95) Aberavon Bridge and River Afan

I sketched the canopy of this bridge and the Tesco store to the left of it before - 

Number 59) Town Centre Stone Bridge Canoy and Tesco

However I wanted to make a sketch where the bridge itself was featured more clearly. The stone bridge is a grade II listed building, and makes the link between the shops in Station Road, and the Aberavon shopping centre and the Civic Centre/Princess Royal Theatre. 

93) Footbridge along the Afan, between Velindre and Cwmavon

A little further down the path which runs between Ynys y Gored and the river, you come to this metal footbridge. I have seen anglers fishing from the bridge, and from the sides, but none were there when I made this sketch. In the summer it can be a very pleasant walk along the path as far as Cwmavon, although a few days of rain can render it very muddy. When my children were young, I used to take them just past the bridge where there was the most fantastic place for skimming stones across the river – not when anyone was fishing, mind you.

74) Pontrhydyfen Aqueduct

This is the other piece of monumental engineering for which Pontrhydyfen is justly famous. While it doesn’t have as many arches as the old railway viaduct (Number 66) Pontrhydyfen Viaduct)Pontrhydyfen Viaduct) and it’s a mottled grey, which I find less appealing than the viaduct’s red brick, this structure really bestrides the village. Add to that the fact that it’s an aqueduct, and you’ve got a very imposing and interesting structure. Researching this post I found a post written in the mid 80s for the schools’ Domesday Project – which explained that it was

“built in 1825 to supply water to the Blast Furnaces in Oakwood. It has 4 arches,is 459ft in length,75ft in height and 14ft wide. The bridge cost £16,000 pounds to build. Now it is used for cars and pedestrians. In February 1985 cracks were discovered on the Aqueduct and it was closed, thus cutting off a pedestrian access to Oakwood.”

I didn’t know that cars were ever allowed across – it is very narrow, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed driving across it. I’m delighted to say that the aqueduct seems pretty secure now, and I’ve walked across it many times.

66) Pontrhydyfen Viaduct

Some villages have all the luck. Pontrhydyfen isn’t very big, but it is one of my favourite corners of Port Talbot. Most people who have heard of the village could tell you that it’s the birthplace of Richard Burton – true – and some could even tell you that it’s also the birthplace of Ivor ‘Zulu’ Emmanuel. While I respect this, it’s not the reason why I like it so much. The main reasons are two large scale pieces of civil engineering, the Aqueduct, and this Viaduct. The single track railway line which used to cross its ten arches was still working when I was born in 1964, but only just, closing for good in December of that year. As it should be, it is Grade II listed, and I’ve taken many pleasant walks across it in my time.

59) Town Centre Stone Bridge Canopy and Tescos

Here we are then, the first sketch I've made since making the blog. 

You can't really see it from this picture, but the canopy in the centre in the background of this sketch was erected over the Aberavon Bridge as a Millenium project. The bridge itself was originally buit in 1842, and widened in 1893. It was grade II listed in 1979 as a particularly good example of that type of 19th century stone bridge. The bridge links what was once Bethany square, and the junction of Station Road and Forge Road with the open area flanked by Ebenezer Chapel, the Civic Centre/ Princess Royal Theatre complex, and the Aberavon shopping centre. The building under the scaffolding on the left is Aberavon House, a dour 1970s office block and one of my least favourite buildings in the whole town. It is currently undergoing renovation, and one presumes an attempt to improve its appearance. Good luck with that. There are things you just can't polish. You know what I'm talking about. 

56) Bridge over River Afan to Aberafan Shopping Centre

The River Afan passes through the centre of the town, past the Aberafan shopping centre, and this bridge gives direct access into the shopping centre. It’s small and inoffensive, considering that it must have been built in the 1970s, and I rather like it. The building above the shopping centre is a tower block which was probably an eyesore from the day it was built. Certainly I don’t remember there ever being a time when I wouldn’t have rated it high on the list of Port Talbot’s ugliest buildings. It’s currently being refurbished, hence the sheeting and scaffolding.

51) Beach Hill Footbridge, Aberavon

A well known Port Talbot landmark when I first moved here was known as Beach Hill. Basically It was a hump backed road bridge which carried Victoria Road in Aberavon over the two lane highway of the Afan Way. A body of public opinion was very disgruntled when the decision was taken to replace the bridge with a road junction, which has admittedly made it far easier to join the Afan Way, and this rather elegant footbridge.

38) Old Railway Bridge, Velindre

I mentioned in my comments about the sketch of Velindre Bridge from Tydraw Hill that there are only two ways in and out of Velindre. This is the second. The old bridge used to carry a single track railway line which I believe ran from the Afan Valley to the docks. The road out of Velindre runs underneath the bridge.

32) Velindre Bridge from Tydraw Hill

I used to live in a part of Port Talbot called Velindre. It’s not far from the town centre – a five minute walk really, but there’s only two ways into the area, which actually gives it a sense of community and almost a village feel. Coming from the town centre you have to cross a bridge to get there. When I first moved to Velindre in 1987 it was a very nice stone bridge, which has since been replaced with an inoffensive metal affair. This sketch was also made from my vantage point on Tydraw Hill, and shows the former Glanafan Lower School building.

22) Plate Girder Bridge, Aberavon Docks

I've always had a thing about bridges. This bridge was built in 1903, after a decade in which the docks were massively redeveloped. The structure carried the main road from Aberavon to the docks. It was pedestrianised later, and carried a national cycle route. I used to cycle from my house to the beach, a route which took in this bridge. However at the moment the bridge, despite being a grade II listed building, is closed due to its instability, and urgently needs  work to make it safe for pedestrians and cyclists. Sadly, it’s not clear exactly how the cash strapped council are ioing to fund this.  

As a sketch this scores through being a complete scene, but also, through being the first f my sketches in which I've included the steelworks at all.