Briton Ferry
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Briton Ferry (Welsh: Llansawel) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales. The town encompasses the electoral wards of Briton Ferry East and Briton Ferry West.
Briton Ferry is on the mouth of the River Neath where it enters Swansea Bay and was the first river crossing along the Roman road that followed the coastline along that part of South Wales. The river crossing was by boat some 2 miles from the bridge across the River Neath at Neath.
The town was part of the Briton Ferry Estate,[1] which was part of the land of Margam Abbey.[2]
The industrial revolution brought the South Wales Railway,[3] built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel who also built the docks to serve the burgeoning industries in the area as the industrial revolution developed. There are many examples of the engineering talent of Brunel in the area including the South Wales Mineral Railway[4] with its cable powered incline.
The industrial revolution brought much expansion to Briton Ferry that included iron works, steel works, tinplate production and engineering that lasted until the 1970s.
A new bridge was built across the Neath river in 1950 and second one built to carry the M4 Motorway completed in 1993.[5] The main line railway still passes through but the industries have closed resulting in Briton Ferry being a dormitory suburb of the new Neath Port Talbot County Borough.[6]
The sailing ships with destinations all over the world that used to berth in Brunel’s magnificent ports have disappeared as has the docks, which is now filled in with only a few remains to be seen.But work has now started to restore Brunel`s tower,and restore the whole of the docks.
There the remains of ancient stone age settlements on the hills above Briton Ferry.
Briton Ferry Woods is a natural woods that has never been felled and remains one of the most ancient wooded areas since the last Ice Age covered Great Britain.
[edit] Briton Ferry Woods
The hill above and bordering Briton Ferry is covered by mature trees. The majestic beech trees, which display vivid orange hues in autumn and cool shelter from the sun in summer, welcome visitors to the wood. In spring time Bluebells put on their show. Ancient upland oak woods cover much of the slopes, which give way to healthy scrubland towards the top of the hill. There is also an area of firs within the wood, a remnant of a very old plantation. The wood is full of birdsong during spring and summer, and in the evening you may see bats feeding on insects throughout the wood.
The woods used to provide a huge safe play area for the children of Briton Ferry before the advent of TV. Camping on the 'Fighting Bank' playing 'cowboys and Indians' on the 'Rock-yn -Wen'or just enjoying the 'Ladies Walk' which went from Briton Ferry to Baglan.
How to get there: Come into Briton Ferry from the Port Talbot side, drive through on the main road, turn right at the traffic lights onto Ynysymaerdy Road, follow the road past the cemetery, turn right and your within 100 yards of the entrance to the woods.
[edit] Giant's Grave and Briton Ferry Docks
Briton Ferry still has an operational docks. After World War II, many warships were scrapped here.
[edit] References
- ^ West Glamorgan Archive service: Briton Ferry Estate
- ^ Margam Abbey
- ^ South Wales Railway
- ^ South Wales Mineral Railway
- ^ M4 Baglan to Lonlas Construction
- ^ Neath Port Talbot County Borough council
Aberavon • Baglan • Baglan Bay • Blaengwrach • Blaenhonddan • Briton Ferry • Bryn • Cilybebyll • Clyne and Melincourt • Coedffranc • Crynant • Cwmavon • Cwmllynfell • Dyffryn Clydach • Glyncorrwg • Glynneath • Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen • Margam • Margam Moors • Neath • Onllwyn • Pelenna • Pontardawe • Port Talbot • Resolven • Rhyd-y-fro • Sandfields East • Sandfields West • Seven Sisters • Taibach • Tonna • Ystalyfera
