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107-462: From the 1900s, it became a significant employer in the Valais canton through its aluminum production activities; a byproduct of the aluminium production process: fluorine became the subject of a pollution scandal ( guerre du fluor ) after its public reporting in the 1970s. In the late 1960s the company also became involved in another contentious public issue through its joint venture, Nabalco , which

214-464: A building constructed for Weaver and Co mills claimed to be the first entirely ferroconcrete building in the United Kingdom. So important was Briton Ferry for trade with France that Mouchel was, from 1879 to his death, French Consular Agent to Briton Ferry, Talbot, Porthcawl and Neath Abbey. Most housing in the 19th century was built by local private builders, sometimes for local industry or

321-523: A maximum depth of 7.1 metres (7.8 yd). Between them, 200 vessels a year are handled. In 1875, the French-born engineer Louis Gustave Mouchel established himself in Briton Ferry and quickly became involved in several successful enterprises. His consultancy company was directly responsible for introducing ferroconcrete (also called reinforced concrete) to Britain. In neighbouring Swansea,

428-515: A more complete list). All these lakes are used for hydroelectricity production, but they are also popular for their scenic views over the Alps. Due to the high mountains surrounding the plains of the Rhône, the climate of central Valais is particularly dry, much drier than in the rest of Switzerland . While locations at high elevations are highly exposed to rainfall and snowfall, average rainfall per year

535-649: A paper converter new to Baglan Energy Park , employs a workforce of 447. The park has the potential to create and accommodate 7,000 jobs over the next 25 years. £15 million has been invested in a solar energy farm on the park. Baglan Energy Park's on-site power generation provides competitively priced electricity to businesses within the area using a combined-cycle gas turbine power plant. In Jersey Marine, Amazon opened its 74,000 m (800,000 sq ft) distribution warehouse in 2008. Briton Ferry had its Urban District Council from 1895 to 1922, when it formed part of Aberavon Parliamentary Constituency. The growth of

642-532: A road network, with elevations ranging from that of Lake Geneva at Le Bouveret to that of the Nufenen Pass , the highest paved road in Valais. The A9, the only motorway, serves the valley up to Sierre , the extension towards Brig being currently under construction. All inhabited side valleys are accessible to motorized transport since the 1960s; the high-elevation reservoirs built during those years, notably

749-613: A rolling mill and foundry. The second plant, a rolling mill designed for sheet and foil, was in Bridgnorth , Wolverhampton . In 1980, the company's aluminium production reached its maximum of over 800,000 tonnes. During the 1980s, the company restructured, closing outdated plants, downsizing , and modernising its semi-finished aluminium production facilities. It also acquired the Canadian packaging company Lawson Mardon Group in 1994, and merged it into its packaging division. In 1997

856-642: A vast diversity of ecosystems. It is a bilingual canton, French and German being its two official languages. Traditionally, the canton is divided into Lower, Central, and Upper Valais, the latter region constituting the German-speaking minority. Valais is essentially coextensive with the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva , separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps ,

963-484: A year-round destination, renowned for its wild landscapes and numerous tourist facilities. In winter, skiing and other snow-related sports are the most popular activities. In summer, hiking and trekking are particularly popular. Climbing and mountaineering can be practised year-round, with the highest mountains of western Europe surrounding Valais. Many of the huts owned by the Swiss Alpine Club are located in

1070-478: Is French-speaking, while the eastern part (Upper Valais) is German-speaking. The language border crosses the Rhône between the towns of Sierre and Salgesch and follows the mountain ridge including Bella Tola , Weisshorn , and Dent Blanche . At the 2000 census, 62.8% of the population of Valais spoke French or Arpitan , 28.4% spoke German or Walser German , 2.2% spoke Italian and 6.6% spoke other languages. Only 114 people reported speaking Romansh . The canton

1177-405: Is a large aluminium processing plant. Other metal products and chemicals are produced around Visp and Sierre , including Swiss Diamond International aluminum cookware. Valais has a long touristic tradition. Hoteliers were at the base of the development of Valais Tourism. Many of them, such as César Ritz , spent time and money to satisfy a clientele from around the world. The canton is nowadays

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1284-637: Is a metre-gauge railway owned by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn , which ultimately leads to Disentis and Chur , from Zermatt via Visp and Brig . The main railway goes through the Furka Base Tunnel in the extreme east of the canton, with the older Furka Summit Tunnel being popular for its highly scenic sections as well. The Glacier Express directly connects Zermatt with St. Moritz , using both Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway network. The canton comprehends

1391-544: Is also a major site of European prehistory. In particular, are the dolmens of Le Petit-Chasseur , a group of large collective burials dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Bridges are also an important element of the Valais-built landscape. Due to its mountainous terrain which requires crossing many natural obstacles, the canton has several bridges, old or modern, often daring, including the Gueuroz Bridge which

1498-582: Is called the Sonderbund War . Under General Henri Dufour , 99,000 Swiss Federal troops were faced by 79,000 Separatists, but in the end, Valais chose not to fight. The beginning of the modern history of Valais essentially coincides with the exploration of the High Alps , the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 marking the end of the golden age of alpinism . The boom of tourism followed in

