Vale of Neath Tourist Information

Cefn Coed Colliery Museum, Mining History & Neath Museum

The Cefn Coed Colliery Museum on the trail of South Wales mining history is a must for coal mining history fanatics. On the site of the original working colliery here, view a working steam winding engine (now like many in mining museums across the UK electrically driven).

Many original mining buildings remain intact on the colliery site, with mining equipment including mining lamps and mining memorabilia on display.

Free parking is also available, and the colliery museum is accessible to disabled visitors. Tel: 01639 750556 for details. The museum is located just 3 miles to the north of Neath on the A4109.

Whilst you're on the Wales mining history trail in the Neath area take time to visit also the South Wales Miners Museum situated in the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre.

Margam Forest, Margam Country Park & Wales Walking

Alongside Afan Forest Park there's another rural treat - Margam Forest, which includes Margam Country Park. The two parks are closely linked and you can hook into walking trails which take in both.The park consists of 1000 acres of attractive parklands and includes a selection of family day trip facilities including restored historic gardens, a castle, a Victorian mansion, a 12th century Chapter house with a collection of fuchsias, a kids adventure playground, a farm trail and pets corner, a visitor centre and a gift shop and cafe. Enough to keep all the family busy.

The choice of walking trails in Margam Country Park is superb, taking in a selection of iron age forts, monastic sights and more. The walking trails are colour coded too for ease, and each has a differently themed edge, for example the Monastic Trail (2.5 miles) passes an iron age hill fort and the remains of a medieval church whilst the long Coed Morgannwg Way (36 miles) which also crosses the Afan Park takes in a selection of Bronze and Iron Age settlements and offers stunning views of the Brecon Beacons. Checkout the Margam Park weblink right for more details on all the walking trails available.

The 19th century Tudor gothic mansion, otherwise known as the Castle within Margam, is a site to behold indeed, note the stair hall and octagonal tower. You won't want to miss the 18th century Orangery within the grounds either. Built by Thomas Mansel Talbot between 1786 to 1793, this Orangery is Grade I listed and considered one of Wales finest classical buildings. Sport, leisure and more mountain biking are all on the menu in Margam Park. The park has a 5 mile mountain bike trail, plus numerous opportunities for cycling, fishing, walking, horse riding and even camping and caravanning on-site. Monty the Margam Train will whisk you around the park via the narrow gauge railway if you fancy taking it easy.

Margam Abbey & Neath Abbey

Surprisingly Margam Abbey, a Cistercian foundation dating from 1147 - is still in use today. This ancient religious building is well worth a look, likewise the Margam Abbey Stones Museum, home to a superb Romanesque, Roman and Celtic stones collection including crosses. Many stones and crosses on display were found in the local area. Hook into one of the guided tours offered around both Margam Abbey and the museum. Parking and toilets are on-site.

Staying on the South Wales Abbey trail, viewing the ruins of Neath Abbey should be on every visitor's itinerary. Neath abbey dates from 1130, founded by the Norman Baron Richard de Granville. The ruins are splendid enough, so one can only imagine the awe inspiring impression created by this ornate building in it's early days.

Neath Abbey sits on the banks of the Tennant Canal (why not take a stroll along the Tennant Canal towpath and detour off for a viewing of the abbey!). The ruins have excellent disabled access and there's a lot of them as much as survived. Neath Abbey was incorporated into the Cistercian order in 1147. As well as the abbey remains, a 16th century mansion sits within the grounds. Tel: CADW for more details on 029 20 500200 (CADW weblink is to the right).

National Trust Aberdulais Falls

There's some real hidden gems in the Neath area, not least spectacular Aberdulais Falls just outside of Neath. The waterwheel here, still in use and currently the largest in Europe to generate electric power, has been serving industry in the area for decades.

A favoured spot of artist J W Turner, he visited the site in 1796 and painted Aberdulais. You can view the painting at the prestigious National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth (it's one of two major Turner works held here, the other is Dolbadarn Castle). For more details check the National Library of Wales weblink right for details. Copper and tin works once operated on the site, served by the water wheel. A copper smelting furnace was built here in 1584. Today the Turbine House has an interactive computer, a fish pass, various display panels and a viewing window.

There's plenty to see at Aberdulais Falls on top of the spectacular working water wheel and of course the waterfall itself. Much work is afoot on visitor facilities so you can expect more activities around the site in the future. Free parking is on-site, as are refreshments, baby changing facilities and you can take in pushchairs and baby back carriers, making Aberdulais Falls a highly accessible family activity.

Aberdulais, nr Neath, Neath & Port Talbot SA10 8EU. Telephone: 01639 636674. (National Trust website right)

Neath & Tennant Canals

Canals feature heavily in the Neath area of Wales. Both the Neath and Tennant Canals have undergone considerable regeneration in recent years (checkout the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust website right for an in-depth history on both these canals, and details on boat trips and towpath walks!).

From a faltering start of just over 1 mile's construction in the late 17th century, The Neath Canal was gradually extended throughout the 18th century, although its full stretch of the long 13 miles from Glyn Neath to Giant's Grave near Briton Ferry wasn't achieved until the late 1700s. The Neath Canal saw peak use during the industrial revolution years, with crowded traffic serving local copper, tin and coal mines as well as ironworks, for example the old iron works at Aberdulais.

Canal traffic began to decline from the beginning of the 20th century, and Neath Canal closed to commercial traffic in 1934. Tourism is its mainstay these days, and you can take boat trips on the Thomas Dadford narrowboat which accommodates upto 12 people and departs from the landing stage between B&Q and Morrisons in Neath. Narrow Boat trips run most Saturdays from Easter to the end of September from 11am up until 3pm. Lookout for the chalk time board giving information on the next trip on the landing stage. Fares are very good value - all below five pounds! See the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust weblink right for more details. Click on the boat trips section.

The Tennant Canal was built later in 1821, opening officially in 1824, note the aqueduct at Aberdulais built in 1823 to cross the River Neath. The Tennant Canal was deemed obsolete by 1887 however. Read the details on the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust weblink right.