Pontlliw

Pontlliw (Welsh spelling: Pont-lliw) is a village in the community of Pontlliw and Tircoed, part of the City and County of Swansea in Wales. The village is located near Pontarddulais, off Junction 47 of the M4 motorway.

An aerial photograph of Pontlliw

The name of the village comes from the Welsh word for bridge (pont) and the name of the River Lliw which runs through the village.

The Pontlliw and Tircoed community has an elected community council and has a population of 2,075.[1] The village itself had a population of around 1,645 in 2011. [2]

Pontlliw has a primary school,[3] as well as a number of small businesses such as a newsagent, Post Office, a hair salon and two public houses - The Buck[4] and The Castle, colloquially known as 'The Shed' - as well as an Indian restaurant.

Pontlliw has one active chapel, Carmel Baptist. Which runs activities throughout the week in both Welsh and English. This includes and active children's and youth work.

The village also is home to Pontarddulais Golf Club[5] - which lies within the boundaries of Pontlliw despite its name featuring neighbouring village Pontarddulais. The 9-hole course opened in the 1990s under the name Allt y Graban.[6]

Pontlliw Village Hall is regularly used to stage theatrical performances and concerts as well as classes run by local groups.[7]

Passing motorists have to take care through the village though, as there are three sets of speed cameras in the village.[8]

Pontlliw is located between the neighbouring villages Penllergaer and Pontarddulais.

Pontlliw is also the birthplace of Gareth Roberts, the former Wales rugby union player. Other notable residents with a rugby connection include Mervyn 'the Swerve' Davies, who lived in Vernon Close and Paul Thorburn, who lived in Heol Y Waun during the early 1990s.[9]