Porth

For other uses, see Porth (disambiguation).

Porth
Rheola Bridge, Porth
Population	5,944
OS grid reference	ST025915
Principal area	Rhondda Cynon Taf
Preserved county	Mid Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PORTH
Postcode district	CF39
Dialling code	01443
Police	South Wales
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Rhondda
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Rhondda

Porth (Welsh: Y Porth) is a town and a community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Valley and is regarded as the gateway to the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys because both valleys meet at Porth. The Welsh word "porth" means "gate" when translated into English, however, Porth is a predominantly English-speaking community.

Neighbouring towns and villages include Trealaw, Trebanog, Trehafod and Ynyshir.

History

Porth grew around the coal mining industry during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries though all the coal mines in the area have since closed. The Rhondda Heritage Park in Trehafod, which celebrates the history of the Rhondda coal mining past, is situated near the town. Today the main internal economy of Porth is retail and the centre of Porth is home to the shopping district based around Hannah Street. Most other business are located on nearby Pontypridd Road and Porth Street.

Presently, Porth is home to around 6,000 people living in different areas of the town, namely Birchgrove, Britannia, Cymmer, Glynfach, Llwyncelyn, Mount Pleasant and Porth town centre.

Porth crater on Mars is named after the town.

Education

Secondary school age children are most likely to attend Porth County Community School, or Ysgol Gyfun Y Cymmer, situated in the Cymmer area of Porth. Despite the English language dominance of the area, the number of enrolments to Welsh language medium schools in the area continues to rise and these schools are nearing, or at, full capacity.

Transportation

Porth railway station resides in the town centre with services to Treherbert and Cardiff on the Rhondda Line. Arriva Trains Wales is responsible for the railway service available in Porth.

The recent construction of the Porth-Tylorstown bypass (Porth Relief Road) has caused traffic jams and detours. The bypass was opened on December 28, 2006, but landscaping work finished on April 2007. The construction of the bypass was first discussed over 50 years ago.

Sport and leisure

The town is also the home of The Pop Factory, opened in 2000 with an opening ceremony attended by Tom Jones, Cerys Matthews and Kelly Jones. It is both a television studio and recording studio. The owners of the building also contribute to the local area, and organised the Tom Jones homecoming concert at Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd in May 2005.

Porth is home to Welsh Rugby Union affiliated rugby club Porth Harlequins.

Football Association of Wales affiliated A.F.C. Porth play in the MacWhirter Welsh Football League; they play their home matches at Dinas Park, and their base is The Rhondda Sports and Social Bar, known locally as The Transport Club.

Porth is home to South Wales Automobile Club, (S.W.A.C.), SWAC are the organisers of the RDp Welsh Rally. 'The Welsh Rally' as the event is often referred to first ran in 1937 and has seen many top international rally drivers taking part over the years.

Residents of note

• Gregg Coombes, footballer
• Llew Edwards, British featherweight boxing champion
• J. Gwyn Griffiths, Egyptologist, poet and Welsh nationalist
• Cliff Jones Wales international rugby captain
• Percy Jones, World Boxing Flyweight champion
• Gwyn Thomas, novelist in the English language

External links

• Porth Library
• Porth Harlequins RFC Homepage
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Porth and surrounding area