Subject: National Welsh U171 (TKG 511J)
Chassis: Leyland Leopard PSU4A/2R
Body: Willowbrook B45F
Location: Pontygwaith, Llewellyn Street
Date: 23-Jul-1982

U171 has stopped at the point where Ferndale Road becomes Llewellyn Street, which is now the location of the roundabout at the top end of the new relief road. It is working the 531 service introduced under the MAP scheme from 24-May-1981. This was an amalgam of the previous 530 and 531 services from Maerdy to Llwynypia and Porth to Clydach Vale.

There is a bridge over the river behind the bus, leading to Stanleytown and also to Pontygwaith Road (now lost under the new road) then Furnace Road. The latter took its name from a 16th century blast furnace which is the origin of the pace name, being Welsh for "Bridge of work" or "Bridge of the Ironworks". Out of sight across the road on the left was the Bridgend Hotel. Already closed, it was destroyed by fire in 1998.

Surprisingly, the derelict chapel behind (Seion Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, built in 1897 and rebuilt in 1919) has since been refurbished, albeit it has now been converted to flats.

Photograph by courtesy of Tony Moyes