BRYNMAWR, largest town in Breconshire, Wales. Pop ulation (1931) 7,247. It is situated in the extreme south of the county on the borders of Monmouthshire and marks the northern limit of the south Wales industrial area. It owes its origin to the rapid development of the iron smelting industry early in the 19th century, when the success of the Cyf arthf a furnaces at Merthyr Tydfil led to the reopening of old ironworks in Ebbw Vale, Nantyglo, Beaufort and the surrounding districts. In 1831 a tram way was built to carry limestone to the furnaces at Nantyglo; this crossed the Merthyr to Abergavenny coach road near the Prince of Wales hotel. Later, a road was built linking the Mon mouthshire valleys with the old east and west road just mentioned. In the triangle thus formed Brynmawr grew up. In this, unlike most of the mining centres of south Wales, Brynmawr is not a straggling village in the valley bottom, but is situated, as its name implies, (bryn=hill; mawr=great), on high ground, surrounded by open moorland, which gives the town an exposed and bleak ap pearance. Owing to its proximity to the agricultural area, the town has grown as a market centre, although it is primarily industrial. With the passing of the importance of iron smelting, the town has relied more and more on coal mining and the large steel works at Ebbw Vale. The rapid rise of road transport has made the town, in virtue of its position at the head of many valley roads, a centre of motor traffic.