Maesteg

Maesteg (English translation: 'Fair field') is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 20,702.

Historically a part of Glamorgan, the growth of the town started with the opening of ironworks in the 1820s and 1830s. Once a coal mining area, the last pit closed in 1985. With the decline of the coal industry and, more recently, the closure of one large factory producing cosmetics and another manufacturing vehicle components, the valley has become a residential/dormitory area for the Port Talbot, Bridgend and Cardiff journey-to-work areas. Despite being historically a Welsh-speaking area, the majority of the town's population is now English-speaking, however there is a significant Welsh-speaking minority. Maesteg is designated by the European Union as part of the Cardiff and South Wales valleys metropolitan area, the 11th biggest metropolitan area of the United Kingdom, with over 1,097,000 inhabitants.