1605-461: Is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion . Valais is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the cantons of Vaud and Bern to the north, the cantons of Uri and Ticino to the east, as well as Italy to the south and France to the west. It is one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Ticino and the Grisons , which encompass

1712-542: Is currently in the parliamentary constituency of Aberafan Maesteg, having been in Neath constituency from 1945 until 1983. The current MP is Stephen Kinnock , while the current Senedd Member is David Rees along with four regional members for South Wales West . The town encompasses the electoral wards of Briton Ferry East and Briton Ferry West . Today, the Town Council consists of twelve members and meets monthly in

1819-609: Is designated Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales . Rhoddfa Clarke is the name of the inclined part of the South Wales Mineral Railway , the lowest, level part of which now forms Jersey Park. Here rope-hauled coal wagons delivered coal from Glyncorrwg to Briton Ferry dock. Above the dense matrix of streets and busy roads of Briton Ferry,

1926-558: Is given in the following table: Wines and fruit brandies , such as Poire Williams , are some of the main production of the canton. This form of agriculture is often irrigated through the use of small open-air wooden canals , called bisses in French and Suonen in German , that transport water from the glaciers above. They also constitute popular hiking routes because of their low declivity. Vineyards are grown on terraces, typically on

2033-561: Is only about 600  mm in Sion, corresponding to 50% of that of Lucerne (north of the Alps) and 30% of that of Locarno (south of the Alps). Officially, the driest location in Valais and Switzerland is Stalden , with 545  mm of rainfall per year. Valais is often described as "semi-arid", although it is not in the climatic sense of the term. Therefore, in some areas, such as Les Follatères , are found plants that are uncommon or absent in

2140-451: Is protected from the wind, awel . Alternatively, Sawel may be a derivative of Saul, St Paul's earlier name, who, supposedly, once landed at Briton Ferry. An alternative Welsh name unused today is Rhyd y Brython , a direct translation of Briton Ferry. The Normans referred to the River crossing as La Brittonne and Leland in 1540 as Britanne Fery. Briton Ferry is on the mouth of

2247-471: Is served by two principal operators. The first, Transport for Wales , runs regional trains to Swansea and West Wales and also to Cardiff and Manchester via the Welsh Marches line . In contrast, First Great Western trains from Swansea to London do not stop here. The typical service pattern has been one train approximately every two hours in each direction, but Transport for Wales, which took over

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2354-462: Is sparsely populated. Its population (as of 31 December 2020) is 348,503. As of 2007 , the population included 57,061 foreigners, or about 19.1% of the total population. The largest towns are the capital Sion ( Sitten ), Monthey , Sierre , Martigny and Brig-Glis . There is no major city located in the canton. As of 2017, 77% of total population was Roman Catholic , while only 6% were members of Swiss Reformed Church . The historical population

2461-616: Is the only large valley. East of Brig is the valley of Goms , the highest section of the Rhône Valley. The Rhône itself flows in the main valley from east to west from the Rhône Glacier down to Martigny, then at a right angle north to its mouth in Lake Geneva. After the town of Saint-Maurice , the eastern banks of the river belong to the canton of Vaud , although the western banks remain in Valais, down to Le Bouveret , on

2568-543: Is the only truly large lake in the canton, although only a small fraction of it (about 10  km ) is in Valais, the plain of the Rhône comprehending only small lakes. There are however numerous sizable lakes in the high Alps, mostly artificial. The largest is Lac des Dix , closely followed by the Lac d'Emosson . Other large high-elevation lakes are Lac de Mauvoisin , Mattmarksee , lac de Salanfe , Lac de Moiry and Lac de Tseuzier (see list of mountain lakes of Switzerland for

2675-571: Is via the banks of Lake Geneva , which have several railways and highways leading towards Martigny , Sion , and the rest of the canton. The major axis is on the north side of the lake and passes via Lausanne and Vevey in the canton of Vaud . From there runs the A9 motorway and the Simplon Railway , ultimately leading to Italy via the Simplon Pass and Simplon Tunnel respectively. On

2782-545: The Canton of Bern . The locals became German-speaking , though many Romance local names remain. In 1354 the liberties of several of the seven Zenden ( Sion , Sierre , Leuk , Raron , Visp , Brig and Conches ) were confirmed by the Emperor Charles IV . By the late 14th century, the counts of Savoy acquired the bishopric of Sion. The Zenden resisted his attempts to gather both spiritual and secular power in

2889-549: The Grande Dixence , necessitating paved roads as well. As in most other cantons, localities are essentially served by PostBus Switzerland , which also operates numerous tourist lines on the Alpine passes and to the high-elevation lakes. Martigny, Sion, Sierre and Brig are hubs of public transportation. The winding mountain roads of Valais are very popular with drivers, bikers, and cyclists for their spectacular scenery and are

2996-905: The Great St. Bernard (Italy), and the Forclaz and the Morgins (France). Also notable are the historical and pedestrian passes of the Sanetsch , Rawil , Gemmi , and the Lötschberg , connecting Valais with the Swiss Plateau, through the Bernese Oberland . The Lötschberg, together with the Simplon, is one of the main north–south axes of Switzerland. The historical Lötschberg Railway opened in 1913. It connects directly Brig to

