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activities (Brooks, 1973), however, may indicate a change of heart is at 
hand* 
In the U*K* where there is a genuine need for surveying the spoiled 
landscape, the potential is yet to he fully realized* The main benefactors 
of using aerial survey, the planning authorities, have not yet utilised 
the technique to its full advantage for any purpose (White, 1970)* although 
Benton (1971) has indicated that perhaps Scotland is beginning to make 
significant usage in derelict land surveys# Most work has been done by 
University workers in a pure research context although their results have 
indicated the viability of applied studies* Beresford and St# Joseph 
( 1958 ), for example, have shown how medieval industrial areas can be 
identified, although these are probably not now ’derelict or ’spoiled’ 
in the sense described above# 
The works of Bush (1970)> and- James (1970) are probably the most 
significant to the current study* Bush applied air-photo interpretation 
to the West Riding of Yorkshire by deriving an air-photo key and applying 
it to his 200 sq km study area in the County, while James used the same 
approach to an area in Cornwall. Although small in areal extent, these 
studies indicated a high degree of success in identifying sites from the 
air (Bush and Collins, 1974»)» and suggested the possibility of a wider 
application# Such an application provides the basis for the survey which 
is described in the following section* 
RERELICT (SPOILER) LANDSCAPE SURVEY OP GLAMORGAN' 
The Reed for a Survey 
The above introduction has given some indication of the amount of 
work done on the subject of spoiled or derelict land# One may now ask why 
so much research has been done, and why, with particular reference to this 
study, derelict land should be surveyed# There is a simple answer, namely 
that Rational Government in England and Wales requires all local authorities 
to collect and submit data on the amounts and, to some extent, the types 
of dereliction found within their administrative boundaries# 
This, however, is not the prime reason# The United Kingdom is a 
densely populated group of countries where intensive use is made of the 
land# Official sources (H#M#S#0*, 1974) indicate that in mid—1972 the 
U.K# as a whole had a population density of 228*7 persons/sq km, although 
on looking at the urban and rural areas separately the densities are 
1731*2 and 59*5 persons/sq* km.respectively# Expressed in another way 76 * 6 $ 
of the population live on 10 * 9 % of the total land when considering the 
urban area* These high concentrations of people are closely associated 
with much of the commercial and industrial land uses all of which exist 
in a very competitive state# The proximity of industrial activities to 
such concentrations is sadly all too evident when one considers disasters 
such as that at Aberfan in 1966 where a colliery spoil heap engulfed a 
school and several dwellings killing 116 children and 28 adults (Austin, 
1967 ), or more recently the explosion at a chemical works at Flixborough