Clyne Tinworks

Mr Cliff Harris has lent the Society a number of pictures of Clyne. This one refers to the Clyne Tinworks which closed during the 1930s. The photograph shows the final shift, and Mr Harris's grandfather, Mr W.Watkins is second from the right, middle row. Details regarding Clyne Tinworks are rather scanty, however this "Glamorgan Snippet" by Brian Wagstaffe gives us some details:

Clyne Tinplate Works
It was known as the Clyne (or Clun) Tinplate Works and was in the village of the same name. It operated from the 1880`s until the 1930`s. My wife`s grandmother worked there in the 1920`s. She would walk from the village of Abergarwed on the other side of the valley, crossing the River Neath at the old canal aqueduct. Nothing now remains of the works; the area has now been returned to fields.
If you go to this site http://www.multimap.com/maps/ then enter the postcode SA11 4ES .This is the postcode for the row of houses known as Cyd Terrace, which was built to house the Tinplate workers.
The road between Tonna and Resolven and the Neath Canal runs immediately in front of these houses (towards the River) and the Neath Valley railway line runs behind them. The Tinplate Works was located next to the railway line and to the South of it in one of those fields shown (not sure exactly where),
[Brian Wagstaffe 23 Feb 2002 G]

Editor's note: My own great grandfather, John Harris ( a relative of Cliff Harris ) also worked at Clyne Tinworks, though I do not know if he features in the photograph. From memory, he went to work in BP Llandarcy after the closure of Clyne Tinplate Works.