Sandfields, Port Talbot
Encyclopedia
Sandfields is a mainly residential district of Port Talbot
, Wales
. The area is located in South Wales
on a narrow coastal plain
between Mynydd Dinas and the sea. The M4 motorway
, A48 trunk road
and South Wales Main Line
run nearby. The area includes a council estate
, industrial areas and a seaside resort at Aberavon Beach
.
and Sandfields East
, part of the Neath Port Talbot
unitary authority
.
. In the 2005 index, Sandfields West was one of the 10% most deprived wards in Wales.
was opened by the Queen
in 1965. The facility formerly included a 50m competition swimming pool
, which was later converted into a 25m leisure pool with water slide
s when the complex was re-fitted during the mid 1990s. The Lido also has a spa
, gym
, and concert hall where famous bands have played, including in recent years McFly
, All Saints
, Stereophonics
, Manic Street Preachers
and Lostprophets
.
The Lido was the site of a major fire on 16 December 2009 which broke out in the Aquadome part of the complex. Residents in surrounding streets were evacuated due to fears of the safety of chemicals in the fire that broke through the centre's roof. The centre has been closed since and is currently in the progress of demolition demolition
.
in Wales when it opened in 1958. In 2000, it was recognised by the Welsh Secondary Schools Association (WSSA) as the most improved school in Wales. The school has produced a number of sportsmen and women who have represented Wales at international level, including rugby players Allan Martin
and Les Keen (ex-Aberavon RFC
); footballers Brian Flynn
and Laura May Walkely of Arsenal Ladies Football Team
.
Several primary schools are located within the Sandfields Estate including Tir Morfa, Tywyn, Traethmelyn and Glan Y Mor.
meet at Sandfields' Library.
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
, 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...
. The area is located in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
on a narrow coastal plain
Coastal plain
A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...
between Mynydd Dinas and the sea. The M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, A48 trunk road
A48 road
The A48 is a major trunk road in Great Britain. It runs from the A40 at Highnam west of Gloucester to the A40 at Carmarthen. Before the construction of the M4 motorway and the first Severn Bridge in the mid 1960s it was the principal route into South Wales. For most of its journey through Wales,...
and South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
run nearby. The area includes a council estate
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
, industrial areas and a seaside resort at Aberavon Beach
Aberavon Beach
Aberavon Beach, also known as Aberavon Sands is three-mile stretch of sandy beach located on the north-eastern edge of Swansea Bay in Sandfields, Port Talbot, Wales. With its high breaker waves, it is popular with surfers...
.
Government
The area encompasses the electoral wards of Sandfields WestSandfields West
Sandfields West is an electoral ward and a community of Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is part of the parliamentary constituency of Aberavon....
and Sandfields East
Sandfields East
Sandfields East is an electoral ward and a community of Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is part of the parliamentary constituency of Aberavon....
, part of the 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....
unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
.
Social conditions
The two electoral wards covering Sandfields were ranked in top 50 most deprived wards in Wales in the 2000 Welsh Index of Multiple DeprivationMultiple deprivation index
The Index of Multiple Deprivation is a UK government statistical study of deprived areas in UK local authorities.The first study covers seven aspects of deprivation...
. In the 2005 index, Sandfields West was one of the 10% most deprived wards in Wales.
Afan Lido
The Afan Lido leisure centreLeisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
was opened by the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1965. The facility formerly included a 50m competition swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, which was later converted into a 25m leisure pool with water slide
Water slide
A water slide is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size...
s when the complex was re-fitted during the mid 1990s. The Lido also has a spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
, gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
, and concert hall where famous bands have played, including in recent years McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
, All Saints
All Saints (band)
All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...
, Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
and Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
.
The Lido was the site of a major fire on 16 December 2009 which broke out in the Aquadome part of the complex. Residents in surrounding streets were evacuated due to fears of the safety of chemicals in the fire that broke through the centre's roof. The centre has been closed since and is currently in the progress of demolition demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
.
Education
Sandfields Comprehensive School was the first purpose-built comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
in Wales when it opened in 1958. In 2000, it was recognised by the Welsh Secondary Schools Association (WSSA) as the most improved school in Wales. The school has produced a number of sportsmen and women who have represented Wales at international level, including rugby players Allan Martin
Allan Martin
Allan Jeffery Martin is a former Aberavon RFC and Welsh international rugby union player. He was noted for his long distance goal-kicking.-Biography:...
and Les Keen (ex-Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC
Aberavon RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh town of Port Talbot, although the club's name refers to the older settlement of Aberavon which lies on the western side of the town...
); footballers Brian Flynn
Brian Flynn
Brian Flynn, is a Welsh football manager and former Welsh international player.On 13 September 2010 Flynn was confirmed caretaker manager of the Wales national football team after John Toshack stepped down...
and Laura May Walkely of Arsenal Ladies Football Team
Arsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...
.
Several primary schools are located within the Sandfields Estate including Tir Morfa, Tywyn, Traethmelyn and Glan Y Mor.
Community Archives Wales
The Port Talbot Historical Society and Community Archives WalesCommunity Archives Wales
Community Archives Wales is a website of digital content created and maintained by a number of community heritage groups from across Wales...
meet at Sandfields' Library.