What3words for the box location: ideas.courage.loudness

This artwork depicts the old Pontardawe bridge, built by William Edwards (1719-1789), which gave the town its name – Pont-ar-Dawe, meaning Bridge over the Tawe. It appears that some form of a bridge had been in place over the Tawe at this location by 1729, as it features on Emanuel Bowen’s New and Accurate Map of South Wales published in that year. However, the area was sparsely populated at that time and wasn’t a town at this point. The exact date of the building of a bridge by William Edwards, a stonemason and bridge builder from Eglwysilan near Caerphilly, is unknown, but his bridge over the Tawe has an 80ft span and one arch.

Although no longer in use and relatively hidden, the bridge is an important icon for the town and appears on the badges of several of the town’s schools and sports clubs. The artwork also depicts a Welsh dragon, the nation’s national symbol and the word Croeso is Welsh for ‘welcome’.

Placing this design at the heart of Herbert Street, the town’s main street and, incidentally the location of the town’s original cross junction, was key for the project in ensuring that these artworks are visible to all who visit our lovely town.