Neath (; ) is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

and

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

situated in the Neath Port Talbot County Borough,

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,258 in 2011.

Historically History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

, the town is located on the

River Neath River Neath () is a river in south Wales running south west from the point at which its headwaters arising in the Brecon Beacons National Park converge to its mouth at Baglan Bay below Briton Ferry on the east side of Swansea Bay. Course U ...

, east-northeast of

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

Etymology

The town's English name ultimately derives from "" the original Welsh name for the River Neath and is known to be

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

Pre-Celtic The European Bronze Age is characterized by bronze artifacts and the use of bronze implements. The regional Bronze Age succeeds the Neolithic and Copper Age and is followed by the Iron Age. It starts with the Aegean Bronze Age in 3200 BC and spans ...

. A meaning of 'shining' or 'brilliant' has been suggested, as has a link to the older

Indo-European root The roots of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) are basic parts of words to carry a lexical meaning, so-called morphemes. PIE roots usually have verbal meaning like "to eat" or "to run". Roots never occurred alone in the langu ...

(simply meaning 'river'). As such, the town may share its etymology with the town of

Stratton, Cornwall Stratton () is a market town and former civil parish, now in the parish of Bude-Stratton, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated near the coastal town of Bude and the market town of Holsworthy. It was also the name of one of ten a ...

and the

River Nidd The River Nidd is a tributary of the River Ouse in the English county of North Yorkshire. It rises in Nidderdale at Nidd Head Spring on the slopes of Great Whernside. In its first few miles it has been dammed three times, creating Angram Rese ...

in Northern England.

History

Roman fort

The town is located at a

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

of the

and its strategic situation is evident by a number of

hill forts A hillfort is a type of fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late European Bronze Age and Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roman period. The fortific ...

, surrounding the town. The

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

also recognised the area's strategic importance and built an Auxiliary Fort on the river's Western bank around 74 AD. Much of the site is on the grounds of

Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School ( Welsh: ''Ysgol Gyfun Dŵr-y-Felin'') is a comprehensive school in the Cwrt Herbert community of the town of Neath in South Wales, Wales. The school badge shows a watermill and mill stream in reference to the s ...

but archaeological digs have also found gate-towers that extended out beyond the fort's walls (a feature unique in Roman Britain) and a large Roman marching camp that would have accommodated thousands of troops. These finds indicate some of the unusual measures the Romans took during the resistance of the native Silures. The fort at Neath was abandoned around 125 AD for fifteen years and again around 170 AD for a century before the final Roman withdrawal around 320 AD. The

Antonine Itinerary The Antonine Itinerary (, "Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is an , a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibly in part from a survey carried out under Augustus, it describes t ...

() names ' (or ) as one of nine places in

Roman Wales The Roman era in the area of modern Wales began in 48 AD, with a military invasion by the imperial governor of Roman Britain. The conquest was completed by 78 AD, and Roman rule endured until the region was abandoned in 383 AD. The Roman Emp ...

Medieval period

St Illtyd St Illtyd is a hamlet near Aberbeeg, in southeast Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is situated on the mountain road between Pontypool and Abertillery in Blaenau Gwent. It rests at about 1200 feet above sea level. The ...

visited the Neath area and established a settlement in what is now known as Llantwit on the northern edge of the town. The church of St Illtyd was built at this settlement and was enlarged in

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

times. The

and pre-Norman church structure remains intact and active to day within the

Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The position is currently held b ...

. The

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

name for Neath is , referring to the Norman Neath Castle, the English kings

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, and

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...

visited.

Industrial and modern Neath

Neath was a

that expanded with the arrival of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

in the 18th century with new manufacturing industries of

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

and

tinplate Tinplate consists of sheet metal, sheets of steel coated with a thin layer of tin to impede rust, rusting. Before the advent of cheap mild steel, the backing metal (known as "") was wrought iron. While once more widely used, the primary use of tinp ...

. The Mackworth family, who owned the Gnoll Estate were prominent in the town's industrial development.

Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

was mined extensively in the surrounding valleys and the construction of

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

s and

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

s made Neath a major transportation centre and the Evans and Bevan families were major players in the local coal mining community as well as owning the Vale of Neath Brewery.

Silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant f ...

was mined in the area of

Pontneddfechan ; ; also known as Pontneathvaughan) is a village in Powys, Wales. It is the southernmost village in the historic county of Brecknockshire, within the Vale of Neath and in the community of Ystradfellte. It stands at the confluence of the rivers ...

, after

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

entrepreneur

William Weston Young William Weston Young (1776–1847) was a British Quaker entrepreneur, artist, botanist, wreck-raiser, surveyor, potter, and inventor of the firebrick. Biography William Weston Young was born on 20 April 1776 at Lewin's Mead, Bristol, England ...

invented the

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure. In a ...

silica

firebrick A fire brick, firebrick, fireclay brick, or refractory brick is a block of ceramic material used in lining furnaces, kilns, fireboxes, and fireplaces. Made of primarily oxide materials like silica and alumina in varying ratios, these insulati ...

, later moving brick production from the works at to the Green in Neath. The town continued as a market trading centre with a municipal cattle market run by W.B. Trick. Industrial development continued throughout the 20th century with the construction by BP of a new

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

refinery at .

Admiral Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

stayed at the Castle Hotel en route to

Milford Haven Milford Haven ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was ...

when the fleet was at anchor there. Lt. Lewis Roatley, the son of the landlord of the Castle Hotel, served as a

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

officer with Nelson aboard in the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

. The

is a navigable

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

and Neath was a river port until recent times. The heavy industries are no more; the town is now a commercial and tourism centre. Attractions for visitors are the ruins of the

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

Neath Abbey Neath Abbey () was a Cistercian monastery, located near the present-day town of Neath in South Wales, United Kingdom, UK. It was once the largest abbey in Wales. Substantial ruins can still be seen, and are in the care of Cadw. Tudor period, Tudo ...

, the Gnoll Park, and Neath Indoor Market. Neath hosted the

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

in 1918, 1934 and 1994.

Notable people

:''See :People from Neath'' *

Roger Blake Roger Donald Blake (born 21 December 1957) is a Welsh actor, impressionist and entertainer. He is best known for his portrayal of Prince Philip in ''Spitting Image'' and '' The Big Impression'' and Noël Coward in television commercials, and nar ...

(1957– ), actor, entertainer and impressionist; * Mark Bowen (1963–, b. Briton Ferry), Former manager of

Reading FC Reading Football Club ( ) is a professional football club based in Reading, Berkshire, England. They compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. They play their home matches at the Select Car Leasing Sta ...

, and played for Spurs and

Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...

; *

Hugh Dalton Edward Hugh John Neale Dalton, Baron Dalton, (16 August 1887 – 13 February 1962) was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party economist and politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1945 to 1947. He shaped Labour Party foreig ...

(1887–1962, b. Gnoll), Labour politician,

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

, 1945–1947; * Ben Davies (1993– ), Tottenham Hotspur, and Wales footballer; * David Davies, (1877–1944), Welsh international rugby union forward; *

David John Davies David John Davies was a 19th-century Welsh artist. He was born in 1870 in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. For a period he studied at Kidderminster Art School, before obtaining two years of public subscription funding to study art in Antwerp. Returni ...

(1879–1935), Australian archdeacon; *

Ivor Emmanuel Ivor Lewis Emmanuel (7 November 1927 – 20 July 2007) was a Welsh musical theatre and television singer and actor. He is probably best remembered, however, for his appearance as "Private Owen" in the 1964 film '' Zulu'', in which his chara ...

(1927–2007), singer and actor; *

Hugh Evan-Thomas Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas, (27 October 1862 – 30 August 1928) was a British Royal Navy officer. During World War I he commanded the 5th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet, flying his flag in , and fought at the Battle of Jutland on 31 ...

