An epic day exploring three valleys in South East Wales.
UPDATED!
It was an epic day of adventure as we set out — zig-zagging our way up and down the Llynfi, Afan, and Neath Valleys with a vague notion of creating a cycle route on which we might lead a group of volunteers.
OVERVIEW
Legendary Neath Explore
Date: April 19, 2017
Distance: 36.5 mi. / 58.74 km
Elevation: +1,735 ft / -2,140 ft
Duration: roughly 10 hrs
Distance: 36.5 mi. / 58.74 km
Elevation: +1,735 ft / -2,140 ft
Duration: roughly 10 hrs
The plan was for Tim and I to meet at the Penarth Train Station where we would then load our bikes onto another train and travel west to the town of Maesteg. From there, our cycling adventure would officially begin.
My buddy Tim, who works for Sustrans, thought that this route he had planned might make an interesting group ride for volunteers or perhaps even for the public. I was leading small groups of cyclists for Sustrans and agreed that this looked very promising. Our goal was to simply check it out.
My buddy Tim, who works for Sustrans, thought that this route he had planned might make an interesting group ride for volunteers or perhaps even for the public. I was leading small groups of cyclists for Sustrans and agreed that this looked very promising. Our goal was to simply check it out.
Starting in Maesteg, the first part of our ride would begin on NCN Route 885 heading north up the Llynfi Valley to the village of Cymmer. Once in Cymmer, we would then merge onto NCN Route 887 at Afan Forest Park. Turning south, we would then cycle all the way down the Afan Valley to the industrial steel-town of Port Talbot.
We would briefly follow NCN Route 4 through Port Talbot before merging onto EuroVelo 1 (EV1) for a slight scenic detour along the coast to the town of Briton Ferry.
The second part of our journey would follow NCN Route 47 north from Briton Ferry along the River Neath to the historic village of Aberdulais. In Aberdulais, we would then cross the river and disused Neath & Tennant Canal, turning south again to explore the relatively secluded path following alongside the canal back down to the outskirts of Briton Ferry.
The Neath Canal Walk is not a part of the National Cycle Network, but the local council has developed it in places by and where the work has been put in, it is quite stunning. However, there are several parts that are undeveloped and quite rough. These rough sections are what we set out to investigate in detail, especially how the canal path joins up to NCN Route 4 outside of Briton Ferry.
The last leg of our journey would then be to follow NCN Route 4 from Briton Ferry to Swansea, where we would then catch a train back to Cardiff.
We would briefly follow NCN Route 4 through Port Talbot before merging onto EuroVelo 1 (EV1) for a slight scenic detour along the coast to the town of Briton Ferry.
The second part of our journey would follow NCN Route 47 north from Briton Ferry along the River Neath to the historic village of Aberdulais. In Aberdulais, we would then cross the river and disused Neath & Tennant Canal, turning south again to explore the relatively secluded path following alongside the canal back down to the outskirts of Briton Ferry.
The Neath Canal Walk is not a part of the National Cycle Network, but the local council has developed it in places by and where the work has been put in, it is quite stunning. However, there are several parts that are undeveloped and quite rough. These rough sections are what we set out to investigate in detail, especially how the canal path joins up to NCN Route 4 outside of Briton Ferry.
The last leg of our journey would then be to follow NCN Route 4 from Briton Ferry to Swansea, where we would then catch a train back to Cardiff.
2026 UPDATE: This is an updated version of a previously posted Ride Report. As part of my ongoing redesign of this website, each feature from "Rides to Remember" will be re-formatted to accomodate the new larger page layout. All of the photographs have been re-edited and where needed, the text has been re-edited for context and clarity.
ON ROAD |
+ | NCN | 47 |  |
Oakdale to Maesteg |
Distance: 6.0 mi. / 9.65 km
Elevation: +203 ft / -507 ft
Elevation: +203 ft / -507 ft
The first part of MY trip was to get to Penarth. I planned to catch the earliest train from Hengoed to Cardiff Central, where I would change over to another (very early) train taking me to Penarth where I would meet Tim. Traveling by train (yet again) we would then head from Penarth to Maesteg where our adventure would officially begin.
