Pontyberem
Pontyberem is a village and community situated in the Gwendraeth Valley halfway between Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. As of the 2001 Census, the population was recorded as 2,829, reducing to 2,768 at the 2011 Census.
The community is bordered by the communities of: Llanddarog; Gorslas; Llannon; Llanelli Rural; and Llangyndeyrn, all being in Carmarthenshire.
The village grew during the late 19th century and early 20th century with the growth of the coal mining industry in the area. There were four principal mines in the Pontyberem Area; Pontyberem colliery which was opened in 1845, Pentremawr (1889–c. 1974), 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.
Between 1909 and 1953 Pontyberem station on what had been the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway, served the miners and the residents of the village and locality.
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. '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.
The community is bordered by the communities of: Llanddarog; Gorslas; Llannon; Llanelli Rural; and Llangyndeyrn, all being in Carmarthenshire.
The village grew during the late 19th century and early 20th century with the growth of the coal mining industry in the area. There were four principal mines in the Pontyberem Area; Pontyberem colliery which was opened in 1845, Pentremawr (1889–c. 1974), 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.
Between 1909 and 1953 Pontyberem station on what had been the Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway, served the miners and the residents of the village and locality.
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. '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.
Map - Pontyberem
Map
Country - United_Kingdom
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| Flag of the United Kingdom | |
The United Kingdom has evolved from a series of annexations, unions and separations of constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. Its union in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which formally adopted that name in 1927. The nearby Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the UK, being Crown Dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation. There are also 14 British Overseas Territories, the last remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and a third of the world's population, and was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP | Pound sterling | £ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| GD | Gaelic language |
| CY | Welsh language |