The area of South Wales previously known as West Glamorgan and now forming the administrative area of Neath Port Talbot, is rich in ancient archaeology and history. So it may come as no surprise that when Neath Port Talbot Council ran a competition amongst local primary schools, to come up with a name for the new 420 pupil primary school being built in Briton Ferry, the name chosen reflected that heritage.
     There were 98 entries in the competition and the name that was chosen was Ysgol (school) Carreg Hir (Long Stone). Carreg Hir is actually a 2.8 metre high menhir, made of Pennant sandstone, which happens to be located within the school grounds.
     This standing stone dates back to the Bronze Age and is a Scheduled Monument. Although it has been placed on a concrete plinth it is believed that it is still in its original location although that has not been proven. The surrounding area, although not excavated, is believed to contain intact burial and ritual deposits as the stone was believed to be associated with prehistoric funerary rituals.
     The new head teacher, Lesley Hynes, is quoted as saying "All the pupils within the three primary schools had the opportunity to be involved in this process and the school council used their voting rights to express their preference. We are all very pleased with the final name and are eagerly awaiting for the next phase of development of our new school".

Edited from NeathPortTalbotBoroughCouncil (9 January 2018)