Pontyberem
Encyclopedia
Pontyberem is a village
situated in the Gwendraeth
Valley halfway between Carmarthen
and Llanelli
in Carmarthenshire
, South Wales
.
industry in the area. There were four principal mines in the Pontyberem Area; Pontyberem colliery which was opened in 1845, Pentremawr (1889-c1974), Glynhebog(1892–1949) and Gwendraeth colliery (Watney pit). It was in the Gwendraeth colliery (Watney pit)in 1852 that a terrible disaster took place : 26 men and boys died when water flooded the mine killing all the miners on the night shift. It is said that it took 18 months to recover the bodies .
Due to the demise of the coal industry in the South Wales Coalfield
, there are now no high quality anthracite coal mines operating in the Gwendraeth Valley.
The renowned Pontyberem safety lamps were made by John Jones (1879–1976) who worked as Colliery Chief Mechanic at Pentremawr Colliery
.
The name Pontyberem originates from three separate Welsh language
words, pont meaning bridge, aber meaning mouth of a river (into the sea), estuary
, confluence
of a lesser with a larger river and Beran after Nant Beran the river that flows through Pontyberem .
Local people understand the name Pontyberem to originate from a simple combination of words. The 'Berem' refers to the frothy buildup (like yeast) on the surface of the water of the Nant Beran, especially near the bridge (Pont) over the Gwendraeth Fawr.
is a very important element in the daily life of the people of Pontyberem. In 1991 Pontyberem was recorded as having, with Cwarter Bach, the highest levels of Welsh speakers in Carmarthenshire. According to the 2001 Census, 81.28% (1961:91% :1991:80.5%) of the population have one or more skills in Welsh with 60.83% able to speak, read and write it. In a survey conducted by Mori for Carmarthenshire County Council in 2000 people were asked how well they spoke Welsh. In the Gwendraeth valley 47% said very well, 17% said fairly well , 10% said not very well with 25% saying not at all. Menter Cwm Gwendraeth, the first community Welsh language initiative
is based at Pontyberem. Menter Cwm Gwendraeth started in 1991 following the successful Urdd Gobaith Cymru
National Eisteddfod held in the Gwendraeth Valley.
Both primary schools in Pontyberem, Pontyberem Primary School and Bancffosfelen Primary School , are Category A schools where the majority of the curriculum is taught through the medium of Welsh.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
situated in the Gwendraeth
River Gwendraeth
The River Gwendraeth is a river in Carmarthenshire in west Wales.It has two almost equal branches that have their confluence in their joint estuary at Carmarthen Bay...
Valley halfway between Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
and Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
History
The village grew during the late 19th century and early 20th century with the growth of the coal miningCoal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industry in the area. There were four principal mines in the Pontyberem Area; Pontyberem colliery which was opened in 1845, Pentremawr (1889-c1974), Glynhebog(1892–1949) and Gwendraeth colliery (Watney pit). It was in the Gwendraeth colliery (Watney pit)in 1852 that a terrible disaster took place : 26 men and boys died when water flooded the mine killing all the miners on the night shift. It is said that it took 18 months to recover the bodies .
Due to the demise of the coal industry in the South Wales Coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
, there are now no high quality anthracite coal mines operating in the Gwendraeth Valley.
The renowned Pontyberem safety lamps were made by John Jones (1879–1976) who worked as Colliery Chief Mechanic at Pentremawr Colliery
Pentremawr Colliery
Pentremawr Colliery was a coal mine, located in the Gwendraeth valley in Carmarthenshire, South Wales.Due to the angle and depth of the anthracite in this part of Wales, Pentremawr was a slant mine, and hence access and extraction of the coal did not need a shaft...
.
The name Pontyberem originates from three separate Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
words, pont meaning bridge, aber meaning mouth of a river (into the sea), estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of a lesser with a larger river and Beran after Nant Beran the river that flows through Pontyberem .
'Although not immediately obvious the element aber once formed part of this place name and referred to the location of the pont (bridge) over the river Gwendraeth Fawr just below its confluence with Nant Beran.
It was probably lost through the contraction of aber and the river name Beran. The -a- of aber was then interpreted as the definite article y and Beran was probably influenced by berem, a variant of burum (yeast).'
