locality, Neath Port Talbot county borough, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), Wales, situated in the Tawe valley 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Swansea. Pontardawe originated as a mining community and grew rapidly during the 18th- and 19th-century exploitation of the South Wales coalfield. In addition to coal mining, copper smelting was an important industry during the 18th century, succeeded by tinplate manufacture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With the decline of mining and traditional manufactures, new manufacturing and service activities have developed in the town, including engineering. Pontardawe serves as a base for commuters to neighbouring Swansea. Prehistoric remains in the area include several stone circles and cairns, and to the west is a pre-Roman earthwork. Pop. (2001) 6,440.