Pontardawe
Pontardawe maps (2 available)
Map of West Glamorgan
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of West Glamorgan
Personalised maps
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Pontardawe books (1 available)
- 2 photos on Pontardawe appear in 2 Frith books - View photos of Pontardawe
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Pontardawe and West Glamorgan
Pontardawe memories
Read and share memories of Pontardawe and West Glamorgan inspired by Frith photos
Be the first to add a memory of Pontardawe.
You can also read memories of nearby places in West Glamorgan below.
West Glamorgan memories
bora da
i've always as far as i can remember holidayed down in trebanws/pontardawe.went 2 trebanos primary and 1st year clydach.but even though i was only in the welsh skools 4 years i loved it.when i moved bak to glasgow i hated it i classed myself as welsh but now i am scottish[glasweigan]a weegie and proud of it but wales will always b in my heart
A memory of Trebanos contributed by pauline steele
Skewen 1983/4
I lived in Skewen from September 1983 to May 1984 - only a short time in my life but it made a big impression on me. My wife Fiona, new baby Siobhan and I rented a house at Caenant Terrace facing the railway and the mountain. We had moved to Wales from the south of England and although our new environment felt strange at first and looked rather harsh with its heavy industry and mountains, we were struck by the exceptional warmth and friendliness of Skewen.
I remember arriving at Caenant Terrace in the rain - it seemed to rain most of our time there - but somehow this was all part of the cosiness we felt in out stonebuilt, centrally-heated ...read more here
A memory of Skewen contributed by John McMillan
My GrandFather
My Grandfather, who served in WWI, is buried in Skewen. I have a picture of his tombstone, which is very pretty, but I don't know what Cemetary it is. My Mom's Dad he was - he died when she was 3 years old form the Flu. His name was Donald C. James (born 1894 - 1927).
A memory of Skewen contributed by Susie Somerville-Franz
My grandparents house
My grandparents bought the second house in this picture (number 343) in the 1930s, so they were living in this house when the picture was taken (1938). Their names were Daniel and Annie Owens. When this photo was taken my mother, Gladys May Owens, lived here, she was 19. If anyone knows anything about the family or knows who took this photo then I'd love to know.
Thankyou!
Jennifer
A memory of Llansamlet contributed by Jennifer Davies
Extracts From Pontardawe & West Glamorgan books
This photograph gives quite a rural impression of the town. From 1830, Pontardawe developed coal, iron and steel industries which drove the Industrial Revolution and helped make South Wales the economic power it was for much of the 20th century. The construction of the Swansea Canal, 1794-98, enabled the new industries to transport their goods, and although traffic on the canal all but ended in the 1930s, men were still working on the canal as late as 1950. The pop singer Mary Hopkin, a local Pontardawe girl, was to record ‘Those were the days’ a few years after this photograph was taken.
An extract from from"Wales Living Memories".
In July 1905, the National Lifeboat Association held a demonstration on the lake. Good Friday and Easter Monday would see a miniature fair—stalls for refreshments, model yacht racing on the reservoir, rowing boats for hire, bowls and so on. Here we see the ‘tropical island’ with its giant Gunnera and the half-timbered lodge.
An extract from from"Swansea Pocket Album".
This is not, in fact a Roman bridge at all, but was probably built in the 18th century. This fact could be slightly awkward for Roman Court and Roman Bridge Lane, two newly-built housing developments nearby. The bridge is now the subject of controversy: it is scheduled for relocation to make way for a leisure centre.
An extract from from"Swansea Pocket Album".
The ivy-clad castle is approached via Castle Avenue. ‘Oystermouth Castle is a majestic ruin, in a bold situation near the sea coast, com- manding a delightful prospect of the country, and surrounded by broken cliffs’. (Benjamin Malkin, c1803).
An extract from from"Swansea Pocket Album".
This was a popular coaching inn; it has since been renamed the Gower Inn to reflect its new-found function as a public house. The attractive building in the centre is the former school, now the West Glamorgan Guides Activity Centre. Further down the road we come to the Gower Heritage Centre.
An extract from from"Swansea Pocket Album".