Boom Town: How Merthyr Made the World

In the 18th and 19th centuries, one Welsh valley town changed the course of global history. In this landmark documentary, broadcaster Steffan Powell tells the extraordinary story of Merthyr Tydfil - once the beating heart of the Industrial Revolution - and unpacks the five powerful forces that fuelled the town’s meteoric rise: geology, wealth, people, war and innovation.

Beneath Merthyr’s streets and hillsides today lies a vanished world - ironworks, foundries and entire communities lost to time. Now, using cutting-edge technology, that world is being uncovered. Drones, LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry and AI - including a bespoke AI app - reveal hidden tramroads, lost settlements and even forgotten voices from the past.

With stunning CGI, Merthyr’s ironworks are digitally rebuilt - reimagining the heat, noise and scale of an era that reshaped the world.

Drawing on expert insight from geologists, historians and archaeologists, Steffan reveals how a unique mix of natural resources, daring investment, the fierce ‘Merthyr spirit’, global wars and a drive to innovate transformed this valley town into an industrial superpower.

Boom Town isn’t your ordinary history programme. Using 21st-century tools, it shines a light on a legacy long buried, revealing how Merthyr’s story still shapes the world we live in today.