I was bleary-eyed and groggy as I left the house at 5:30 in the morning. The roads were silent; the cycle path was empty. I watched the sun come up over the A472 as I pedaled over the pedestrian bridge at Pontllanfraith and joined NCN Route 47 down to Hengoed.
I caught the first train heading to Cardiff Central. I boarded the train alone and aside from the conductor, I traveled alone for nearly 40 minutes down the Rhymney Valley.
At Cardiff Central I needed to catch another train across town to the Queen Street Station, where I would then catch the train to Penarth... Or so I thought(!?)
As it turned out, I should have stayed on the Cardiff Central train (as it does stop in Penarth.) So instead, I did a useless back & forth to Queen Street Station, lugging my bike up & down multiple sets of stairs, and rushing like an idiot.
As it turned out, I should have stayed on the Cardiff Central train (as it does stop in Penarth.) So instead, I did a useless back & forth to Queen Street Station, lugging my bike up & down multiple sets of stairs, and rushing like an idiot.
The photo above shows my train... leaving Cardiff Central for Penarth. My little excursion to Queen Street and back had put me behind 30 mins. It was time to call Tim to inform him of my mis-adventures and that I was going to be late. Urgh.
| NCN | 885 | |
+ | ON ROAD |
Maesteg to Cymmer |
Distance: 5.1 mi. / 8.20 km
Elevation: +691 ft / -531 ft
Elevation: +691 ft / -531 ft
An hour later, I finally met Tim in Penarth. We boarded the train for a short 30 min. ride to Maesteg and all was good in the Universe again. Once in Maesteg, the skies had cleared and the day looked fabulous. Excitedly, we mounted our bikes and began cycling up Llynfi Valley along NCN Route 885.
We set off along NCN Route 885, just outside the Maesteg Train Station. At first, we were climbing (as ya do, here in Wales), but it wasn't terribly difficult. Then after a few miles, the cycle path ended and we had to enter the A4063. This busy road is quite narrow in places as it passes through several small neighbourhoods, and unfortunately, it is the only one which crosses over the ridge.
Soon the trees fell away and the hills became seriously steep. We climbed and climbed. It was hard cycling with some sections hitting gradients over 16%. We stopped often because; firstly, why kill ourselves? — there was no real rush. And secondly, the views were fabulous.
When we finally reached the top of the ridge, we were rewarded with a fast (and much apprecitated) downhill race into the sleepy village of Croeserw. Here, NCN Route 885 leaves the busy road to became traffic-free for the next mile or so into Cymmer. The famous but disused Cymmer Viaduct still looks magnificent (image above) .
| NCN | 887 | 4 | |
Cymmer to Briton Ferry |
Distance: 16.7 mi. / 26.87 km
Elevation: +565 ft / -1,085 ft
Elevation: +565 ft / -1,085 ft
At Cymmer NCN Route 885 ends and we joined NCN Route 887, also known as the Afan Valley Trail. This popular walking and cycling route runs from Port Talbot in the south to Afan Forest Park in the north. The park is very popular with mountain bikers and offers loads of unpaved trails over the surrounding hills and forest.
Thankfully, we stuck with the walking and cycling trail which was once the old rail line that transported both people and coal up and down the valley. The Afan Valley Trail runs for seven relaxed and scenic miles down to Port Talbot.
I can see why Tim says the Afan Valley is his favourite. It is uniquely stunning.
Like most of the Valleys here in South East Wales, this area was once dominated by the coal industry. Victorian elements of the Industrial Age litter the hillsides with spectacular bridges and impressive stonework from a bygone era.
The old iron and wood railway bridge crossing high above the River Afan has been replaced with a modern steel one and fits in nicely. Thanks Sustrans! (image below).
The old iron and wood railway bridge crossing high above the River Afan has been replaced with a modern steel one and fits in nicely. Thanks Sustrans! (image below).
