A programme of events celebrating 100 years since the Hollywood star Richard Burton was born in the Afan Valley village of Pontrhydyfen, near Port Talbot in South Wales, is taking place throughout 2025. 

A mural of Richard Burton on the side of the Miners Arms in Pontrhydyfen

One of Wales’s greatest characters, Richard Burton was the son of a miner turned Hollywood actor who, alongside his (two-time) wife Elizabeth Taylor, became a global icon – one who never forgot his Welsh roots. The centenary year ‘RB100’ aims to raise awareness of Burton’s legacy and to inspire more people to engage with the arts.

Richard Burton was born in Pontrhydyfen, South Wales, in 1925

To launch RB100, Neath Port Talbot Council has opened the new Richard Burton Trails in his birthplace of Pontrhydyfen and childhood village of Taibach. The trails are free for members of the public to visit, with QR codes available across each route sharing more insight and information about Richard Burton’s early life.

Richard Burton Trail

The trails will be open throughout the centenary year, which will also invite locals and visitors to discover more about the actor through tours, workshops, talks, events, performances and screenings, encouraging a greater appreciation for his life and work.

Sculptures on the Richard Burton Trail © Neath Port Talbot Council

A programme of Richard Burton Tours will be taking place from April until the end of the year and will explore the landscapes that shaped Richard Burton’s life and career. Visiting key locations connected to the legendary Welsh actor, the tours will offer an insight into his life in and around Port Talbot. 

Neath Port Talbot Council’s tourism team is leading the programme of events, in collaboration with partners across Wales, to bring Richard Burton’s legacy to life.

Councillor Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing at Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “The centenary year will be a wonderful opportunity to inspire more people to take part in the arts and to learn more about how Richard Burton represented Wales on the international stage and silver screen.”

Richard Burton Viaduct courtesy of The Dramatic Heart of Wales / © 2021 NPTCBC. 'All Rights Reserved'.

Born in Pontrhydyfen and raised in Taibach, Richard Burton’s story was one of humble beginnings. After Richard’s mother died and his father became unwell, his sister Cybil raised him from her Taibach home. His teacher, and later his legal guardian, Philip Burton, took him under his wing and encouraged him to pursue his acting talents on a professional level.

Richard Burton’s acting career made him a household name of TV, theatre and film. He mastered the art of Shakespeare performances in West End productions, became a beloved figure of British television, and earned his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with performances in acclaimed films such as My Cousin Rachel, Alexander the Great, Look Back in Anger and Cleopatra. He was nominated for seven Oscars throughout his career, and yet it all began with vocal training on Margam Mountain in South Wales and in school productions.

His voice has become synonymous with Welsh arts following his performance of his hero Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood in the first complete UK stage reading and recording in 1954.

Filming of Under Milk Wood starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor took place in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, in 1971

A new film ‘Mr Burton’ highlighting the significant influence Welsh schoolmaster Philip Burton had on Richard's early life and career, is coming to UK cinemas in April 2025 (international launch dates to be confirmed, at time of writing). Watch a preview below.

There are a number of landmarks associated with the actor’s early life that can be easily visited.

In Burton’s home of Pontrhydyfen, fans can see the humble abode where he was born. The house stands in the shadow of the village’s 200-year-old viaduct (now a foot bridge), on which the actor was snapped walking with his father during a trip home – a photograph often recreated by fans. Visitors can also have a pint in The Miners Arms pub, now the Pontrhydyfen RFC Clubhouse, where Burton’s parents met and married.

Information board on the Richard Burton Trail

Down the road in Port Talbot, a monument to the star can be found in Talbot Memorial Park, inscribed with a poem Burton penned about his childhood in Wales. The poem references the town’s surrounding hillsides, where Richard, along with his teacher, Philip Burton, would go to recite Shakespeare aloud, in a bid to improve the young actor's voice projection skills. The town is also home to the Port Talbot YMCA, where Burton acted in some of his first school productions (Burton’s primary school is also still standing in the town).

Other Welsh venues where Burton cut his teeth in the world of theatre include the Victorian-era Swansea Grand Theatre and The Prince of Wales Theatre in Cardiff, which is now a characterful pub. 

Those seeking Burton-related artefacts, meanwhile, can make an appointment to visit the Richard Burton Archives in Swansea University, which holds a number of images and documents relating to the actor, including his personal diary entries.

Find out more about RB100 by visiting the Richard Burton Centenary website and if you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made culture tour of Wales, following in the footsteps of one of the world’s most famous actors, contact our team today!