Merthyr Tydfil

Old Town Hall

Merthyr Tydfil (spelt Merthyr Tudful in Welsh) is a town in south Wales. It also forms its own county borough, which extends for about 11 miles through the valley.

The town is commonly known as Merthyr. In Welsh "merthyr" refers to a martyr. Tydfil was a saint.

In the 18th century, Merthyr grew due to its ironworks. At its peak it had 4 of the greatest ironworks in the world - Dowlais, Plymouth, Cyfarthfa, and Penydarren. The inland location of Merthyr led to the death of this industry during the 19th century, and coal mining became more important.

In 1911 its population peaked at 80,990. This has shrunk since, to 43,280 as of the 2011 census. The larger county borough has a population of 58,972 - the lowest of all principal areas of Wales.

The first ever steam train was created in Merthyr.