on both sides has a speed limit of 50 mph enforced with a speed camera in the Eastbound direction. The M4 motorway is a motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. ...

Economy

Heavy industry is a visible feature of Port Talbots economy. The coastal strip of the town features Port Talbot Steelworks, a large BOC industrial gas plant and a gas fired power station. In November 2007, the UK government gave the go ahead to build a new Biomass power generation plant near the BOC plant. It is set to be the world's largest Biomass power station.[3]The Biomass power plant is not going by the BOC but the other end of the steelworks, and it will be only a couple hundred yards from Aberavon Beach. The power plant by the BOC is run by Western Log LTD.

Notable Port Talbot people

(in alphabetical order)

• Keith Barnes, Australian rugby league great was born in Port Talbot before emigrating aged 13.
• Robert Blythe, Welsh actor, was brought up in Tan y groes St. Currently (2007) plays Fagan in the BBC comedy High Hopes.
• Actor and comedian Rob Brydon was brought up in Baglan, Port Talbot.
• Richard Burton was born in Pontrhydyfen, Port Talbot as Richard Jenkins and had his early education in Port Talbot where he met his mentor, Philip H. Burton.
• Christopher Evans (businessman) originally from Port Talbot, Wales,
• Anthony Hopkins was born and raised in Margam, Port Talbot.
• Politician Geoffrey Howe was born in Port Talbot in 1925 and spent his early years there. When he was made a life peer in 1992 he chose the title Baron Howe of Aberavon.
• Michael Locke, aka 'Pancho' of TV series Dirty Sanchez, was born and raised in Baglan, Port Talbot.
• Dic Penderyn was born as Richard Lewis in Aberavon in 1803, in the centre of what is now Port Talbot but before the town was named as such in 1840. He is buried at St. Mary's Church [4] in the centre of the town. He was convicted of assault on an army officer and executed.
• Paul Potts, an opera singer and the winner of Britain's Got Talent in 2007, lives in Port Talbot.
• Welsh actor Michael Sheen was born in Newport but he was brought up in Port Talbot.
• George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy was born in Tydraw Street, Port Talbot.
• Painter Andrew Vicari was born in Port Talbot.
• Dai Davies Welsh International (Darts) was from Port Talbot

Captain of the Australia national rugby league football team William Keith Barnes (born 1934 in Port Talbot, Wales) dubbed Golden Boots for his exceptional playing ability was an Australian rugby league player for the Balmain Tigers and also represented Australia on seventeen occasions including one World Cup. ... Rugby league football (usually shortened to rugby league, football, league) is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the 1988 Mike Leigh film, see High Hopes (movie) High Hopes is a song from the 1994 Pink Floyd album The Division Bell, written by David Gilmour and Polly Samson. ... Rob Brydon (born Robert Brydon Jones, May 3, 1965, Baglan, Port Talbot) is a Welsh actor, comedian and impressionist most famous for his role as Keith Barret in the BBC comedy Marion and Geoff and The Keith Barret Show. ... Baglan is a village in south Wales. ... For other persons named Richard Burton, see Richard Burton (disambiguation). ... Pontrhydyfen is a village in south Wales. ... Sir Christopher Thomas Evans, OBE, PhD, is a biotechnology entrepreneur in the United Kingdom. ... For the composer, see Antony Hopkins. ... Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon, CH, PC, QC (born 20 December 1926), known until 1992 as Sir Geoffrey Howe, is a senior British Conservative politician. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Dirty Sanchez is a TV series (and film series) featuring three Welsh men, Pritchard, Dainton, Pancho and English man Joyce, all of whom display a total disregard for their own health and engage in extremely self-harmful acts. ... Dic Penderyn the name by which the working-class hero Richard Lewis (1808-1831) is better known. ... Potts on Britains Got Talent Paul Potts (born 1971 in Bristol) lives in Port Talbot in South Wales and is a mobile phone salesman and amateur opera singer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Michael Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is an award-winning Welsh actor, known for his work on stage and film, best known for his portrayal of Tony Blair in the Stephen Frears 2006 British film The Queen. ... For other uses, see Newport (disambiguation). ... The Right Honourable Thomas George Thomas, 1st Viscount Tonypandy (29 January 1909 - 22 September 1997) was a British Labour politician. ... Painting of La Marianne by Andrew Vicari (1980) Andrew Vicari (born 20 April 1938) is a Welsh painter working in France who has established a career painting portraits of the rich and famous. ...

See also

• Aberavon

Aberavon is a parliamentary constituency of south Wales, on the right bank of the river Afan, near its mouth in Swansea Bay, the original village of Aberavon or Aberafan nowadays being a district of Port Talbot. ...

External links

• BBC South West Wales: Port Talbot slide show tour
• Afan 107