Pontlliw (Welsh spelling: Pont-lliw) is a village in the community of Pontlliw and Tircoed, part of the City and County of Swansea in Wales. The village is located near Pontarddulais, off Junction 47 of the M4 motorway. The name of the village comes from the Welsh word for bridge (pont) and the name of the River Lliw which runs through the village. The Pontlliw and Tircoed community has an elected community council and has a population of 2,075. The village itself had a population of around 1,645 in 2011. Pontlliw has a primary school, as well as a number of small businesses such as a newsagent, Post Office, a public house - The Buck and two restaurants - Bella's and Rasoi. Pontlliw has one active chapel, Carmel Baptist, which runs activities throughout the week in both Welsh and English. The village also is home to Pontarddulais Golf Club - which lies within the boundaries of Pontlliw despite its name featuring neighbouring village Pontarddulais. The 9-hole course opened in the 1990s under the name Allt y Graban. Pontlliw Village Hall is regularly used to stage theatrical performances and concerts as well as classes run by local groups. History The village's roots date back to 1740 when the Lliw Forge was in operation. The forge was developed by a descendant of the Huguenots and was located to make use of the water discharged from a mill wheel. By the 19th century the village was just a mere collection of a few houses. In 1908, work began on the construction of a railway line through the village by The Great Western Railway Company. As a result the population of the village began to grow and saw the building of new churches and chapels. In 1809, a mansion named the 'Friedrichsruh' was built by wealthy Austrian F.W.Dahne - the property was later renamed The Poplars. The local school opened in 1913 and the village's further expansion the erection of The Village Hall - which opened in December 1934. The building of more houses throughout Pontlliw saw the village grow in size and its semi-rural location combined with its good access to the M4 made it a popular place to live. Education Pontlliw has one school - Pontlliw Primary School, which first opened in the 1910s. There are approximately 200 pupils at the school aged 3-11. The building comprises two blocks - the older main