Scenes from the Lower Swansea Valley in 1963; Where No Trees Grew 

This brings back childhood memories of when I used to play here as a kid. Turning a corner and finding one half of a beutiful old stream train, bringing home one Sunday afternoon a huge chunk of glass bigger than my head, clambering up mountainous piles of butter yellow sulphur, racing along a train track on one of those old push handle carts.

Born in Swansea in 1962. Left to go to Uni in 1980, now live in Bristol. Every time I go back, Swansea seems like a new city. Most of those changes for the better, but not all. (Castle Gardens?)

Nice to see how parts of Swansea looked in the year I was born. Thanks.

fantastic should be shown in local schools THIS IS HISTORY

Thankyou for this film fascinating to see as it was before and now well put together piece thankyou again

I live in SWANSEA and enjoy learning about history about this little sea town.

Authorities of Swansea have made fantastic job with this city. I couldn't believe how ugly the city was and how beautiful is now. Well done! I am proud I am Swansea Jack.

Thanks for sharing this

I lived in Pentrecwyth in the mid-late 70' s and often rambled amongst those ruins and heaps. Marvellous this.

Thank you for the upload. Interesting history.

I moved to Swansea 30 years ago and have seen the city transformed. I believe it must be one of the nicest places to live in the UK, not just because it's a nice town, but because of the beautiful places only a short drive distant.

Inspired choice of music. 👏👏

Fascinating video. Thank you for uploading

Thanks for posting that. I don't remember it like that but my parents both grew up locally, in Brynhyfryd and Penlan respectively, and they will be thrilled to see that.

My grandmother came from Coventry to Swansea on the train in 1917 - she said that it was like Dante's inferno as the train past that area!

A great pity the Swansea canal was filled in. It would have become a major attraction. A friend who lives in Llansamlet told me he cannot eat any vegetables from his garden as the ground remains polluted with heavy metals.

Great video! Thank you!

Amazing how it's changed what a good job they did

It's astonishing, and a little melancholy, how the old industries and mines have just been bulldozed away. Their time was past but it's a pity there is so little left to explore.

I do remember and thank all involved in the film and the people who did the work.

fascinating, thanks for the upload.

Brilliant precis of a huge project that was published as a multi volume work. Well done all.

I was brought up in Morriston,and remember the area very well. We used to swim in the old,heavily polluted,Swansea Canal.

I remember the seeing this landscape while travelling in the top of the double deckers going from Clydach to Swansea.

A precious document.

I was born in 1963 in South Wales. My family is from the head of the family in Ystradgynlais. I travelled up the valley from Cardiff for many years and am glad that the valley has been rehabilitated.

Great film. I notice that the Dinas Noddfa Baptist Chapel (Dinas St) is a focal point of so many shots (as is Morris Castle) so helping to locate many of the locations.

This is fascinating! And shows how the will was there to regenerate the lower Swansea valley. We must carry on in this spirit. vThe Kilvey volunteers are doing that. Thank you for sharing

my grampa always says when we drive through port talbot "all this was baron and youd have thought nothing could grow here". awesome watch, thanks for showing me what he meant!!

I live in this area and have a keen interest in geology and I can confirm without a doubt in my mind that almost every inch of the ground in the Neath and Clydach valleys are still covered in slag and mine waste. The mountain/hilltops are the only places I don't constantly find it. We have lots of trees now, but they're not very healthy and quick to rot or blow over as almost every inch of the forest floors is absolutely full of the stuff. I bet these valleys used to be stunningly beautiful, I can almost see it now, but the destruction, industrial waste and ruin is hard to ignore and look past. You might think that living on top of all these useful minerals would have made the welsh people prosperous, but all I find is suffering, poverty and early death. Still they wont leave us alone, the air in these valleys is the most polluted in Europe, at least until a few years back when the local council changed how the air is tested and now it's the cleanest, so I suggest we all take our newborns to Portalbot and fill our lungs with all that wonderful clean air!

Theres still a few slags on that hill

Of the old society of the Swansea/Amman Valleys all that remains are the hundreds of the once-magnificent chapels (capeli). All disused, some in very poor state, but still standing. There must be about ten just in Pontardawe.

i remember some stacks being dropped in the mid 70s and planting a tree there with my classmates in the early 80s malove the history behind it

I would like to live in Swansea

Fascinating. Where exactly are these videos shot?

What is the title of the accompanying video mentioned at the end of this film

Absolutely fascinating, although I agree the remaining copper works should be at least maintained. It is important we do not forget our history, and although nobody wants a wasteland....people should be able to see a glimmer of what once was. I live in Manselton now, very near to where all this was filmed, and it makes you think that merely 50 years ago, this was all different.

Great shame that the Swansea Canal in this area wasn't saved

its weird and sad to see some steam trains being scrapped and others being in use at the same time

hi would you mind if use some of this for a music video?

i wish they would get the hafod chimneys restored asap before the plants make them to unstable to keep

Are there any trees growing there now I wonder ?

Biggest iron works in the world 2 mins from my house!

An ugly lovely town of which I have no desire to leave.

did any body ask dear FRED DIBNER he was good at dropping chimneys rip

Who are we? Jack army.

And nobody knows this !

he always sounds out of breath