Hit List 6: Former Magistrates Court

 

Today I decided to leave the churches to one side for a while – there’s plenty left, don’t worry – and sketch one of Port Talbot’s grander buildings. This is the former Magistrate’s Court, which began life as the headquarters of the Port Talbot Steel Company.

This is another of those buildings where I’ve found it difficult to find out the exact year that it was built. The closest that I’ve got is a document which lists it as ‘early 20^th century’. Well, thanks for that.

It’s in an interesting style – I suppose that ‘neo-Georgian’ would be an accurate description. Those square windows, and the ashlar-style blocks on the corner, contrasting with the red brick work certainly speak of a vernacular style owing more to the 18^th century rather than the 20^th. However it is not quite as elegant as a true Georgian building of similar size and statues would have been. It is quite impressive though.

I believe that the building had already been turned into Port Talbot Magistrates Court before I moved here in the mid-80s. The court left some time ago, and it has recently been reopened as a business hub for technology companies, I believe. Well, you know me, I’m all for re-using and repurposing old buildings where the building itself has some architectural merit.

The building sits just on the opposite side of the railway line from the station. There was a level crossing between the station and the pub which is now called the Red Lion, and this was closed off for the rebuilding of the station a few years ago. I always hoped that it would eventually be reopened, but that now looks unlikely, since the station is built and there is no sign of it being reopened. To an extent I can understand it. However carefully you build in safety features, level crossings are dangerous, because human beings do silly things from time to time, however much you try to save them from themselves. Still, it’s a shame, because if you use Harbour Way when you’re coming from the Afan Way, you have to go pretty much all the way to Margam, and then back track home to Taibach. Well, unless you use the exit onto Upper West End - which the signs make clear that you absolutely must not do unless you’re a resident.