Neath

Neath (Welsh: Castell-nedd) is a town in Glamorgan in South Wales. Although it lacks any specific tourist attractions, its location near the stunning Swansea and Neath Valleys make it a convenient, if not overly inspiring, base for touring these places.

Understand

From a small market town, Neath grew into a large manufacturing base for iron, steel and tinplate during the industrial revolution. As of 2011, the town has a population of around 19,500, with 50,000 in the wider area.

Get in

By train

• 1 Neath railway station, Windsor Road. On the South Wales Main Line from London Paddington to Swansea.  

By bus

Bus station is at Victoria Gardens, a five-minute walk from the railway station. Connections from Swansee and Port Talbot.

By car

Just off the M4 between Port Talbot and Swansea on the A465 "Heads of the Valleys" road Merthyr Tydfil to Abergavenny.

See

• 1 Neath Castle. Insubstantial ruins, but worth a look if in the area.  
• 2 Neath Abbey. Built in 1130, it was once described as the fairest abbey in all of Wales, but now only ruins remain.  
• 3 Victoria Gardens (in the center of town). a traditional Victorian-style park.  
• 4 Gnoll Estate Country Park. Features a lake and historic landscaped gardens in a setting in the lower Vale of Neath.  
• Pant-y-Sais Fen. Special Site of Scientific Interest in Jersey Marine, the wetland site features a boardwalk which is accessible from a free car park just outside Jersey Marine village. 
• 5 Waterfall Country. Vale of Neath The Vale of Neath is also known as Waterfall Country for the numerous falls which are found there.  
  • 6 Aberdulais Falls and Tin Works, Aberdulais, Neath, Neath Port Talbot, SA10 8EU, ☏ +44 1639 636674, aberdulais@nationaltrust.org.uk. One of the most famous waterfalls of Wales, the Aberdulais Falls can be found near the village of Aberdulais in the lower Neath Valley. The waterfall area is now a National Trust property who operate a visitor centre. The waterfall exhibition features a working waterwheel. 
  • 7 Melincourt Falls (are located near the community of Resolven). The 80 ft (24 m) high falls are part of the Melincourt Brook, a tributary of the River Neath.  
  • Hepste and Mellte waterfalls. The rivers Hepste and Mellte can be found in the Upper Neath Valley and fall within the Brecon Beacons national park zone. The Hepste and Mellte feature numerous waterfalls along their length but they do require some hiking to view. They can be accessed from a car park near the village of Pontneddfechan. 
• 8 Cefn Coed Colliery Museum. Found near the village of Crynant in the Dulais Valley, it features a permanent exhibition of the Cefn Coed Colliery, once the deepest anthracite coal mine in the world.  
• Neath Canal. The historic Neath and Tennant Canals are the subject of a major restoration project by the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust. A boat trip can be taken along part of the Canal starting from Neath town centre heading inland. The boat trip operates from Easter until the end of summer annually. The canal features a walkable towpath.  

Do

• Attend a rugby game. Neath are the most successful semi-professional team in Wales.
• Swansea Bay Golf Club, Jersey Marine, SA10 6JP, ☏ +44 1792 812198. 6605-yard, par 72, 18-hole links course set in Crymlyn Burrows overlooking Swansea Bay. 
• Neath Golf club, Cadoxton, Neath, ☏ +44 1639 632759. 18-hole hilltop course. 
• Top Gun Paintball, Oaklands, 1B Brynteg Road, Seven Sisters, Neath, SA10 9ET, ☏ +44 1639 700487. 
• Glynneath Golf Club, Penygraig, Pontneddfechan, Glynneath, SA11 5UH, ☏ +44 1639 720452. 6,100-yard, par 71, 18-hole course set in a mix of parkland and woodland. 

Buy

• Rheola Market (Vale of Neath Market), Rheola (near the hamlet of Resolven just off the A465 Road). open every Saturday morning. Features over 200 stalls and a car boot sale. 

Eat

• Fortune House, 140 New Road, Skewen. 
• Hikary's Fish Bar, 74 Briton Ferry Rd. (updated Nov 2016)

Sleep

• Tan yr Eglwys Self Catering Cottages, Cilybebyll, Pontardawe, ☏ +44 1792 863367. 4-star upmarket self-catering cottages in quiet hamlet. 
• Gellifelgaws Farm, Tyllwyd Rd, Bryncoch, Neath, SA10 7DX, ☏ +44 1792 321670. 
• Hafodwen Holiday Cottage, Bryngaws Farm, Cilfrew, Neath, SA10 8NF, bryncaws@btinternet.com. Highly sought-after large detached house sleeps up to 14 in 6 large bedrooms. Stunning countryside views. Dogs welcome. 4-star accredited self-catering accommodation in the Vale of Neath. Ideal for visiting Brecon Beacons, Neath waterfalls, Gower beaches and Swansea. 
• The Castle Hotel, ☏ +44 1639 641119, fax: +44 1639 641624. The Parade. 
• The Blue Bell Hotel, 14 The Parade, ☏ +44 1639 644000. Centrally located with Mediterranean theme restaurant. A four-star boutique hotel. 
• Express by Holiday Inn, Neath Road, Llandarcy, SA10 6JQ (just of M4 junction 43), ☏ +44 871 423 4896. It is next to the sports club facilities of Llandarcy Academy of Sport. 
• 1 The Towers Hotel and Spa, Jersey Marine, SA10 6JL, ☏ +44 1792 814155. Next to the Jersey Marine Tower which is the tall octagonal tower visible from the Fabian Way. The tower is the hotel's premier suite and the top floor bedroom offers views of Swansea Bay. 

Go next

• Swansea and the Gower Peninsular - a 30-minute drive
• The 1,000-acre Margam Country Park - 20 minutes by car
• Craig y Nos Castle in the Swansea Valley - a 30-minute drive, near Pen y Cae.
• Port Talbot
• Afan Forest Park and the South Wales Miners Museum

Routes through Neath

Carmarthen ← Clydach ←

W  E

→ Port Talbot → Cardiff