Cimla

Cimla is a village and suburb of the town of Neath in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It is set high up on a hill. It is pronounced Kim-la. The Welsh language spelling is Cymla, pronounced the same way. Its meaning is a place with common land, which it presumably (being land on a hill above previous settlement) was until industrial expansion led to its being covered with housing.

Cimla consists of a residential area in the western central area, which is part of the built-up area of the town of Neath. The residential area is surrounded to the north, east, and south by open moorland. The whole of Cimla is set on high ground. It is home to the Cimla football club, formed in 1983, who play their games on Cefn Saeson playing fields. English is the most spoken language, with Welsh having minimal use. Cimla is Neath’s richest area, with an above average wage per person compared with the rest of the town.

Cefn Saeson (the name of the farm area and secondary school) is said to derive from the fact that this area was once the historic England and Wales border. The name Cefn Saeson translates to “English Ridge”.

There is also rumoured to be a Cimla castle near the Cefn Saeson farm. This is believed due to old Gnoll estate maps from 1812 naming the surrounding field “castle field”.