the origin of the village's name which locals believe is that 'iet' which means gate in Welsh was used as the village is the gateway to the Gwendreath Valley/Cwm Gwendraeth from the coast. Sport Pontyates is home to the rugby club Pontyates R.F.C. which plays in the Welsh Rugby Union, Division Five West League. Notable people Mandy Rice-Davies - famous for her role in the Profumo affair. June Brown - famous for her role as Dot Cotton in BBC's EastEnders, was evacuated to the village during the Second World War. References Villages in Carmarthenshire Llanelli Rural