Local people understand the name Pontyberem to originate from a simple combination of words. The 'Berem' refers to the frothy buildup (like yeast) on the surface of the water of the Nant Beran, especially near the bridge (Pont) over the Gwendraeth Fawr.
Welsh Language
The Welsh languageWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
is a very important element in the daily life of the people of Pontyberem. In 1991 Pontyberem was recorded as having, with Cwarter Bach, the highest levels of Welsh speakers in Carmarthenshire. According to the 2001 Census, 81.28% (1961:91% :1991:80.5%) of the population have one or more skills in Welsh with 60.83% able to speak, read and write it. In a survey conducted by Mori for Carmarthenshire County Council in 2000 people were asked how well they spoke Welsh. In the Gwendraeth valley 47% said very well, 17% said fairly well , 10% said not very well with 25% saying not at all. Menter Cwm Gwendraeth, the first community Welsh language initiative
Menter Iaith
Menter Iaith is a community-based organisation which works to raise the profile of the Welsh language in a specific area...
is based at Pontyberem. Menter Cwm Gwendraeth started in 1991 following the successful Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Urdd Gobaith Cymru
dde|200px|thumb|The Urdd logoUrdd Gobaith Cymru, literally, the Welsh League of Hope, but normally translated as the Welsh League of Youth, or merely referred to as the Urdd, is a Welsh-medium youth movement with over 1,500 branches and over 50,000 members...
National Eisteddfod held in the Gwendraeth Valley.
Both primary schools in Pontyberem, Pontyberem Primary School and Bancffosfelen Primary School , are Category A schools where the majority of the curriculum is taught through the medium of Welsh.
Schools
- Ysgol Gynradd Pontyberem / Pontyberem Primary School
- Ysgol Gynradd Bancffosfelen / Bancffosfelen Primary School
Sport
- Rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- Pontyberem Rugby Football ClubPontyberem RFCPontyberem Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets.-Club honours:*1994-95 Welsh League Division 6 West - Champions...
: Pontyberem Recreational Park, Heol Y Parc, Pontyberem - Football (soccer)Football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
- Bancffosfelen F.C. : Pontyberem Recreational Park, Heol Y Parc, Pontyberem - CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
- Pontyberem C.C.
Notable people
- Arthur DanielsArthur DanielsArthur Harper Daniels , was a Rugby league footballer.In 1945 he was one of three Welshmen, all from the Llanelli area, who had trials with the Halifax rugby league club. A winger, he made a relatively slow start to his rugby league career, which was interrupted with a period in the armed forces...
- Wales and Great Britain rugby leagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
international - Victor Bach - Widnes rugby league player
- John JonesJohn Jones-Authors, artists, poets, and writers:*John Jones of Gellilyfdy , Welsh calligrapher, manuscript collector and antiquary*John Jones , Welsh writer*John Jones , Welsh poet...
- Maker of Pontyberem Miner's Lamp - Dorothy SquiresDorothy SquiresDorothy Squires was a Welsh vocalist. Among her recordings were versions of "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening", "I'm in the Mood for Love", "Anytime", "If You Love Me " and "And So to Sleep Again".-Biography:...
Singer - Gwenda Owen Singer
- Lewis Thomas (1877–1955) Pioneer of the art of Cerdd Dant (Singing to harp accompaniment)
- Ieuan Rees World renowned lettering designer and artist
- John Jones (Shoni Sguborfawr), (1811–1858) Demolished the tollgates at Pontyberem during the Rebecca RiotsRebecca RiotsThe Rebecca Riots took place between 1839 and 1843 in South and Mid Wales. They were a series of protests undertaken by local farmers and agricultural workers in response to perceived unfair taxation. The rioters, often men dressed as women, took their actions against toll-gates, as they were...
- Nigel OwensNigel OwensNigel Owens is a Welsh international rugby union referee. He is an international and Heineken Cup referee and was the only Welsh referee at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France....
- International rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
referee
External links
- Menter Cwm Gwendraeth
- Welsh Coal Mines Contains detailed information on Pontyberem, Glynhebog, Gwendraeth (Watney) and Pentremawr collieries.
- Pontyberem Miner's Lamp
- A vision of Pontyberem CP Contains information on Population, Housing,Historic Boundaries and Census Reports.
- Carmarthenshire County Council/Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin website Contains census information regarding Pontyberem
- Rebecca Riots in Pontyberem Carmarthenshire
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Pontyberem and surrounding area