Neath has long been a centre for industrial and commercial activity. Coal mining began early in the 16th century, and by the end of the 19th century the town had acquired many of the trappings of a flourishing Victorian commercial centre, boasting several impressive civic buildings and this pleasant park, built in 1897. This two-acre site still has several of the original Victorian features, including the bandstand and the Gorsedd circle. This photograph would have been taken only a few years after the gardens were opened.