3103-532: The Great Western Railway took over the docks until they were closed in 1959. The inner basin has been largely built upon. In 2000, the dock walls and lock gate were Grade 2 listed for their industrial and archaeological interest as the major surviving built component of Brunel's docks. The dock is a scheduled Ancient Monument. As part of a regeneration programme instigated by Briton Ferry Brunel Dock Trust in 2005 to preserve, restore and maintain

3210-873: The Martigny–Châtelard Railway (serving the Trient Valley ) and the Visp-Zermatt railway . Above Zermatt , the Gornergrat Railway and the Klein Matterhorn cable car are respectively the highest open-air railway and highest public transport in Europe. The Valais has two ports on Lake Geneva served by the CGN : St. Gingolph and Le Bouveret . The largest airport is located at Sion. The size and particular geographical situation of

3317-954: The Matterhorn and the Jungfrau , for a complete list, see list of mountains of Valais . Located there are numerous glaciers including several of the largest in the Alps, such as the Aletsch Glacier and the Gorner Glacier . Other ranges situated partially in Valais are the Chablais Alps , the Mont Blanc Massif , the Uri Alps , the Gotthard Massif , and the Lepontine Alps . Lake Geneva

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3424-845: The Neath and Brecon Railway , the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway , and the South Wales Mineral Railway with its cable-powered incline. In the 1850s, the Briton Ferry Floating Dock Company was incorporated and bought land from the Earl of Jersey to build the Briton Ferry Docks. When it opened in 1861, the dock consisted of an outer tidal basin which had round-ended jetties at its mouth and quays along its sides and an inner floating dock of 5.3 hectares, enclosed by masonry walls and sandstone. The water level

3531-751: The Raron affair rebellion from 1414 to 1420, some cantons of the Swiss Confederation took sides in the conflict. Lucerne , Uri and Unterwalden supported the Upper Valais rebels, while Bern supported the noble Raron family. The uprising was successful in driving out the Rarons and almost brought the Confederation to civil war. Following the Raron affair, the canton was the location of

3638-428: The Rhône basin, more precisely in the wide Alpine Rhône Valley, above Lake Geneva . The main settlements are all along the Rhône or in its proximity, the largest city being Sion , followed by Martigny , Monthey , Sierre , and Brig-Glis . The canton is traditionally divided into three regions: Lower Valais (French: Bas-Valais ), Central Valais (French: Valais central ), and Upper Valais (German: Oberwallis ), with

3745-631: The River Neath , where it enters Swansea Bay , and is the first river crossing along the Roman road that follows the coastline along that part of South Wales . A milestone dedicated to Victorinus , a former Roman Governor in Gaul and Britain, was found at nearby Baglan. The ferry boat crossing was some 2 miles (3.2 km) from the bridge across the River Neath at Neath . At certain low tides, it

3852-570: The Simplon Railway connected most of Valais with the cities of the Swiss Plateau . The canton was further opened up by the Lötschberg Railway in 1913. The canton is also officially referred to by its long name République et canton du Valais (French) or Republik und Kanton Wallis (German). This translates into Republic and Canton of Valais . The Romans called the upper Rhône valley Vallis Poenina . The Vallis Poenina

3959-723: The Steel Company of Wales in 1947. By 1953, only the Albion Steelworks remained in the town, all other tinplate production having ceased. The Albion Steelworks, which had used oil to fuel its largest open-hearth furnace, closed in November 1978 and was demolished within a year. This was followed by the closure of the ship-breaker and steel supplier Thos. W. Ward in 1983. The firm at Giant's Grave, which operated from 1906 until 1979, broke up 197 merchant ships and 94 Admiralty. The steel and tinplate industry's demise in

4066-403: The Valais witch trials between 1428 and 1447 in which at least 367 men and women were put to death. This event marks one of the earliest witch scares in late medieval Europe. The phenomenon later spread to other parts of the continent. With the election of Walther II. Supersaxo von der Fluhe (from Conches ) as bishop in 1457, the German-speaking part of the valley finally attained supremacy. At

4173-611: The Wales and Borders franchise in October 2018, intends to operate further services. The town is served by twelve local services and three express services which pickup from various stops within the town. The local buses are operated by First Cymru and cater for local shoppers, colleges and hospitals in the Neath-Port Talbot area, while the express services are provided to reach Bridgend , Maesteg and Swansea. The M4 and

4280-666: The 1970s. In 1951, as the industry began to dwindle, portions of the estate were sold to the Principality Property Co., Estateways Builders, John Oliver Watkins, the City & Provincial Housing Association, and Gwalia Land & Property Developments Ltd. The economic transformation of the area in the second half of the last century resulted in few original industries surviving in the town, though new industries have been created in Neath-Port Talbot's adjacent communities of Baglan, Jersey Marine and Melyncryddan. Intertissue,

4387-669: The A483 bypass the town to relieve the traffic on the A474 , a former Roman road, which runs through the town parallel to the main railway line and connects Neath with Port Talbot. Construction of the first river bridge crossing took place from 1949–1955 and was one of the first large-scale road bridges to be constructed in Britain after World War II as part of the A48 Neath bypass road scheme. It comprises two viaducts. The western viaduct crosses

