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Neath is a town in Glamorgan in South Wales.

Understand

Originally a small market town, Neath grew into a large manufacturing base for iron, steel and tinplate during the industrial revolution. The town currently has a population of around 50,000, and 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.

Get in

Get around

See

  • Neath Castle. Insubstantial ruins, but worth a look if in the area.
  • Neath Abbey. Built in 1130, it was once described as the fairest abbey in all of Wales, but now only ruins remain.
  • Victoria Gardens in the center of town - a traditional Victorian-style park.
  • South Wales Miners Museum, Afan Forest Park, Cynonville, +44 1639 850564. Open: April-Sep 9:30AM-5PM (until 6PM at weekends). Oct-March 10:30Am-4PM (9:30AM-5PM at weekends). This museum located in the country-side near Neath provides a look at life in a South Wales colliery. Exhibits include working machinery and records of lives of local miners. Admission: Adult £1.20.
  • 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.
  • Vale of Neath The Vale of Neath is also known as Waterfall Country for the numerous falls which are found there.
  • 1 Aberdulais Falls and Tin Works, Aberdulais, Neath, Neath Port Talbot, SA10 8EU, +44 1639 636674, . 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.
  • The Melincourt Falls are located near the community of Resolven. The eighty foot high falls are part of the Melincourt Brook, a tributary of the River Neath. [1]
  • 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.[2]
  • Cefn Coed Colliery Museum found in near the village of Crynant in the Dulais Valley features a permanent exhibition of the Cefn Coed Colliery - once the deepest anthracite coal mine in the world.[3]
  • Neath Canal The historic Neath and Tennant Canals are currently 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 a.k.a Vale of Neath Market, Rheola, Neath, SA11 4DT. Located near the hamlet of Resolven just off the A465 Road, Rheola market is open every Saturday morning and features over 200 stalls plus a car boot sale.

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid range

  • 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 (Express by Holiday Inn), Neath Road, Llandarcy, SA10 6JQ (This hotel is located just of M4 junction 43), +44 871 423 4896. It is located right next to the sports club facilities of Llandarcy Academy of Sport.
  • 1 The Towers Hotel and Spa, Jersey Marine, SA10 6JL, +44 1792 814155. Located next to the Jersey Marine Tower which is the tall octagonal tower visible from the Fabian Way. The tower itself is the hotel's premier suite and the top floor bedroom offers views of Swansea Bay.

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