Merthyr Tydfil occupies a spectacular site, sprawled across a bowl at the head of the Taff Valley. Its name means 'the place of Tydfil's martyrdom' in honour of a Welsh princess who, according to legend, was murdered for her Christian beliefs in the 5th century. St Tydfil's Church is said to mark the spot where she died. The city remained a minor village until the late 18th century, when its proximity to iron, ore, limestone, water and wood led to it becoming a centre of iron production. The subsequent discovery of rich coal reserves upped the bet, and by 1801 a string of settlements, each growing around its own ironworks had merged together to become the biggest town in Wales.