Porth
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Porth is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales, lying in the Rhondda Valley. It is regarded as the gateway to the valleys, as the Welsh word "porth" means "gate" when translated into English. Porth is a predominantly English-speaking community.
Porth grew around the coal mining industry, but as with much of south Wales, all the local pits have now closed. The town lies near the Rhondda Heritage Park (in Trehafod), which offers a huge insight into the life of the coal mining community that existed in the area until the 1980s. Visitors can experience the life of the coal miners on a guided tour through one of the mine shafts of the Lewis Merthyr colliery. The tours are led by former colliery workers.
Porth also boasts an array of public houses, the first of which travelling towards the top of the Rhondda Valley is The Heritage Park Hotel. The HPH is renowned for its Friday night disco, which is aimed at the more mature residents of the surrounding area. Customers travel from all over the South Wales valleys to experience the food on offer and the friendly nature of the bar staff.
The one-way system around Porth town centre is viewed by locals and visitors alike as a wonder of modern town centre planning. Many visitors have been known to go around the system about three times before leaving the system for pure enjoyment . The town is also the home of The Pop Factory,which is a TV and Recording Studio.The owners also contribute a great deal to the local area,and are organising Tom Jones homecoming concert at Ynysangharad Park,Pontypridd on May 28 2005.
Porth crater on Mars is named after the town.