The route is mostly rural, following the old railline through the woods, along the hillside and high above the River Afan. We passed a couple of small communities, but the most notable is the quaint village of Pontrhydyfen.
Sitting at the confluence of the Afan and the Afon Pilenna rivers, the small village of Pontrhydyfen is known for two things: the massive (and recently restored) Bont Fawr Aqueduct, and as the birthplace of the Hollywood actor; Richard Burton.
It's four easy miles from Pontrhydyfen down to Port Talbot along NCN Route 887 and I should have taken some photos, but because I had already stopped so often, we were in a bit of a rush. The next set of images are from our detour following EuroVelo 1 along the seaside from Port Talbot to Briton Ferry.
As I mentioned earlier, we cycled briefly on NCN Route 4 through Port Talbot, then joining EV1 to follow the coast. And am I glad we did. I simply had to stop for a few photos once we reached the coast at Port Talbot. It was such a gorgeous day and the views were fabulous.
I hate that we rushed from Pontrhydyfen to Briton Ferry, but it also inspires me to return and document NCN Route 887 properly.
| NCN | 47 | |
Briton Ferry to Aberdulais |
Distance: 5.0 mi. / 8.04 km
Elevation: +182 ft / -189 ft
Elevation: +182 ft / -189 ft
Leaving the coast at Briton Ferry, we joined NCN Route 47 heading north along the River Neath. This route is exceptionally nice and definately deserves more attention.
The lower River Neath is only navigable by small commercial vessels a short distance past Briton Ferry. However, the historic Neath Canal which branches off the river at Aberdulais has undegone some significant restoration efforts which makes some sections suitable for smaller, portable boats.
Fortunately for us, walking or cycling the river and canal is easily made along their entire length, from Briton Ferry all the way to Glyneath.
Fortunately for us, walking or cycling the river and canal is easily made along their entire length, from Briton Ferry all the way to Glyneath.
Exploring churches in the UK can be a bit of a blackhole because there are so many, but sometimes you run across one that is truly an exception. Across the river is Church of St. Illtyd, a charming little Norman beauty with a fortified tower that dates back to the 13th century. Yet another reason to come back!
The Neath and Tennant Canals are two independent canals that are usually regarded as a single canal. These canals have a fascinating history and their development included several unique engineering achievements. Most notably, the disused Aberdulais Aqueduct, a ten arch aqueduct completed in 1824. This Grade II listed structure served as a crucial junction between the two canals as it crosses the River Neath.
The close proximity of the River Neath to the Neath & Tennant Canals makes the landscape quite unusual. The Neath Valley is very narrow here which forces the canals, the river, and the railroads to all converge in close proximity. In the photo below you can see the River Neath flowing under the Aberdulais Aqueduct and parallel to the aquaduct stands a railway viaduct, built in 1851 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Vale of Neath Railway.
The close proximity of the River Neath to the Neath & Tennant Canals makes the landscape quite unusual. The Neath Valley is very narrow here which forces the canals, the river, and the railroads to all converge in close proximity. In the photo below you can see the River Neath flowing under the Aberdulais Aqueduct and parallel to the aquaduct stands a railway viaduct, built in 1851 by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Vale of Neath Railway.
Here again we rushed up NCN Route 47 to Aberdulais, which is a real shame because it has some wonderful areas for further exploration and documentation.
Canal Towpath |
Aberdulais to Briton Ferry |
Distance: 5.8 mi. / 9.33 km
Elevation: +204 ft / -209 ft
Elevation: +204 ft / -209 ft
At Aberdulais, we left the river path, crossed under the A465 and followed the Main Road a short distance to the Aberdulais Heritage Centre. Unfortunately, the centre was closed for the day, so we sat and had our lunch at a nearby picnic table. I had not heard of Aberdulais, so while we sat eating, I listened intently as Tim described the stories he had come to know having grown up in nearby Neath.
