Neath Port Talbot

Although deep mining for coal has ceased, a number of small private mines still exist, and opencast mining also continues. The manufacture of steel and chemicals and oil-processing are the major industries, but vehicle-engineering, electrical products, metal fabrication, and a variety of other light industries are also of importance. Port Talbot, which is also a seaside resort and trade centre, is the site of one of the largest steel-producing complexes in Europe. Its dock facilities were opened in the 19th century, and the town rapidly developed as a coal-shipping centre. The port was enlarged in 1970 to allow the docking of large ore-carrying vessels.

When the Romans conquered the area around AD 79 they built a fort at Neath. However, the roots of the main settlements in the area are more recent, going back to Norman times with the founding of abbeys at Neath and Margam. Industrial growth began in the 16th century with copper- and iron-smelting. By the 19th century the area had become a world centre of metals manufacture and coal mining. Coal was mined from shafts in every valley and in deep pits on the coastal plain. Neath, Briton Ferry, and Port Talbot became major ports and commercial centres.