(1862–1928), vice-admiral; * Craig Evans (born 1971), cricketer; * Rebecca Evans (1963–, b. Pontrhydyfen), soprano; * Sir Samuel Thomas Evans (1859–1918, b. Skewen), politician and judge; * George Grant Francis (1814–1882, b. Swansea) historian who wrote ''Original Charters and Materials for a History of Neath'' (1845); *

Julie Gardner Julie Ann Gardner (born 4 June 1969) is a Welsh television producer. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off shows '' Torchwood'' and '' The Sarah Jane Adventures'' ...

(1969– ), television producer previously responsible for ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' and its spin-off ''

Torchwood ''Torchwood'' is a British-American science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect i ...

'', former executive producer of Scripted Projects at

BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetised BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...

and co-founder of Bad Wolf Productions; * Richard Grant (born 1984), cricketer; *

Cecil Griffiths Cecil Redvers Griffiths (18 February 1900 – 11 April 1945) was a Wales, Welsh Athletics (sport), athlete who won a gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was subsequently barred from competing at the 1924 Summer Olympics due to a ruling t ...

(1900–1945), winner of an

Olympic gold medal Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

in the 4x400m relay at the

1920 Antwerp Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch and German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. In M ...

; *

Howel Gwyn Howel Gwyn (24 June 1806 – 25 January 1888) of Dyffryn, Neath, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, who represented Penryn and Falmouth (UK Parliament constituency), Penryn and Falmouth (1847–57) and Brecon (UK Par ...

(1806–1888), Conservative politician; *

Thomas Haffield Thomas Paul "Tom" Haffield (born 28 January 1988) is a former Welsh competitive swimmer who was best known for his participating in individual medley events. He has represented Great Britain in the Olympic Games, and Wales in the Commonwealth G ...

(1988– ), Great Britain Olympic swimmer; * Carl Harris (1956– ), the former

Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...

and Wales international; *

Richard Hibbard Richard Hibbard (born 13 December 1983) is a retired Wales international rugby union player who last played for the Dragons. Hibbard was born in Neath, Wales. He is married, with three children. A hooker, he started playing rugby union at age ...

(1983– ), rugby player for the

Dragons A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depict ...

of the

Pro14 The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...

; *

T. G. H. James Thomas Garnet Henry James, (8 May 1923 – 16 December 2009), known as Harry James, was a British Egyptologist, epigrapher, and museum curator. He is best known for his career long association with the British Museum, serving with the Departmen ...

(1923–2009), Egyptologist and former Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

; * Sir William Jenkins (1871–1944), former Neath MP; *

Katherine Jenkins Katherine Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh singer. She is a mezzo-soprano and performs operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre, and hymns.Margaret Townsend Jenkins (1843–1923), Canadian clubwoman *

Della Jones Della Jones is a Welsh mezzo-soprano, particularly well known for her interpretations of works by Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, and Britten. Early life Jones was born in Tonna, near Neath, Wales. She attended Neath Grammar School for Gir ...

(1946, b. Tonna), mezzo-soprano; *

Kristian Lavercombe Kristian Lavercombe is a Welsh-born actor and singer best known for playing Riff Raff (hunchback), Riff Raff in over 2600 performances of ''The Rocky Horror Show''. Described by the show's writer Richard O'Brien as "a fantastically talented Riff ...

(1976–), actor and singer * Geraint F. Lewis (1969– ), leading astrophysicist; *

Andy Legg Andrew Legg (born 28 July 1966) is a Welsh football manager and former Wales international player. He currently manages Barry Town United. Born in Neath, he began his professional career with Swansea City after joining the club from local non-l ...

(1966– ), former professional footballer and Wales international; *

Tony Lewis Anthony Robert Lewis CBE (born 6 July 1938) is a Welsh former cricketer, who captained England, became a journalist, went on to become the face of BBC Television cricket coverage between 1986 and 1998, and became president of the Marylebone ...