450 Years of Industrial Heritage
photo courtesy of the National Trust
photo courtesy of the David Ross and Britain Express
J.M.W. Turner's "Aberdulais Mill, Glamorganshire"; watercolour, likely painted around 1796-97
photo courtesy of the National Trust
References:
Note: All of the historical information outlined above regarding Aberdulais, I learned upon my return home — and later, during the writing of this report. I enjoyed the research and having done so, I am now eager to return so that I may photograph and document this fascinating location more.
Getting back to the adventure at hand; Tim and I finished our lunch, remounted our bicycles and set off to exlore the lower Neath & Tennant Canal. This path is not a part of the National Cycle Network, yet in some places it has been upgraded and developed into a very useable path by the Neath Port Talbot County Burough. However, Tim was unaware of the conditions of the undeveloped sections, which is what we specifically wanted to investigate.
The canal path was very rideable as we set off from Aberdulais. At some point, a layer of fine gravel had been laid, although, grass was creeping over the edges, so it must have been a few years ago.
Tim is a much faster rider than myself and as I also stopped to take photos, he would often get very far ahead of me (image above).
Tim is a much faster rider than myself and as I also stopped to take photos, he would often get very far ahead of me (image above).
We soon discovered what would be a consistant difficulty along this path; underpasses. Here we were forced to disembark our bikes, but even walking was rather treacherous as the first one was very low, covered in loose gravel, and falling away into the canal (yikes!) Whilst the second one was extremely narrow. I would definately NOT bring a group of riders through here.
With his wide handlebars combined with a rear pannier, Tim had a sketchy wobble coming through the second underpass. Thankfully, he didn't take a swim!
At the next bridge, we had to disembark our bikes again, but this time we had to climb a set of stairs and cross the road. It was interesting though because here we can see just how closely the canal parallels the River Neath.
Then just around the corner, I got another surprise for the day... Neath Abbey. Currently closed for repairs and restoration, this is another historic landmark I had not heard of and offers me yet another reason to return.
As I was photographing the very unique metal walkway under this bridge, I happened to notice the next bridge ahead...
I'm a big believer that when you stop to take a photo, you should always look behind to see from where you came. These are often overlooked, yet they too can be quite surprising and provide a completely different perspective.
Here we have a very unique situation and honestly, I don't know how an individual could get their bicycle under this very low bridge on their own. Tim and I had to get on opposite sides inorder to slowly roll each bike from one to the other.
Looking back, that is certainly a very unusual bridge (iamge above).
As we continued, the path became fairly rough and quite narrow, having water along both sides in some places. I continued looking back too (image below).
At the next bridge, we crossed over to the opposite side of the canal again and the path became even more narrow and muddier.
Near Briton Ferry we discovered the canal being dredged and several boat docks looked to be under repair. That's good to see!
We then came to a small footbridge across the canal and leading into Pant y Sais National Nature Reserve. Time to explore!
The raised walkway was very cool and it felt so smooth to cycle upon after the bumpy and muddy path. It's a small area, but the path makes a lovely loop around the reserve and a great little detour.
After that little side trip, we got back on the canal and made our way toward Swansea.
Regrettably, I only snapped a few more photos before reaching the train station. It had been a long day and we were both ready to head home.
SUMMARY
Legendary Neath Explore
Looking back, this ride was one of the best I made with Tim. So much of this route I had not seen before, so it was quite exciting to see these new places. I know I slowed him down quite a bit and we were out much longer than he had planned, but that's just how I like to ride.
The weather was fantastic with mostly mild temperatures hovering around 13°. We couldn't have asked for anything better. There was slight chill from the wind at times (especially coming down NCN Route 887 from Cymmer), but overall, the sun shone all day. When we reached the beach at Port Talbot, I could've stopped for the day. It was just so nice.
Of course, my thanks go out to Tim for leading us on this legendary ride. Although, much of it isn't sutable for a group ride, it was loads of fun exploring. Where are we going next?
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed my report and thanks for reading!
Seeya down the road... Cheers! - cm
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed my report and thanks for reading!
Seeya down the road... Cheers! - cm
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