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4494-851: The Council Chamber at the Community Resource Centre, the community-managed library. The railway was important in the town's industrial development town, and much of the core rail infrastructure remains. The town is served by the Briton Ferry railway station , which is now accessed from Shelone Road. It is near the Cwrt Sart junction, where the Swansea District Line meets the South Wales Main Line . For passenger services, Briton Ferry

4601-414: The Holy Roman Empire. The count-bishops then struggled to defend their area against the Zähringer and then the dukes of Savoy , so that the medieval history of Valais is inextricably linked with that of the diocese of Sion. The Dukes of Savoy, however, succeeded in winning most of the land west of Sion (Lower Valais), while in the upper part of the valley (Upper Valais) there were many feudal lords, such as

4708-440: The Lower Valais were ruled as subject lands by the bishop and the Tithings of the Upper Valais until 1798. On 12 March 1529, Valais became an associate member ( Zugewandter Ort ) of the Swiss Confederation . In the early 17th century, the aristocratic governors of the districts in the Upper Valais pressured the prince-bishop of Sion to abdicate secular power, which was achieved temporarily in 1613 and then permanently in 1634, when

4815-420: The Po plains to the south by the Valais Alps , respectively north and south of the Rhône. Valais is also one of the three large southern cantons lying partially in the Po basin, therefore south of the Alps, along with Ticino and the Grisons . However, contrary to those two cantons, very few settlements are on the south side of the Alps, and they are all well above the plains. The largest regions not drained by

4922-421: The Rhône are the Simplon Valley (Po basin) and two uninhabited areas north of the Sanetsch and the Gemmi Pass ( Rhine basin). Valais is the highest canton in terms of absolute, relative, and mean elevation . Therefore, its topography is extremely rugged, with the notable exception of the wide, glacial, Rhône valley. The latter valley dominates the geography of the canton. Many side valleys are branching off

5029-428: The River Neath, and the eastern viaduct crosses the former dock area of Briton Ferry and the South Wales main railway line. The second road crossing was completed in 1994 to carry the London to Wales M4 motorway across the River Neath to supersede the A48. Briton Ferry has junction J42, which is 184 miles (296 km) from the motorway's eastern end and 15 mi (24 km) from its western at Pont Abraham. It filled

5136-403: The Swiss Plateau across the Bernese Alps , via Spiez in the canton of Bern, through the high-elevation Lötschberg Tunnel . In 2007, the importance of that axis was further increased with the opening of the low-elevation Lötschberg Base Tunnel , the first high-speed railway connecting Valais to Bern, following essentially the same route, but at the level of the plains. The Lötschberg Base Tunnel

5243-584: The austerity of ancestral mores, its customs, its naive legends, its rustic costumes, everything that today constitutes its character and originality. Many monuments dot the Valais landscape. The best known are the Valère Basilica , where the oldest organ in the world still playable is found, and the territorial Abbey of Saint-Maurice , which dates from the 6th century. Valais has several castles of historical importance, frequently built in formerly strategic locations: Tourbillon Castle , Saint-Maurice Castle , Stockalper Palace , La Bâtiaz Castle , Majorie Castle ,

5350-415: The boundary with Baglan . A Neolithic stone is in place within the grounds of Cwrt Sart school. A plaque alongside the stone is inscribed, "When removed, it will speak but once to reveal its secret, and then remain silent forever." One explanation for the name of the nearby Giant's Grave is the presence of a cromlech . At Crymlyn Burrows , an unlooped Bronze Age axe (c.1400 BC) was discovered. The town

5457-403: The canton is 5,224 square kilometres (2,017 sq mi) and only about half of the total area is considered productive. Valais shares borders with four other cantons: to the north are the cantons of Vaud and Bern and to the east are the cantons of Uri and Ticino . The canton shares international borders as well: to the south are the Italian regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont and to

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5564-447: The canton within the Alps helped Valais develop a culture that is distinct from that of the cantons of the Swiss Plateau and the northern Alpine foothills. As a bilingual canton, Valais itself includes some cultural diversity as well. The most common denominator is a strong mountain culture, symbolized by the archetypal tenacious and austere mountain dweller facing the difficult conditions and dangers of nature. The people of Valais, from

5671-425: The canton. Valais counts more than 120 winter and summer destinations, including: The Matterhorn near Zermatt is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Swiss mountains, as is its sister valley immediately east Saas Fee . Other parts of the mountains of the canton further west are popular as well, such as the more French-speaking resorts near Verbier and the Evolene and Arolla region. The resorts on

5778-482: The company became Alusuisse-Lonza Holding AG . In 1999 the chemical production interests were split off to form the chemical company Lonza Group . Two plants were operated in the UK under the banner of Star Aluminium and Starsemis. One plant, at Briton Ferry , Wales , operated two extrusion presses, a Farrel bridge 2400 ton and a 1600 ton, an anodising plant was also operated. The plant was acquired from Hawker Siddley's High Duty Alloys division, originally operating as