(1938–, b. Swansea), first Welshman to Captain an England cricket tour abroad, (India, Pakistan, 1972–73). Led Glamorgan to 2nd County Championship, 1969. Writer and broadcaster. * Michael Locke (1979–), skateboarder and stuntman known for the TV series '' Dirty Sanchez'' *

Andrew Matthews-Owen Andrew Matthews-Owen is a Welsh pianist and accompanist, born in Neath, Wales, now residing in London. He is known for his work with some of the UK's leading singers, both on the concert platform and on recordings and broadcasts for BBC Radio 3; ...

, pianist; *

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

(1907–1986), Oscar-winning Hollywood actor; * Craig Mitchell (1986– ), Welsh international rugby union forward; *

David Watts Morgan David Watts Morgan, (18 December 1867 – 23 February 1933), who later in life hyphenated his name to Watts-Morgan, was a Welsh trade unionist, a Labour politician, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1918 to 1933. Described as " traddlingth ...

(1867–1933), miners' leader and politician; * Sir William Nott (1782–1845), British General in India; *

Harry Parr-Davies Harry Parr-Davies (24 May 1914 – 14 October 1955) was a Welsh composer and songwriter. He was born Harry Parr Davies in Briton Ferry, Neath, South Wales, and was educated at Neath Grammar School. He was considered a musical prodigy, hav ...

(1914–1955), composer; *Jessie Penn-Lewis (1861–1927), missioner and revivalist; *Gary Pickford-Hopkins (1948–2013) singer, composer and guitarist; *Sir Arthur Pugh (1870–1955, b. Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire), trade unionist, moved to his father's birthplace, Neath, 1894; *Henry Habberley Price (1899–1984), philosopher; *Walter E. Rees, Walter Enoch Rees (1863–1949), rugby administrator; *Andrew Rhodes (1977– ), civil servant, Registrar and Chief Operating Officer of Swansea University *Paul Rhys (1963– ), actor; *Craig Richards (footballer), Craig Richards (1959– ), former professional footballer *Connor Roberts (footballer, born 1995), Connor Roberts (1995– ), Welsh international footballer; *Will Roberts (1907–2000, b. Ruabon, Denbighshire), artist, moved to Neath 1918; *Peter Shreeves (1940– ), former Spurs and Sheffield Wednesday manager; *Samuel Charles Silkin, Baron Silkin of Dulwich (1918–1988), barrister and politician, Attorney-General, 1974–1979; *Tony Skuse (1956–), darts player *Jonathan Spratt (1986– ), Welsh rugby player *William Squire (1917–1989), actor; *David Thaxton (1982– ), West End performer *Brian Thomas (rugby union), Brian Thomas (1940–2012), Wales rugby union lock who also played and managed Neath RFC; *Bonnie Tyler (1951–, b. Skewen), pop star; *Andrew Vicari (1938–2016), artist; *Ron Waldron (1933– ), Welsh rugby coach; *Alfred Russel Wallace (1823, b. Monmouthshire), evolutionary theorist, lived in Neath during 1841/2 and attended lectures given by the area's scientific societies; *Cyril Walters (1905–1992), Glamorgan cricketer and Captain of the England cricket team; *Anna Laetitia Waring, Anna Letitia Waring (1823–1910), poet and hymn writer; *Elijah Waring (1788–1857), writer; and *Maria Jane Williams, Jane Williams [called Llinos] (1795–1873), singer and compiler of traditional Welsh music.

Sport

The Gnoll - Neath RFC - geograph-2277123

The Welsh Rugby Union was formed at a meeting held at the Castle Hotel in 1881. Neath RFC, Neath Rugby Football Club, the famous and successful "Welsh All Blacks", play at The Gnoll. Motorcycle speedway was staged at the Abbey Stadium in Neath in 1962. The Welsh Dragons, led by New Zealander Trevor Redmond, raced with some success in the Speedway Provincial League, Provincial League but, because of local problems, a number of the "home" fixtures were raced at St Austell. The Dragons introduced the Australian rider Charlie Monk to British speedway. After a season at Long Eaton Invaders, Long Eaton Archers, Monk went on to have considerable success at Glasgow Tigers (speedway), Glasgow. The team also featured South African Howdy Cornell. In the early 1960s there was also stock car racing held at Neath Abbey, opposite the monastery Neath Athletic A.F.C. was the town's largest football team, playing at Neath RFC's ground, The Gnoll, and played in the top flight of Welsh football, the Welsh Premier League, until the club was wound up in 2012. In the 2006–07 season, Neath Athletic A.F.C. were promoted from the Welsh Football League First Division to the Welsh Premier League. Neath Athletic A.F.C. had an average of 300 supporters attending a domestic, Welsh Premier League game, which was typical of the Welsh Premier League.

