Blue Plaques to honour Richard and Philip Burton as Neath Port Talbot celebrates centenary of iconic actor
The announcement comes as part of the Richard Burton Centenary 2025, commemorating 100 years since the birth of the acclaimed performer in Pontrhydyfen, Afan Valley. The centenary programme is designed to reflect on Burton’s life, legacy and the role Neath Port Talbot played in shaping one of the most distinctive voices in global cinema and theatre.
The plaques will be installed at the former homes of Richard Burton and Philip Burton, recognising not only the actor’s achievements but also the profound influence of the teacher who helped him rise from a working-class Welsh village to international stardom.
Richard Burton in The Sandpiper (1965)
(Image: Courtesy Everett / Richard Burton Archives at Swansea University)A legacy rooted in the Afan Valley
Born Richard Walter Jenkins on 10 November 1925, Burton was the twelfth of thirteen children in a Welsh-speaking mining family. His mother died when he was just two years old, and he was raised by his sister Cecilia and her husband Elfed in Taibach, Port Talbot. Though his early life was marked by hardship, Burton’s natural talent for language and performance began to shine through during his school years.
It was at Port Talbot Secondary School that Burton met Philip Burton, a charismatic and visionary teacher who would become his legal guardian and lifelong mentor. Philip Burton recognised the young Jenkins’ potential and worked tirelessly to develop his voice, diction and stage presence — famously taking him to the top of Margam Mountain to practise voice projection.
In 1943, Richard Jenkins officially became Richard Burton, adopting his mentor’s surname and gaining access to opportunities that would eventually lead him to Oxford University, the Royal Air Force, and a career on stage and screen.
Pontrhydyfen
From Port Talbot to Hollywood
Richard Burton’s rise was meteoric. After early success in radio and theatre, he made his film debut in The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949), and quickly became a leading man in British cinema. His breakthrough in Hollywood came with My Cousin Rachel (1952), earning him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe.
Over the next three decades, Burton starred in more than 60 films, including Cleopatra, Becket, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Equus. He was nominated for seven Academy Awards, won two BAFTAs, and became one of the most recognisable voices in the world — famously narrating Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood and Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds.
Despite his global fame, Burton remained deeply connected to his Welsh roots. He returned regularly to Port Talbot, named his Swiss home Le Pays de Galles, and often spoke of the influence of his upbringing on his voice and character. “I think [my voice] is invested with small coal and rain or something — the voice is the voice of my people,” he once said.
Port Talbot was Burton’s spiritual home
Honouring the mentor behind the star
Philip Burton’s own story is equally remarkable. Born in Mountain Ash in 1904, he became a teacher, playwright, and BBC radio producer, working on nearly 200 programmes and helping to shape the careers of countless young performers. After moving to the United States in the 1950s, he founded the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York, where he continued to mentor aspiring actors.
Philip Burton’s influence on Richard Burton was profound and lifelong. He directed Burton in stage productions, supported him through personal and professional challenges, and remained a guiding presence until his death in 1995. His legacy is now being rediscovered through the centenary celebrations and the recent film Mr Burton, in which he is portrayed by Toby Jones.
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Steel sculptures on the Richard Burton Trail
(Image: Martin Ellard)Community-led campaign brings plaques to life
The campaign to install Blue Plaques for both Richard and Philip Burton was driven by the Burton Bont Festival Group, a local organisation dedicated to celebrating the heritage of Pontrhydyfen and the Afan Valley. Their efforts were supported by Neath Port Talbot Council, which has incorporated the scheme into its Heritage Strategy — a plan to protect the area’s historic environment and promote cultural pride.
Charlotte Burton, Richard Burton’s granddaughter, said: “We are so excited that two Blue Plaques will be unveiled in honour of Philip and Richard Burton. Thank you to the local community and the Neath Port Talbot council for making this possible.”
Cllr Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, added: “We know that the creative spirit runs deep in Neath Port Talbot, the Dramatic Heart of Wales, and so we are delighted to grant the Blue Plaques to the former homes of Richard Burton and Philip Burton.
“By honouring both men, we are recognising the importance of mentors and teachers to our communities. We are glad to see our local community has embraced the Blue Plaque Scheme, which plays such a vital part in putting our Heritage and Culture Strategies into action.”
The plaques will be unveiled during Richard Burton Centenary Week in November 2025, with events planned across the region to celebrate the actor’s life and legacy. Visitors can also explore the Richard Burton Trails, which include the Birthplace Trail in Pontrhydyfen and the Childhood Trail in Taibach and Port Talbot — offering a deeper look at the places and people that shaped one of Wales’ greatest cultural icons.
To find out more about the centenary programme, visit RichardBurton100.org
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