Margam

For the 2003 Indian Malayalam film, see Margam (film).

Margam
Margam Location within Neath Port Talbot
Population	3,017 (2011 census)
OS grid reference	SS803854
Principal area	Neath Port Talbot
Preserved county	West Glamorgan
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PORT TALBOT
Postcode district	SA13
Dialling code	01639
Police	South Wales
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Aberavon
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Aberavon
Councillors	Robert Jones (Independent)

Margam is a suburb and community of Port Talbot in the Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway. The community had a population of 3,017 in 2011; the built up area being larger and extending into Taibach community.

History

Margam was an ancient Welsh community, formerly part of the cwmwd of Tir Iarll, initially dominated by Margam Abbey, a wealthy house of the Cistercians founded in 1147. (Margam is believed to have played a significant role in the early transmission of the work of St. Bernard of Clairvaux). At the dissolution of the monasteries, it came into the possession of the Mansel family who were eventually succeeded by their descendants in the female line, the Talbot family, a cadet branch of the family of the Earls of Shrewsbury.

The parish church continued to operate from the nave of Margam Abbey, as it still does. Margam Castle grounds contain the ruins of the Chapter House and major 17th century and 18th century monuments. The Stones Museum contains important evidence for the advent of early Christianity in the area.

With the coming of the industrial revolution, the parish of Margam became important for two reasons. First, it had a good harbour which was ultimately developed into Port Talbot, named in honour of the squires of Margam. Second, it had coal deposits, and coal mining in the parish took off in the late 18th century. The combination of local fuel and good transport links from the harbour made Margam an important part of the industrial landscape of the South Wales Coalfield.

At first, the coal workers lived away from the village of Margam itself, notably in a settlement at Taibach. However, eventually, the whole of the parish was submerged by the community of industrial workers. Margam then assumed its modern form as a suburb of Port Talbot.

Not included in the urbanisation and industrialisation of Margam, however, were the grounds of Margam Abbey, which were incorporated by the Talbot family into the grounds of their nearby 19th century mansion, Margam Castle (badly damaged by fire in the late 20th century but now in process of restoration). The Talbot family had previously, in the 18th century constructed at Margam the longest orangery in Europe, which still stands. All the land was sold out of the Talbot family in the mid 20th century but it has been preserved as Margam Country Park, an estate of some 850 acres (3.4 km²) owned and administered by the local council which is a major local attraction. The collection of early Christian Celtic crosses and inscribed stones which the Talbot family had collected from the locality, were moved in 1932 into the nearby Church Schoolroom, to become the Margam Stones Museum, now managed by Cadw.

In the early 20th century, Margam became the site of an important British Steel plc works.

Government and politics

2km
1.2miles

Steelworks

S

w

a

n

s

e

a

B

a

y

Country Park

Mynydd Brombil
(244m)

Aberavon beach

Goytre

Taibach

Docks

Margam

River Neath

Church and
Stones Museum

Eglwys Nunydd
(reservoir)

Margam
Castle

Margam Sands

  

Map with location of former Margam ward within Neath Port Talbot County Borough

Margam falls within the parliamentary constituency of Aberavon.

Since the 2022 local elections Margam has been part of the Margam and Tai-bach electoral ward (including Margam Moors and Tai-bach), which elects three councillors to Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.

Margam was formerly the name of the electoral ward which included the communities of Margam and Margam Moors. The Margam ward elected a county councillor to Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. It included areas such as Port Talbot Steelworks, Eglwys Nunydd, Margam Country Park, the Margam Suburb, Port Talbot Docks and Margam Sands beach.

In the 2017 local council elections, the results were:

Candidate	Party	Votes	Status
Robert Jones	Labour	610	Labour hold
Robert Smith	Conservative	279

Councillor Jones became leader of Neath Port Talbot Council following the election.

In the 2012 local council elections, the electorate turnout for Margam was 38.10%. The results were:

Candidate	Party	Votes	Status
Robert Jones	Labour	402	Labour hold
Scott Sullivan	Independent	166
George Ridgeway	Social Democratic Party	129
Caroline Jones	Conservative	110
Mathew McCarthy	Liberal Democrats	61

Nearest places

Brombil Woods

• Port Talbot Steelworks
• Taibach
• Margam Country Park
• Eglwys Nunydd reservoir
• Kenfig
• Margam Stones Museum

Notable people

• The actor Anthony Hopkins was born at 77 Wern Road, Margam.
• Peg Entwistle, the Broadway actress who jumped to her death from the Hollywood sign in 1932, was born in Margam in 1908.
• Alan Durban, footballer, grew up in Bracken Road, Margam.
• Ivor Emmanuel Actor
• Gerwyn Price, former rugby player and current professional darts player

External links

• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Margam and surrounding area
• : Observation Point: Music and imagery produced in Margam