5885-430: The company began to use some of the electrical production for nitric acid manufacture ( Birkeland–Eyde process ). During the Great Depression the company sold electricity from its plants to municipal customers. A rolling mill was established in Sierre in 1929. In the 1950s the company acquired a concession to 30% of the flow from the dam built at the Lac de Moiry , and constructed a factory at Ernen . A factory in Steg

5992-417: The company employed 31,000 people, of which 5,800 were Swiss. The company was renamed Algroup in 1998 and was merged into Alcan in 2000. Valais Valais ( UK : / ˈ v æ l eɪ / VAL -ay , US : / v æ ˈ l eɪ / val- AY ; French: [valɛ] ), more formally, the Canton of Valais , is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation . It

6099-403: The company invested in the development of a large alumina refinery and bauxite mine in the Gove Peninsula , Australia, through the joint venture Nabalco . The development which included the creation of a sea harbour, housing for 5000 people, and was worth over 1 billion swiss francs . The Nabalco consortium was made to pay rent on the land used to the indigenous peoples of the area as a result of

6206-543: The constituency Labour Party. Ramsay MacDonald was associated with the tradition and represented the town as MP within the Aberavon constituency. He became the leader of the opposition in 1922 and became Prime Minister in 1924. His constituency office was at Chequers in Briton Ferry. Many speakers visited the town at that time, including Bertrand Russell , Norman Angell , Keir Hardie , Ernest Bevin , Thomas Mann , E. D. Morel , Charlotte Despard , Emmeline , and Sylvia Pankhurst . For mainly political reasons, thirty-seven of

6313-405: The country became the federal Republic of the Seven Tithings under the rule of a Landeshauptmann . The republic in its original form existed until 1798, when the districts of the Lower Valais, until then ruled as subjects, successfully revolted against the Seven Tithings and achieved equal status within the republic. During the French invasion of the Swiss Confederacy in the same year, Valais

6420-481: The east bank of the river at Warren Hill. With the development of railways in the second half of the 19th century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed Briton Ferry Dock to handle coal and other goods for the Vale of Neath Railway. It opened in 1861 following the town's ironworks in 1846 and the Red Jacket and Briton Ferry Copperworks on the West Bank of the river in 1849 and 1853. The 1860s saw the start of tinplate manufacturing from puddled iron until steel-making started in

6527-485: The episcopal Leuk Castle etc. Amongst religious buildings are several churches that present quality architecture, in particular, those due to the architect Ulrich Ruffiner (16th century) who left many buildings between Sion and the Goms valley : Saint-Théodule church in Sion, the church of Raron and church of Ernen . In the valley of Goms, are also several notable baroque churches. Contemporary religious architecture has also given rise to interesting buildings, such as

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6634-590: The estate to her godson George, Earl of Jersey. He modernised and reduced the size of the estate to ensure its viability. As early as the 1660s, primitive forges existed at Briton Ferry, later using local coal from small pits such as Price's Drift, but Briton Ferry's marine location stimulated its industrial development. In 1840, an area of about 750 acres (3.0 km ) of land in Cwmafan was leased for 99 years to John Vigurs and subsequently passed to Wright, Butler & Co. Ltd, then to Baldwins Ltd. The terraces of houses built on this land were sublet in 1897 and 1898 for

6741-418: The final 6.2 mi (10 km) gap in the motorway between Newport and west Wales, Its completion presented formidable problems, with extensive industrial and commercial development, estuarine flood-lands and the navigable River Neath all lying in the path of possible routes. John Mills 's sculpture at the southern end of the town, The Crossing , symbolises the town's industrial and maritime history through

6848-443: The first aluminium production plant in Europe. It established plants in Neuhausen am Rheinfall in 1888, in Rheinfelden , Germany in 1898 and in Lend , Austria in 1899. In 1899, the company started to invest in the Valais region of Switzerland which was rich in hydropower resources. The company built a plant in Chippis (1908) using hydropower from the river Navisence . The market for their aluminium did not meet expectations and

6955-541: The floating dock, and north of the M4 and A48 crossings. Huw Pudner and Chris Hastings, two local songwriters, wrote "Giants Grave", a song about the ship-breaking industry in Briton Ferry which was featured in the film The History of Briton Ferry by Jason May. The wharves at Briton Ferry are run by Neath Port Authority, the most important of which are Giant's Wharf, which handles steel, scrap, coke, coal and machine parts, and Ironworks Wharf, which handles minerals such as sand and cement. They offer tidal and river berths with

7062-582: The heritage of Brunel's historic site and its structures for public benefit, a tower, which formed part of the complex, was refurbished. It was an accumulator tower for the hydraulic system , which operated the dock gate and cranes. The system was designed by William Armstrong , and in 2010, the Institution of Civil Engineers unveiled a plaque at the site to commemorate the 200th anniversary of his birth. The outer basin has potential use by fishing boats and yachts . The ship-breaking of WW2 ships, such as HMS Bermuda , took place at Giant's Grave upstream of

7169-492: The high-rise housing and much of the earliest housing near the docks was demolished and replaced by more municipal housing. As a participant in the Swansea Bay City Deal, Neath-Port Talbot Council aims for a share in the project to future-proof at least 10,300 properties over five years by making low carbon, energy-efficient homes, with 7,000 retro-fitted to existing houses and 3,300 newly built. A consortium of steel and tinplate producers consolidated all tinplate mills to create

