Alltwen
Encyclopedia
Alltwen – meaning "white wooded slope" – is a village
in the county borough
of Neath Port Talbot
, Wales
, near Pontardawe
in the Swansea Valley
. Alltwen is served by Alltwen Primary School
and is home to rugby union
club Alltwen RFC.
, British Lightweight
Boxing
Champion in the 1940s and World Title challenger in 1946. The Welsh character actress Rachel Thomas
was born in the village and the film, television, and stage actress Siân Phillips
also spent much of her childhood there.
county borough
and is a part of the community
of Cilybebyll
. The ward is bounded by Trebanos
and Pontardawe
to the northwest; Rhos
to the northeast; Bryn-côch North
to the southeast; Dyffryn
to the south; and Clydach
(in Swansea
) to the southwest.
Most of Allt-wen consists of farmland
and woods
. The major settlement, occupying a strip of land in the north west of the ward is Alltwen village, which is part of the built-up area surrounding Pontardawe
.
In the 2008 local council elections
, the electoral turnout was 43.77%. The results were:
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...
in the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, near Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
in the Swansea Valley
Swansea Valley
The Swansea Valley , one of the South Wales Valleys is the name often given to the valley of the River Tawe area in South Wales, UK. It reaches southwest and south from the Brecon Beacons National Park down to the city of Swansea. Today, administration of the area is divided between the City and...
. Alltwen is served by Alltwen Primary School
Alltwen Primary School
Alltwen Primary School is an English-speaking Junior School in Alltwen. Established in 1904, it caters for children aged 3-11. It is a feeder school for Cwmtawe Comprehensive School. The school is situated at the top of the fly over from lower down Pontardawe. The school has three yards, a garden...
and is home to rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby 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...
club Alltwen RFC.
Notable residents
Alltwen was the home village of Ronnie JamesRonnie James
Ronnie James , former British Lightweight boxing champion. Born in Swansea, Wales, James had over 130 professional bouts winning 114 of them, 61 through knockout...
, British Lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
Champion in the 1940s and World Title challenger in 1946. The Welsh character actress Rachel Thomas
Rachel Thomas
Rachel Thomas OBE , was a Welsh character actress, well known to film and television audiences.Born in the village of Alltwen, near Pontardawe, Wales, she appeared in such classic films as The Proud Valley with Paul Robeson, Blue Scar and Tiger Bay...
was born in the village and the film, television, and stage actress Siân Phillips
Siân Phillips
Jane Elizabeth Ailwên "Siân" Phillips, CBE, is a Welsh actress.-Early life:Phillips was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, the daughter of Sally , a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman...
also spent much of her childhood there.
Pubs and Clubs
Local pubs include:- The Butchers Arms
- The Gwyn Arms
- The Celtic Lodge
- Clwb Rygbi Alltwen (Alltwen Rugby Club)
Government and politics
Allt-wen is an electoral ward of Neath Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
and is a part of the community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
of Cilybebyll
Cilybebyll
Cilybebyll is a village and community in Neath Port Talbot County Borough in Wales. It includes the villages of Alltwen, Fforest Gôch, Gellinudd and Rhos, and is located east of Pontardawe, north of Neath and north east of Swansea...
. The ward is bounded by Trebanos
Trebanos (electoral ward)
Trebanos is an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales, part of the Pontardawe community.Trebanos includes some or all of the following areas: Trebanos, Craig Trebanos and Pontardawe, in the parliamentary constituency of Neath. Trebanos is bounded by the wards of Pontardawe to...
and Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
to the northwest; Rhos
Rhos, Neath Port Talbot
Rhos is a village in the Swansea Valley, located between Neath and Pontardawe, in Neath Port Talbot county borough, South Wales.-History:Originally part of the Cilybebyll estate, the Primrose Colliery was developed from the mid-1800's, close to the village. On 13 October 1858, when owned by Morgan...
to the northeast; Bryn-côch North
Bryncoch North
Bryncoch North is an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales forming part of the parish of Blaenhonddan.Bryncoch North covers some or all of the following Areas: Bryncoch and Gilfach in the parliamentary constituency of Neath...
to the southeast; Dyffryn
Dyffryn, Neath Port Talbot
Dyffryn, Neath Port Talbot may refer to:*Dyffryn Cellwen*Dyffryn Clydach*Dyffryn School...
to the south; and Clydach
Clydach (electoral ward)
Clydach is the name of an electoral ward, a community and a town in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The town has its own elected community council serving the community....
(in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
) to the southwest.
Most of Allt-wen consists of farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
and woods
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
. The major settlement, occupying a strip of land in the north west of the ward is Alltwen village, which is part of the built-up area surrounding Pontardawe
Pontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
.
In the 2008 local council elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2008
The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
, the electoral turnout was 43.77%. The results were:
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Lewis | Labour | 441 | Labour hold |
| Huw Evans | Plaid Cymru | 328 |