Pontarddulais
| Pontarddulais | |
|---|---|
 Pontarddulais
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| Pontarddulais shown within Swansea | |
| Population | 6,281 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SN589037 |
| Principal area | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWANSEA |
| Postcode district | SA4 |
| Dialling code | 01792 |
| Police | South Wales |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | |
| Welsh Assembly | |
Pontarddulais (Welsh pronunciation: [pɔntarˈðɨːlais]) is a community and town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. It is situated 16 km (10 mi) north west of Swansea city centre. It falls within the Pontarddulais ward.
A literal English translation of the name Pontarddulais is "Bridge on the Dulais", with Dulais meaning "black stream", probably due to its course through coal measures. The earlier name of Pontaberdulais referred to a dismantled 14th-century road bridge which carried the main highway between Swansea and Carmarthen over the River Loughor (Afon Llwchwr). The bridge was so named because of its position upstream of the mouth (aber) of the Dulais stream, and not (as many believe) because it spans the Dulais stream. This bridge was also known as Y Bont Fawr ("the big bridge"). The village that developed around this bridge took the shortened name of Pontardulais also written (more correctly) as Pontarddulais because of the assumption that the bridge was "over Dulais". The bridge also gave the town its nickname "Y Bont".
Most of the town lies within the parish of Llandeilo Tal-y-bont, apart from the small section west of the bridge which lies in Llanedi parish. The bridge referred to in the name of Llandeilo Tal-y-bont (meaning "Saint Teilo's church at the end of the bridge") is not the same as that of Pontaberdulais. The church bridge was located near the old church on the earlier Roman road that crossed the river Loughor near Hendy. The medieval church of St Teilo was carefully dismantled stone-by-stone and reassembled in St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff.
Pontarddulais first gained attention in the wider world in 1843, during the Rebecca Riots, when rioters attacked the toll gate there, after crossing the bridge.
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Wikipedia