BRITON-FERRY, urban district, Glamorganshire, Wales, east bank, estuary of Neath river in Swansea bay. Population (1921) 9,165. The name La Brittone was given by the Norman settlers of the i 2th century to its ferry across the estuary of the Neath, but the Welsh name of the town, at least from the i6th century, has been Llansawel. The district was formerly celebrated for its scenery, but this has been marred by industrial develop ments. The Vale of Neath canal built in 1797 has its terminus at Briton-Ferry, which became the port for the rapidly developing Neath valley. The construction in 1861 of a large dock by the G.W.R. and the opening up about the same time of the mining districts of Glyncorrwg and Maesteg by means of the South Wales Mineral railway made the town a leading exporting centre of the coal field. The development of metallurgical industries in the south Wales coast towns brought further prosperity to Briton Ferry. Steel, tin-plate and galvanized goods are manufactured on a large scale. Trade depression since 1918 has severely affected all aspects of the town's trade. The town has stations on the G.W.R. main line and on the old Rhondda and Swansea Bay line (now G.W.R.).