7276-407: The highlights of competitions such as Tour de Suisse and the Rallye International du Valais . For a list of high-elevation paved roads, see list of highest paved roads in Switzerland . Because of tourism, there are many railways and cable cars in the mountains. Railways serving side valleys are the Aigle–Ollon–Monthey–Champéry railway , the Martigny–Orsières Railway (notably serving Verbier ),

7383-425: The importance of its bridges and river crossing. Jersey Park has been an exceptionally well-preserved, urban public park since its opening in 1925, the land having been gifted originally by the Earl of Jersey in 1908. Its original layout of formal and informal areas remains complete and includes sports facilities. Planting in the park is diverse and interesting, with an emphasis on evergreen trees and shrubs. The park

7490-403: The kingdom of Transjurane Burgundy, which fell to the Holy Roman Empire in 1032. It became part of the duchy of Burgundia Minor, which was held by the emperors by the house of Zähringen (which became extinct in 1218). In 999, King Rudolph III of Burgundy gave all temporal rights and privileges to the Bishop of Sion , who was later styled praefect and count of Valais and is still a prince of

7597-403: The late 19th century. In 1878, the Simplon Railway connected Brig , the last town before the Simplon Pass , from Lausanne and Geneva and other major cities of the Swiss Plateau . Valais is the third largest canton of Switzerland by area. It is also one of its westernmost and southernmost cantons while being adjacent to central Switzerland. With a few exceptions, it lies almost entirely in

7704-632: The latter town, the Matterhorn has become an iconic landmark of the canton. In 1529, Valais became an associate member of the Swiss Confederation . After having resisted the Protestant Reformation and remained faithful to the Roman Catholic Church , it became a republic under the guidance of the prince-bishop of Sion in 1628. In 1815, Valais finally entered the Swiss Confederation as a canton. In 1878,

7811-419: The linguistic border of the canton being at Pfynwald, between the two latter regions. While the more populous Lower and Central Valais are French-speaking , Upper Valais is German-speaking . The Rhône Valley is a central Alpine valley, i.e. it lies well within the Alps and is shut off from both northern and southern plains. Valais is separated from the Swiss Plateau to the north by the Bernese Alps and from

7918-439: The lords of Raron, those of La Tour-Châtillon, and the counts of Visp. About the middle of the 13th century, the large communities (Zenden or tithings ) began to develop independence and grow in power. The name Zenden or tithings probably came from a very ancient division of the bishop's manors for administrative and judicial purposes. In the same century the upper part of the valley was colonized by Germans from Hasli ( de ) in

8025-742: The main valley, often perpendicularly. These vary from narrow and remote to reasonably populous. On the south side of the Rhône, in the Valais Alps, some of the largest side valleys are (from east to west): the Mattertal (including the Saastal), the Val d'Anniviers , the Val d'Hérens , the Val de Bagnes and the Val d'Entremont . On the north of the Rhône, in the Bernese Alps, the Lötschental

8132-592: The most industrial region of the canton is called Chablais . The area is very important for the economy. The lands from Lake Geneva to the town of St-Maurice are located in the Chablais. There are a lot of factories, the most important are the subsidiaries of Novartis and Syngenta , in Monthey . In the town of Collombey-Muraz , there is an oil refinery . The Lonza Group has large factories in Visp. Near Visp there

8239-464: The mountains and dairy farming in the plains. The canton is notable for its cheese and dried meat production. The Hérens cattle are also used in organised cow fights. Europe's tallest gravity dam is located at Grande Dixence in the canton, closely followed by the Mauvoisin Dam . Hydroelectric power plants from the canton produce about a quarter of Swiss electricity. The west part and

8346-526: The north side of the main Rhône valley are popular, looking out southwards towards the Peninne Alps and still part of the southern slope of the Bernese Alps, such as the family-oriented resort of Crans-Montana . The resorts in the Goms (district) are slightly less known, yet also receive attention during the summer hiking season and the winter ski season. The only natural low-elevation access to Valais

8453-647: The outbreak of the Burgundian Wars in 1475, the bishop of Sion and the Zenden made a treaty with Bern. In November of the same year, they seized all Lower or Savoyard Valais up to Martigny. In March 1476, after the victory of Grandson , they advanced and captured St Maurice, Évian , Thonon and Monthey . They had to give up the last three districts in 1477 but won them again in 1536. In the treaty of Thonon in 1569, Monthey, Val-d'llliez, and Le Bouveret were permanently annexed to Valais. These conquered districts in

8560-524: The railways. This can be seen at Giant’s Grave, Warren Hill, and near the dock. Municipal housing in Briton Ferry started as a result of the Housing of the Workers Act 1890 and continued as a result of 20th-century housing legislation just before and following World War II . High-rise housing was attempted in the 1950s due to a shortage of building land, but it was not a success. In the late 20th century

8667-615: The remainder of the term of this lease, but many were declared unfit for habitation in the 1930s and demolished. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, coastal shipping at Giant's Grave's wharves loaded coal for export from pits in the Neath Valley via Neath Canal and unloaded iron ore and limestone. The canal was completed in 1797, becoming the second in Glamorgan, running 14 miles (22.53 km) from Abernant to Briton Ferry. 1841 Neath Abbey Iron Co laid plans for an ironwork on

