Pontyberem, United Kingdom
Pontyberem is a town of 1,695 people in Wales, United Kingdom.
Why visit Pontyberem
Townapedia lists 2 parks and trails, 7 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Pontyberem
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About 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.
From the Wikipedia article Pontyberem (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes7
Y Cwtsh
Cafe
11-15 Coalbrook Road, Llanelli
Mo-We 09:00-16:00; Th 09:00-18:00; Fr 09:00-16:00; Sa 09:00-15:30
The Deli Bros
Restaurant · Burger, Sandwich, Chicken, Salad · 2.0 mi
Heol y Pentre, Pont-henri
Churches and places of worship9
History
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 .
Read more of the history
'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.
From the History section of Pontyberem on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Pontyberem
- Dorothy SquiresBritish singer
- Amy Parry-WilliamsWelsh singer and author (1910-1988)
- Betsan MosesChief Executive of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
- Arthur DanielsWelsh rugby league footballer
- Lee WilliamsWelsh rugby union player
- Ioan NicholasWelsh rugby union player
Born in Pontyberem, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Pontyberem
27 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Swansea Airport (SWS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- Llanelli 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Ammanford 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Carmarthen 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Gorseinon 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Clydach 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Saint Clears 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Swansea 15 mi southeast, about 23 min by car
- Ystalyfera 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Neath 18 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Briton Ferry 18 mi southeast, about 29 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Pontyberem
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Local news
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Pontyberem, Rose and Trev Clough, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Baltic Inn and Restaurant (7836381792), Peter Broster, CC BY 2.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.