Welsh actor Richard Burton has been honored in Wales with the three-mile “Richard Burton Trail” that highlights the area in which this son of a Welsh miner was born.
Burton (née Jenkins), born in the village of Pontyrhydyfen near Port Talbot in Wales on November 10, 1925, was an Oscar-winning actor known for his marriages to Elizabeth Taylor.
The Richard Burton Trail starts at Penhydd Street, home to many of Burton’s family members. It continues to the Pontrhydyfen Aqueduct, a structure above the Afan River, built in 1825 by local iron works owner, John Reynolds. Burton’s birthplace, which backs onto the river, housed Burton, his 11 siblings and their parents. There are also visits to the life-sized sculpture of Burton at the picnic area, as well as the Bethel Chapel, where, in 1984, Burton’s memorial service was held.
A second Burton walking trail is being developed in Taibach in Port Talbot, where Burton spent his childhood and teenage years. Points of interest will include his home, where he worked as a young boy, where he spent his free time, and his school.
Complementing this Wales-based initiative are the imminent publication by the Yale University Press of “The Richard Burton Diaries” (edited by Welsh historian Chris Williams) and the airing on November 25 of Lifetime TV’s movie “Liz and Dick,” starring Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler, scripted by Welsh director Chris Monger.
One of Wales' attractions, the Caerphilly Castle