8774-679: The rest of Switzerland, such as cactuses. On the lower south-facing slopes of the Bernese Alps, numerous vineyards are cultivated, between Fully and Leuk. Unlike in the rest of the country, irrigated agriculture is common in Valais. The canton is renowned for its numerous towns and villages in the high Alps. In the Mattertal and adjoining Saastal are Zermatt and Saas Fee . Other popular resorts are Verbier , Les Marécottes , Champéry , Grimentz , Zinal , Anzère , Crans-Montana , Evolène , Leukerbad and Fiesch . All of them are tourist destination in both summer and winter seasons. The area of

8881-496: The ridge, the sands of Baglan Bay extended into Briton Ferry until the mid-nineteenth century when the estuary’s saltings were developed for industry. Today, the river crossing comprises two bridge crossings which carry the M4 motorway and A483 road across the river. There are remains of ancient Iron Age hill forts on the hills around Briton Ferry, they are named Buarth-y-Gaer and Gaer Fawr , and situated on Mynydd-y-Gaer alongside

8988-543: The ruling of the Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd (Gove land rights) case. During the 1960s the company began to license its aluminium production technology, and in 1967 helped to establish Koninklijke Hoogovens ' first aluminium smelter in 1967. In 1974 the company took over the Swiss-German company Lonza (founded 1897), which specialised in hydropower, construction, and electrochemical industrial production. In 1990

9095-399: The second half of the twentieth century was followed in the first two decades by closures of other local firms that had employed many from Briton Ferry. BP Chemicals opened its plant at nearby Baglan Bay in 1963, quickly expanding into one of the biggest petrochemical sites in Europe; by 1974 it was employing 2500 staff. The advent of North Sea oil proved injurious since its location meant it

9202-486: The shores of Lake Geneva. The main valley is bounded by the Bernese Alps in the north and the Valais Alps in the south, both ranges including numerous over 4,000 metre-high mountains, which are the highest in the country. Notables mountains include Monte Rosa (highest), reaching 4,634 metres (15,203 ft), and the Finsteraarhorn (most prominent), reaching 4,274 metres (14,022 ft). Other iconic mountains are

9309-677: The south side of Lake Geneva, from the French border, is only a highway and the historical Tonkin Railway , now operating in Valais only. The canton is surrounded by high mountains, but some major mountain passes connect it with the rest of Europe. The main road passes are the Grimsel (towards the canton of Bern and the Swiss Plateau ), the Furka (Uri), the Nufenen (Ticino), the Simplon and

9416-479: The south-facing slopes overlooking the Rhône Valley, where they have become an integral part of the landscape. The wine industry of the canton is the largest in Switzerland. There are also a large number orchards in the area, among which are apricot trees. The apricot has become the emblematic fruit of the canton. In Mund , saffron is also gathered. Agriculture in Valais also consists of cattle breeding in

9523-685: The town at the end of the 19th century. Further industrialisation brought factories such as the Vernon, Gwalia, Wern, Baglan Bay Tinplate , and Whitford Sheet Works, receiving their raw material from the Albion and Briton Ferry Steelworks. Taylor's Foundry, Baglan Engineering and Thos. W. Ward serviced these industries. They were built on land close to the River Neath and the South Wales Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . The industrial development attracted other railways, including

9630-540: The town's metals industries at that time was accompanied by the growth of independent working-class representation and strong socialist, internationalist, and pacifist traditions. Prominent Independent Labour Party representatives were Councillor Joe Branch, Ivor O. Thomas and Ivor H. Thomas , the founder of the South Wales branch of the National Council for Civil Liberties . Branch was the first chair of

9737-436: The town's residents were imprisoned during World War I for opposing conscription. Along with seventy objectors from Aberavon and district, these communities provided the country's strongest opposition to the war, despite the town's loss of 120 soldiers' lives during World War I. The town had the distinction of providing Parliament with four MPs during 1955: Dai L. Mort, Ivor O. Thomas, Raymond Gower and Ronald Rees. The town

9844-531: The two largest mountain ranges of the canton. A major wine region, the canton is simultaneously one of the driest regions of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley and among the wettest, having large amounts of snow and rain upon the highest peaks found in Switzerland, such as Monte Rosa and the Finsteraarhorn . Although a major hydroelectricity producer, Valais is essentially renowned for its tourism industry and its numerous Alpine resort towns, notably Crans-Montana , Saas Fee , Verbier , and Zermatt . Overlooking

9951-472: The valley. In 1375–76, Zenden forces defeated the army of the house of La Tour-Chatillon, and in 1388 routed the forces of the bishop, the count, and his nobles at Visp. The German-speaking Zenden spread further into the valley. Starting in 1384 the Morge stream (a little below Sion) was recognized as the boundary between Savoyard, French-speaking Lower Valais and German-speaking episcopal Upper Valais. During

10058-476: The warlike races that originally inhabited it, are strong and vigorous; they were able, with their remarkable endurance, to make the most of natural resources, the possession of which today assures them an honorable place as much as they deserve among the other better-off peoples of ancient Helvetia. Through its economic development and its commendable progress in all areas of human activity, Valais, faithful to its traditions as well as to its faith, has managed to keep

