A Distant View of Crofty from Bovehill TorThere are two alternative views as to where Crofty derives its name. Whilst some believe it takes its title simply from the fact that the village once possessed many crofts, others are of the opinion that it originates from an early reference to the locale - "y groft wrth y ty" (meaning "the small field near the house").
A settlement of at least a couple of families is believed to have existed here since the 14th Century but Crofty only really grew as a true village in the latter half of the 19th century when the land there began to be mined for its numerous veins of coal. The original mining cottages, built around this time, still exists on the downward slope of hill from Zoar Chapel to the Morlais River and continue to give the village a rural feel despite the huge sprawl of modern housing estates that have sprung up around it.
Crofty's is now chiefly known for being the chief site of the North Gower cockling industry.
