Ystalyfera

Ystalyfera is a former industrial village and community in the upper Swansea Valley, on the River Tawe, about 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Swansea. It is an electoral ward and a community in the unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, comprising a resident population of just over 3,000 people, approximately 60% of whom speak Welsh.

National Cycle Route 43 passes through the village.

History

The history of Ystalyfera begins with a small farming family who shared the land. This is reflected in the village's name, composed from the Welsh words, ynys (meaning island), tal (meaning tall) and berran (a composite of ber and rhan, indicating a land-share – a short piece of shared land, probably between agricultural labourers). The history of the name can be seen as it evolved through the ages: -

1582 Ynys Tal y Feran

1604 Tir Ynystalferran

1797 Stalyfera Issa, Ycha, Genol

1831 Ystalyfera

Ystalyfera grew as a village with the advent of coal mining and iron working which, together with copper working, were important industries in the Swansea Valley.

In 1838 a furnace was built by James Palmer Budd at Ystalyfera and from this grew the iron and tinplate works which by 1863 was described as “the largest tinplate manufactory in the world”. A new cold-blast process was successfully introduced here and, despite some early crises, the works prospered. By the mid-1850s there were 40 furnaces for puddling and balling in operation and 16 tin mills and houses. The output of iron increased from 4,893 tons in 1843 to 29,828 tons in 1858.