INSPIRING LANDSCAPES FASCINATING HISTORY & LEGEND GREAT WALKS IN AFAN FOREST PARK Walk the trail in memory of the legend of Richard Burton including a historic exploration of his birthplace village The fascinating history around the Legend of Richard Burton The Richard Burton Trail was opened in 2011 to commemorate the great Welsh actor and film star, (1925-1984). Richard, the son of a miner, was born Richard Walter Jenkins in Pontrhydyfen and grew up in Taibach, Port Talbot; took part in drama productions with the local YMCA; then moved to London to become a great Shakespearean actor and finally a world famous Hollywood film star. Burton returned to his village many times, sometimes accompanied by his glamorous wife Elizabeth Taylor. Pontrhydyfen s transport history is equally fascinating Owing to the difficult topography, threading transport routes through the Pontrhydyfen area was very difficult, hence the plethora of viaducts. Two of the viaducts carried lines serving the numerous collieries and their links to Port Talbot; the Port Talbot Railway (PTR) line from Tonmawr crossed the river on the 10 arched red brick (extant) viaduct; the Rhondda & Swansea Bay (R&SB) line from the Rhondda Valley crossed further up on a single span viaduct (now replaced by a steel footbridge). The third (extant) viaduct was in fact an aqueduct (pictured above) which carried not a canal but a water supply across the valley to serve the local ironworks.
THE WALK Route summary and terrain The route is mainly on level ground on the track bed of the Rhondda & Swansea Bay railway with some street walking at Pontrhydyfen and short sections of footpath at each end of the trail. At Pontrhydyfen, you have an industrial and transport heritage trail with two railway viaducts, a former aqueduct and remains of local industry and collieries around. Start point Rhyslyn Car Park, Pontrhydyfen (GR 796942) End point Cwmafan Community Centre (GR 785924) Recommended Maps O.S. Explorer 165 O.S. Landranger 159 Distance Estimated net time Grade Refreshments Toilets 5 kilometres 2 hours Leisurely Afan Tavern, Cwmafan Cwmafan Community Centre (when open) Cwmafan Town Centre
THE ROUTE IN DETAIL From the bus stop at Oakwood (GR 796940), walk down the hill and cross the river with the aqueduct L; then turn R on to a minor road leading to Rhyslyn car park. Rhyslyn car park is on the site of the former R&SBR Pontrhydyfen station and you will spot earthworks where the southbound platform was situated. Going east, there were two railways, the R&SBR which crossed the Afan on a very high single span viaduct, replaced by a steel pedestrian footbridge; the other was built but never used and intended as a spur to join the South Wales Mineral Railway on the north bank of the river. Head west from Rhyslyn and after 200 metres, turn right, take the higher road and turn left and over the aqueduct crossing to Oakwood, along Penhydd St and past the primary school (right) before dropping down to the main Trail and passing over the impressive red brick viaduct. On this section, you cross over two very striking features of the former transport infrastructure of Pontyrhydyfen; first the aqueduct built in 1825 to supply water to the giant waterwheels of the blast furnaces at the local ironworks; then the impressive red brick 10 arch Pontrhydyfen viaduct crossing the River Afan where it converges with the Pelenna, was built at the end of the 19th century for transporting coal from Tonmawr to Port Talbot Docks. The railway closed in 1964. Take the trail for 500 metres in the direction of Efail Fach before turning obliquely right to a forest road which leads back to Pontrhydyfen. Turn right on to the main road and walk under the viaduct, turning left shortly after crossing the river on a footbridge and ascend steps to re-join the main trail. Turn right and follow the trail along its path towards open country with good views down the valley towards Port Talbot. A short distance on, you will notice the earthworks (right) which carried the Tonmawr branch railway. At this spot in November 1960 there was a head on collision between a runaway coal train from Dyffryn Rhondda and a Swansea to Treherbert diesel passenger train. At that time, most coal wagons had only hand brakes and on steep gradients, the train guard was tasked with pinning down a proportion of these to prevent runaways. The accident revealed what happened when judgement was improperly exercised with fatal results in this instance! The accident made national news and, with BBC newsreaders inability to pronounce Pontrhydyfen, led to courses on Welsh pronunciation. The trail veers away from the original R&SB Railway (which headed down to Cwmafan) at this point and its provenance is hazy. About a kilometre further on, you reach the Portrait Bench, where lifesized sculptures in steel celebrate three eminent local personalities; actor/film star, Richard Burton; locally born actor/comedian Rob Brydon and former Afan Forest Park head ranger Dick Wagstaff. From here the path bears right to drop gently down to the river which it crosses on a high steel footbridge to reach the top end of Cwmafan. Follow the cycle signs to the Community Centre (GR 781921) and the end of the Trail. Cwmafan was once a major centre for a metal industries (iron, tin, copper) and brickworks whose life was short, opened in the 1870 s/80 s and all closed as early as 1914. Sadly, no trace of any can now be seen. Notes: All distances are given in metric GR refers to Ordnance Survey grid reference
LOCAL TRANSPORT and PARKING Train Stations Neath 6 kilometres Port Talbot 4 kilometres Bus Stops Parking Buses Tickets Oakwood Interchange (0.5 kilometres) Cwmafan Community Centre (adjacent) Rhyslyn Car Park, Pontrhydyfen (free) Cwmafan Community Centre (free) Both ends of the walk are on the 83 bus route Port Talbot-Cwmafan- Pontrhydyfen-Blaengwynfi, operated by First Cymru buses on Mondays to Saturdays at hourly daytime frequency. There is a direct route (59) from Neath to Oakwood and you can return to Neath via Port Talbot and connection by X4 or 227 routes. From and to Swansea, use the X1 or X3 Cymru Clipper. From Cwmafan to Port Talbot, there is also the 81 service which together with the 83, provides 3 services per hour Use the 83 to get back to your car. First Day tickets Swansea Bay or Neath Port Talbot areas give you a day s unlimited travel (adult, youth and family options) and can be purchased from the driver on the bus For walkers arriving by train, Port Talbot Plus Bus tickets for onward travel can be purchased when you buy your train ticket Plan your journey
GALLERY: portraying the natural beauty and historic interest on this walk Rhyslyn looking up the Afan Valley; this walk follows the never used rail spur to the SWMR The 10-arched brick viaduct at Pontrhydyfen which carried the Tonmawr branch line The former church at Oakwood, now a youth centre
The Richard Burton Trail in the Afan Valley north of Cwmafan The Portrait Bench - Left to right: Richard Burton, Rob Brydon & Dick Wagstaff