Neath, Neath Port Talbot

Neath was a market town that expanded with the arrival of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Iron, steel and tinplate were manufactured here and coal was mined in the valleys surrounding the town. Now the heavy industry has long gone and Neath is a commercial and tourism centre.

The town, which has a population of 55,525, is seven miles north/east of Swansea. It lies on the river Neath and started life as a Roman settlement and a crossing place over the river. The Roman fort of Nido or Nidum was here, a name which probably means shining river. Remains of Celtic Neolithic settlements have been found at Llanwit nearby.

Admiral Lord Nelson stayed at the Castle Inn in Neath en route to Milford Haven where his fleet was lying at anchor. Lewis Roatly, the son of the landlord of the Castle Inn was a Royal Marine office and served with Nelson on Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Some ten generation of the Mackworth family, iron and steel barons, lived at the Gnoll from 1776, an area of parkland with wonderful waterfalls now enjoyed by the people of Neath.

Aberdulais Falls in the town has provided energy to drive the wheels of industry for 400 years, A small waterwheel here powered a tinplate works, the remains of which can still be seen. Now a unique hydro electric scheme is powered by the falls. The waterwheel is currently (as I write in 2009) the largest of its kind used in Europe to generate electricity. Now visitors can look at the waterwheel and its underwater workings through a series of windows and platforms which, is amazingly, accessible by wheelchairs. A notable visitor in 1796 was the artist, Turner.

The jewel in the centre of the crown of this pleasant town is Victoria Gardens, which was opened in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. There are summer concerts in the elegant bandstand, and once a year Welsh bards (poets) gather within the Gorsedd standing stones circle. The 850 acres of Margam Country Park Estate are also a great sight to behold.

Just outside Neath, in the Vale of Neath, is what is known to locals as Waterfall Country. The deep gorges made by the rivers Hepste, Mellte and Nedd as they join to form the river Neath, make this small area a veritable fairyland of waterfalls and rainbows. Rare ferns and mosses flourish in this little known region, aided in their survival by the spray from the cascades and the ancient oak canopy.

Aberavon beach can be found five miles away and within this radius the tourist can find quad biking, archery, golf, mountain biking on dedicated trails, horse riding and, most surprisingly, water walking. Neath Town Museum is in the centre along with the covered market which sells a wealth of local produce equal to that of a French market. Cefn Colliery Museum is just outside Neath and a pleasant stroll can be had alongside the Neath canal which boast an elegant twelve arch aqueduct over the river Neath.

Famous people from Neath and its environs include the singer, Katherine Jenkins, and the film star, Richard Burton.