Maesteg is a town and community in the ceremonial county of Mid Gamorgan and in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. It lies at the north end of the Llynfi Valley, next to the border with Neath Port Talbot. Similar to the rest of Wales, the English and Welsh languages make up the town's official languages. Whilst a significant percentage of inhabitants are natural English speakers, there is a modest portion of the community that speak Welsh. Of the 20612 inhabitants recorded in the 2011 Census, 11 per cent of the town's population speak Welsh. There are considerable contrasts between age groups, with 27.9 per cent of 3 to 15 year olds speaking Welsh, 8.6 per cent of 16 to 64 year olds, and the smallest proportion being amongst the over 65s at 5.3 percent. The opening of ironworks in the 1820s and 1830s induced the expansion of the town. Between 1890 and 1925, Maesteg held a global status as a manufacturer of Admiralty-grade steam coal, high quality cooking coal and the best house coal in South Wales. By the early 1920s, 7000 miners worked in the town. With the decline of the coal industry and the closure of the last pit in 1985, the town is now characterised as being more residential and domiciliary in nature, predominately for the Port Talbot, Bridgend and Cardiff journey to work areas. Founded in 1881, Maesteg Market continues to be a well-attended market, which is located on the ground floor of Maesteg Town Hall and a vast array of goods are accessible. The town is additionally recognised for its strong music and singing custom, being home to multiple choirs and bands. For all of your house upgrades, make certain to make use of reputable contractors in Maesteg to make certain of quality.