10165-399: The west is the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes . Valais is divided into 13 districts, with the district of Raron being further divided into two half-districts. The districts are listed here in geographical order: Upper Valais: Central Valais: Lower Valais: There are 122 municipalities in the canton (as of January 2021). The western part of Valais (Central and Lower Valais)

10272-659: The works of the Genevan architect Jean-Marie Ellenberger (1913-1988) in Sierre (Sainte-Croix church) or Verbier. In the civil architecture, two hospices, each located at one of the passes leading to Italy, formerly provided food for pilgrims who went to Rome and travelers in general: the Great St. Bernard Hospice and the Simplon Hospice . There are also interesting Roman remains, such as the amphitheater in Martigny. Sion

10379-564: Was acquired by Alcan on 18 October 2000. In 1886 Paul-Louis-Toussaint Héroult and Charles Martin Hall independently discovered a process for producing metallic aluminium from aluminium ore by electrolysis ( Hall–Héroult process ). In 1889 Paul-Louis-Toussaint Héroult, Gustave Naville , Georg Neher , and Peter Emil Huber established a company Aluminium Industrie Aktien Gesellschaft (AIAG) in Zurich, Switzerland to extract aluminium, creating

10486-632: Was conquered by the Romans after the Battle of Octodurus (now known as Martigny ) in 57 BC and became part of the Gallo-Roman cultural sphere. According to a tradition that can be traced back to the middle of the 8th century, the Theban legion was martyred at Agaunum (now Saint Maurice ) about 285 or 302. From 888 onwards the lands were part of the kingdom of Jurane Burgundy . Valais formed part of

10593-461: Was developing a bauxite deposit in northern Australia on land claimed by the indigenous people of that area; leading to the Gove land rights case . By the end of the twentieth century the company had become an international firm with interests in aluminium production, packaging , and chemicals (through the firm Lonza ,acquired 1974, divested 1999), and employed over 30,000 worldwide (1997). The group

10700-443: Was established in 1962. The company became a major employer in the Valais region, employing over 3000 people in 1942, and by 1970 approximately 2000 people were employed in the canton. In 1963 the enterprise was renamed Schweizerische Aluminium AG . In the 1970s pollution due to fluorine by aluminium producers, including Alusuisse, caused scandal in Switzerland which came to be known as the guerre du fluor (Fluorine war). In 1969

10807-706: Was incorporated into the Helvetic Republic until 1802 when it became the separate Rhodanic Republic . In 1810, the Rhodanic Republic was annexed by the First French Empire as the departement of Simplon . The department was occupied by Austrian troops in late 1813; on 4 August 1815, Valais finally entered the Swiss Confederation as a canton. In 1845, Valais joined the Catholic separatist league ( Sonderbund ) which led to what

10914-435: Was maintained by a single gate , which included a buoyancy chamber. It covered an area of 23.7 acres (9.6 ha). The gate was 56 feet (17 m) wide, and the unique structure with its floating caisson was designed by Brunel 's father, Sir Marc Brunel . Following Brunel's death in 1859, Robert Brereton took over as engineer and also acted as engineer for improvements made in 1872 and 1873. The company went bankrupt and

11021-637: Was on the "wrong" side of Britain to receive oil supplies from the North Sea. This situation, along with a further decline in demand for its products, gradually reduced the size of the plant, and in 2004 it closed entirely. BP's oil refinery at Llandarcy closed four years later. The Metal Box Company 's closure was announced in 2015, and its premises were bought by Neath-Port Talbot Council in 2017. The industrial revolution brought much expansion to Briton Ferry, including ironworks, steelworks, tinplate production and engineering. Production generally lasted until

11128-569: Was once the highest bridge in Europe, and the Ganter Bridge , on the Simplon road. Visible from central Valais, the statue of Christ the King in Lens recalls the Catholic tradition of the canton. Briton Ferry Briton Ferry ( Welsh : Llansawel ) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot , Wales . The Welsh name may indicate that the church, llan ,

11235-645: Was part of the Briton Ferry Estate, whose lands belonged to Margam Abbey before they passed on, in turn, to the Mansel, Villiers , and Vernon families (Earls of Jersey). It had been owned by the Price family of Briton Ferry in the early 17th century until the Mansels inherited it. There it remained until Louisa Barbara Mansell married George Venables Vernon in 1757. There was no male issue, so she left

11342-491: Was possible to walk across the river via a ford close to the ferry route using stepping stones. Briton Ferry lies on the heavily fractured ground near the mouth of the River Neath on a line between the upper and middle coal measures . The original course of the River Neath may have been through the Jersey Marine gap between the isolated hills, which formed a rocky ridge between Briton Ferry and Jersey Marine. Beyond

11449-490: Was the longest land tunnel in the world when opened, finally opening up Valais to northern Switzerland. The summit railway, through the historical tunnel, is still used for regional traffic and car transportation across the Lötschberg. The old train line is popular for its highly scenic sections in both cantons on either side of the old tunnel. Another railway axis connects Valais with central and eastern Switzerland. This

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