Eerie silence and ‘still surviving’: what happened next after steel town’s last blast furnace shut down
Port Talbot’s Tata Steel blast furnaces were shut down in 2024, ending over a century of steel production and costing nearly 3,000 jobs. Two years later, a photography exhibition called “Steeling Ourselves” documents the town’s experience of the closure and its ongoing resilience. The project is part of a university‑led research initiative examining how communities cope with major industrial change.
- ▪The blast furnace closure in 2024 eliminated almost 3,000 jobs in the South Wales town, which is among the most deprived areas in the UK.
- ▪Photographer Jon Pountney’s exhibition “Steeling Ourselves” combines images and interviews to capture the community’s strength and memories after the shutdown.
- ▪The exhibition is part of the “After the End” research project run by Exeter, Oxford and Liverpool John Moores universities, focusing on endings and transitions.
- ▪Tata Steel plans to replace the blast furnaces with a greener electric arc furnace, but the new facility will employ far fewer workers than the former operation.
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| Publication time | Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:00:20 GMT |
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Jon Pountney was one of two photographers to witness the final days inside Tata’s last blast furnace. Photograph: Jon PountneyView image in fullscreenJon Pountney was one of two photographers to witness the final days inside Tata’s last blast furnace. Photograph: Jon PountneyWalesEerie silence and ‘still surviving’: what happened next after steel town’s last blast furnace shut downExhibition in Port Talbot is part of project exploring how communities experience endings and transitionsBethan McKernan Wales correspondentWed 12 Aug 2026 02.00 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleMargaret Heggett, 95, does not remember a time when Port Talbot was ever quiet.
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