Neath Port Talbot

Neath Port Talbot is a county borough on the south coast of Wales, stretching from the sand of Swansea Bay inland into valleys carved by the Rivers Neath, Afan and Dulais. Major towns include Neath and Port Talbot, with settlements such as Pontardawe, Glynneath and Briton Ferry. The M4 passes through the borough and the Port Talbot steelworks occupies a long stretch of the coastline near Margam, shaping the local economy and harbour infrastructure. The authority was formed in 1996 by combining the former districts of Neath and Port Talbot, and municipal services centre on those towns.

The area contains upland forestry, valley communities and coastal plain. Margam Country Park and the ruins of Neath Abbey sit close to the coast, while Afan Forest Park and Glyncorrwg provide trails and forestry tracks inland. Waterfalls and former industrial sites are visible along river corridors; at Aberdulais the river drops over a weir that once powered metalworking and now turns a restored waterwheel beside preserved mill buildings. Local history includes coalfield and steelmaking heritage alongside ongoing rural land use.