MARGAM

locality, Neath Port Talbot county borough, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), Wales. Situated inland of the sandy Margam Burrows at the base of the peaks Mynydd Margam and Moel Ton-mawr, the community of Margam developed around a Cistercian abbey founded by Robert, earl of Gloucester, in 1147. Margam Abbey was a prominent cultural and educational centre until its dissolution in 1537. During the region's industrial development in the 18th and 19th centuries, Margam grew into a modern industrial area closely associated with Port Talbot (named for a Margam Abbey family who pioneered the port's growth). The Port Talbot steelworks in Margam is among the largest in Britain. The Margam Stones Museum, with early Christian memorial stones, is located on the old abbey site, and both the Afan Argoed Countryside Centre and the Margam Country Park are nearby. The M4 motorway connects Margam with Cardiff to the east and Swansea to the north, beyond Port Talbot.