Administration

After Neath became a municipal borough in 1835, the borough council was based at Neath Town Hall in Church Place before relocating to Gwyn Hall in Orchard Street in 1888. Neath District Council, which was formed in 1974, was absorbed into the larger unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot on 1 April 1996. The town encompasses the electoral wards of Neath East, Neath North, Neath South and Cimla. For the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons at Westminster, Neath and the surrounding area are part of the Neath (UK Parliament constituency), Neath constituency. , its Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) is Christina Rees of the Welsh Labour, Labour Party. In the Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament, Senedd, the Neath (Senedd constituency), Neath Senedd constituency is represented by Jeremy Miles (Welsh Labour, Labour), and by the wider South Wales West (Senedd electoral region), South Wales West electoral region which returns four additional Member of the Senedd, Members of the Senedd (MSs).

Climate

As with the rest of the British Isles, Neath experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters, often high winds, and low sunshine levels.

Education

is situated on the outskirts of the town, opposite a campus of NPTC Group (which was previously Neath Port Talbot College. Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School is in the village of Cimla. Two other comprehensive schools serve the town: Llangatwg Comprehensive School in Cadoxton, Neath Port Talbot, Cadoxton and Ysgol Bae Baglan in Baglan, Neath Port Talbot, Baglan.

Transport

Neath railway station is on the South Wales Main Line. Great Western Railway (train operating company), Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales Rail, Transport for Wales serve the station with services westbound to , Carmarthen railway station, Carmarthen and the West Wales Line and eastbound to Port Talbot Parkway railway station, Port Talbot Parkway, , and Paddington railway station, London Paddington. Trains also run via and to and Manchester Piccadilly railway station, Manchester Piccadilly. Neath bus station is at Victoria Gardens, a five-minute walk from the railway station. National Express Coaches, National Express services call at the railway station. From Victoria Gardens, First Cymru provides direct inter-urban services to nearby Swansea and Port Talbot in addition to South Wales Transport who provide many similar local services. The A465 road, A465 skirts the town to the north east and provides a link to the M4 motorway, M4.

Plans

In 2008 plans were announced to regenerate around of land in and around Neath town centre. The site once occupied by the previous civic centre was to be redeveloped as a new shopping centre. The area around the Milland Road Industrial Estate and with the area around the Neath Canal were also to be redeveloped. The proposals included an "iconic" golden rugby ball-shaped museum, a library, heritage centre and other new facilities.BBC NEWS , 'Iconic' museum planned for town
/ref> In March 2008, the county's new radio station, Afan FM, announced plans to install a new transmitter for the Neath area. This would give residents of Neath access to the radio station, which already transmitted to the neighbouring area of Port Talbot. The new transmitter for the Neath area was commissioned by Government regulator Ofcom on Thursday 23 October 2008.

Galleries

File:St David's Church, Neath.jpg, St. David's Church in Neath File:A triangular square in Neath - geograph.org.uk - 3909685.jpg, Triangular square in the town centre File:Victoria Gardens bandstand, Neath - geograph.org.uk - 3896589.jpg, Victoria Gardens within the town File:River Neath viewed from the B4434 - geograph.org.uk - 2332208.jpg,

References

External links

History of NeathNeath Port Talbot Council Adult Learning Portalwww.geograph.co.uk : photos of Neath and surrounding areaWiki style Map of the neath areaPhoto Archive Gallery of old Neath & District
{{authority control Neath, Communities in Neath Port Talbot Towns in Neath Port Talbot Vale of Neath Swansea Bay (region)