- Pontrhydyfen
Pontrhydyfen (or Pont-rhyd-y-fen) is a small
village inNeath Port Talbot county borough inWales .Location
It is situated in the Afan Valley at gbmapping|SS794940, at the
confluence of theRiver Afan and the smaller Afon Pelenna, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) north of the larger village ofCwmafan and not far from the towns ofPort Talbot andNeath .History & Amenities
This former
coal mining community is distinguished by two large19th-century bridges that span the valley: a railwayviaduct ("the red bridge") and a formeraqueduct , known in theWelsh language as "Y Bont Fawr" ("The Big Bridge"). The latter, built by John Reynolds and completed in 1825, is 459 feet (140 m) long and over 75 feet (23 m) high. It supplied the water which powered the giantwaterwheel s of the nearby Cwmavonblast furnace s. It remains in use today as a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, the canal which it once carried having been filled in.Famous People
Pontrhydyfen was the birthplace of
Hollywood actor Richard Burton ,Broadway theatre and musical starIvor Emmanuel who was also inZulu (film) , internationalopera singerRebecca Evans and Welsh singer and songwriterGeraint Griffiths . The Richard Burton Appreciation Society is based in the village.External links
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2742267 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Pontrhydyfen and surrounding area]
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