Emily Talbot’s Herstory of Port Talbot
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Port Talbot is a town shaped by steel, but its foundations were laid by a woman few remember.
On this walking tour, you’ll discover the story of Emily Charlotte Talbot, the Victorian heiress who transformed a small Welsh village into an industrial powerhouse. You’ll also hear from contemporary Port Talbot women whose voices carry her legacy forward.
The tour starts at Port Talbot Train Station, where narrator Charlotte Denholm first arrived in 1980 as a young journalist. You’ll walk past the Grand Hotel, where Emily’s ghost is said to linger, and along streets she deliberately built wide enough for future industry. Beneath the M4 motorway, you’ll find murals celebrating the town’s past, present, and future. The River Afan flows quietly below as a reminder of the natural landscape Emily reshaped with docks and infrastructure.
Along the way, you’ll hear from women who keep Emily’s story alive: volunteers, artists, educators, and performers. You’ll discover how this unmarried Victorian woman invested £44,000 in steelworks, created hospitals and sewerage systems to combat cholera, and ensured her tenants had clean water and wide roads for commerce. The tour ends back at Port Talbot Train Station, completing a circuit through a town still living with Emily’s vision – and the women who continue shaping it today.
On this 45-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:
- Learn how Emily Talbot inherited her father’s estate in 1890 and used her wealth to build the infrastructure Port Talbot still relies on
- Discover the tragic story behind the Peg Entwistle mural and a Port Talbot actress who took her life at the Hollywood sign
- Hear from Sophie Jones, a young singer-songwriter who uncannily resembles Emily and played her in a recent performance
- View murals designed with input from 200 local children, revealing how young people see their town’s future beyond steel
- Walk streets Emily deliberately built wider in 1891, anticipating the industrial traffic that would eventually come
- Listen to poet Sally Roberts Jones read from her work about Margam and the hard descent of industrial life
This tour honours the women whose care, vision, and quiet authority have shaped Port Talbot across generations – often without recognition, yet never without impact.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
South West Wales Connected is a Community Rail Partnership established by Transport for Wales and hosted by 4theRegion. The overall purpose of Community Rail Partnerships is to encourage greater use of rail services through increased participation of local communities in their rail line and by a range of activities at and surrounding their station to provide economic, social and environmental benefits to the region’s residents and visitors.
We have commissioned this audio tour as part of our ongoing railway heritage projects and the celebration of Swansea and the Mumbles Railway—the world’s first fare-paying passenger service, established in 1807. This initiative not only marks an important chapter in global railway history but also serves to celebrate and preserve Swansea’s rich rail heritage. By bringing the story to life, we aim to celebrate its legacy while ensuring that future generations can appreciate its impact on transport history.
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 1
Start - Port Talbot Train Station
View locations and route
How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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The Grand
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The New Plaza
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The Glan Afan Coffee Co
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Work of Art
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San Portablo 1901
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Margam Abbey
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationPort Talbot SA13 1RU, UK
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Total distance2km
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Final location28 Station Rd, Port Talbot SA13 1JR, UK
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Distance back to start location188.78m
Directions to Starting Point
The tour begins outside the main entrance of Port Talbot Parkway railway station.
If you arrive by train, simply exit onto the station forecourt — the starting point is directly in front of the glass entrance shown in the photo on the app.
If you’re coming by bus, there is a bus stop right outside the station and the main Port Talbot Bus Station is only a short walk away.
There are several paid parking options within a few minutes of the station. Search online for “Port Talbot Parkway parking” to find the closest one for you.
Cyclists can use the cycle stands near the station entrance, with easy access from local cycle paths.
To make sure you’re in the right place, stand facing the station’s main entrance with the taxi rank to one side. Match what you see to the photo in the VoiceMap app before you begin.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
There are a few natural stopping points along this route. The Peg Entwistle mural on Dan-Y-Bryn Road sits just off the pavement beside the hairdresser’s. A little further on, you’ll walk directly under the raised M4 motorway, where three community murals are painted on the supporting pillars. Later, the large mural of Michael Sheen and the steelworks on Forge Road offers another place to pause or take a photo.
Near the start, the Grand Hotel contains a painting with a discreet reference to Emily Charlotte Talbot. The route also passes close to The New Plaza, a recently redeveloped community arts and cinema space in the town centre, if you wish to look around. Toward the end of the walk, Glan Afan Coffee on Station Road sits on the former site of Glan Afan Comprehensive School — built on land donated by Emily, who also laid its foundation stone in 1893. At the station itself, Work Of Art provides a final option to sit and reflect after completing the tour.
Best time of day
You can do this tour at any time of year. Daylight hours are best so you can see the landmarks clearly and enjoy the views across the town and steelworks. Try to avoid the busiest commuter periods around the station on weekday mornings and late afternoons. All sections of the route are exposed, so if the weather is wet or windy, bring suitable clothing.
Precautions
This is an outdoor walking tour with exposed sections, so check the weather before you set out and dress accordingly. Wear comfortable shoes, and bring a waterproof jacket or umbrella on wet days. A bottle of water is useful, especially in warmer weather. Be aware of traffic when crossing roads near the station and town centre, and take care on uneven pavements in older parts of the route.
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