“It is to be noted that a deserted street at four o’clock in the afternoon has as strong a significance as the swarming of a square at market or meeting times.” (Lefebvre, Rhythmanalysis: Space, Time and Everyday Life)
History is an odd thing. Events happen seemingly quickly, with no real reason why. Only for you to realise later down the line, that it was inevitable to happen. These changes can be societal, political or even geographical. In the case of the A465, all three make-up its history. Well known as “The Heads of the Valleys” road, its place as the second trunk route in and out of south Wales is a story of the Wales of old reinventing itself for the modern age. Being built in the 1960’s, the road took over the space vacated by the removal of the railways in the “Beeching Axe” cuts. The same railways that took over from the canals to fuel the ever-growing need of the industrial revolution and the British Empire for coal.
Being known for its frequent accidents and jams, the road has slowly been upgraded to cope with the demands of the modern age. Adding to the layers of history it passes over.
The project, presented in geographical order from west to east, presents a Wales of renewal. One that is changing to cope with the demands of the modern age. With the added layer of the pandemic, making places feel even more deserted than they normally do.
