Embedded Files
Briton Ferry Tin Plate works 1850
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
South Wales Mineral Railway
Melin Cryddan and nearby Briton Ferry was established as a boom area of industrial expansion and became wealthy during the Industrial Revolution. Industrialisation in the area began in 1841. Wealthy English landowners such as the Villiers family saw the potential for the area to be used for heavy industry due to it's position at the mouth of the River Neath and the natural resources that it contained. Industries established in the area by the rich landowners included production of Iron - Briton Ferry Iron works was established in 1846- tinplate, coalmining and engineering. During this time a small coalfield was developed in the area as an energy source to support industries such as smelting copper and to power the steam machinery of the time. During this period the population of the area exploded, rising from 155 residents in 1782 to 48,000 in 1871.
This prime site eventually caught the attention of the most famous engineers of the day - Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his father Marc Brunel who wished to build a dock to transport the goods produced and the raw materials mined all over the world. The work on the dock, therefore, commenced in 1853. The dock was designed by Sir Marc Brunel and included a revolutionary new design of a Floating Dock. His son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel built the dock which included a tower - Brunel's tower- which exists to this day. The dock was completed in 1861. At the height of it’s usage in the 1870s as many as 2500 ships were using the dock each year – this works out at six or seven ships a day. Brunel also constructed the South Wales Mineral Railway which included a then unique pulley system to transport coal from the Afan Valley to the Briton Ferry Docks. This was the first of it's kind in Europe which Brunel had to channel through the hillside to construct. Evidence of the route it took can still be seen to this day at the entrance to Jersey Park.
The industry in the area was further supported by the building of the Great Western Railway and the Neath Canal which ran from Glynneath to Melin Cryddan and helped transport goods down to the port. Between 1921 and 1930 the Metal Box tinplate works - locally known as ‘The Box’- was built alongside the canal in order to manufacture metal containers for the local industry. Manufacturing continued for more than 70 years until the plant’s closure.
Images of Melin Cryddan and Briton Ferry during the Industrial Revolution
Maps showing 19th Century Melin Cryddan and in the present day.
Mansell Coat of Arms
Victor Albert George - 7th Earl of Jersey 1859 who lived in Vernon House
Grave of Thomas Mansel in Westminster Abbey
Vernon House - Tŷ Vernon
Vernon House - Tŷ Vernon
Notable local landowners including the Mansel and Villiers family (Earls of Jersey) occupied this important house on the Briton Ferry Estate which had been part of lands belonging to Margam Abbey between the 17th Century and 1940 when there was a fire in the existing house and it had to be demolished.
The most famous resident was Bussy Mansel (1623-1699) who, at the age of just 22 was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Oliver Cromwell's forces in Glamorgan. He is thought to be buried in St Mary's Church after his death in 1699. His son Thomas took up the same role under Cromwell and is buried in Westminster Abbey.
The Mansel and Villiers families were instrumental in the development of heavy industry in the Melin Cryddan and Briton Ferry area, and amassed great wealth from it. The house changed hands many times over the years and was even ,at one point, used as a mental institution. The last owner, the Earl of Jersey sold the land that the house stood on and the surrounding estate in 1951. The site of the house is now a housing development known as St Mary's Close.
Eaglesbush/Erskine Colliery Disaster - Trychineb Pwll Glo Eaglesbush/Erskine
Eaglesbush Colliery, sometimes known as Erskine Colliery was opened in 1855 by the Evans family, local landowners, who owned the Eaglesbush Estate in the area. The colliery’s purpose was to supply coal to the local industries such as the copper works which required the coal in order to smelt copper. On March 29th 1848, an accumulation of gas within the mine caused an explosion which killed 20 out of the 30 men and young boys who were working that day.
Click on the link below to find out more about the Eaglesbush Colliery Disaster:
Site of Eaglesbush Colliery
A warship being broken up at the dock after World War 2.
The 'New Bridge' 1959
Metal Box Factory
Sevenoaks Modular on the Metal Box site
Recent Times - Cyfnodau Diweddar
After rapid expansion, industry in Melin Cryddan thrived until the 1950’s when production began to dwindle. This decline continued until the 1970’s when there was virtually none of the original heavy industry left. After World War Two the dock's main usage was to scrap decommissioned warships - some 320 ships were scrapped within the dock . Some believe that the origin of the area's name, 'Giant's Grave' refers to the ships that ended their days there. One of the most famous warships to have passed through was HMS Seraph used during 'Operation Mincemeat', which was instrumental in changing the course of the Second World War. Even this purpose was to come to an end in 1959 when the dock eventually closed.
In 1955 a new road bridge was opened crossing the estuary – this was one of the first large scale road bridges built after the Second World War. Another road bridge was built alongside the original in 1993 to allow the M4 to cross the river.
The docks remain closed to this day but some refurbishment of old dock buildings has been carried out starting with a project in 2010 to renovate Brunel's Tower which was an important and significant part of the dock development.
The Metal Box factory remained derelict for many years but has recently been partly taken over by the Sevenoaks Modular company who manufacture timber frames for buildings. Part of the building has also been refurbished to provide office rental space for businesses. The site is located on the Milland Road Industrial Development which houses many other forms of local light industry.
With the end to heavy industry in Melin Cryddan has come the end of the need for polluting carbon based energy such as coal. With the requirement by the Welsh Assembly Government for local authorities to be achieve carbon reduction and to convert to the use of renewable energies sources such as wind, wood fuel, biomass, waste and hydropower to support businesses and industry, Neath Port Talbot has led the way with the highest total renewable energy capacity in Wales. This has been achieved through a variety of projects such as Baglan Bay Technology Centre located within Baglan Energy Park that houses office and laboratory space. The innovative design of the building and materials used will provide a sustainable building that is energy positive with excess energy being used for hydrogen within the site.
Baglan Energy Park
Page updated
Report abuse