LONGER WALK 5: COED MORGANNWG WAY: BRYN TO MARGAM PARK
 | A walk along the hillsides and forest above Maesteg and Port Talbot and a dramatic route into Margam Park. Taking in the southern section of the 36 miles long Coed Morgannwg Way to finish in one of the loveliest Country Parks in South Wales, where there should be time to explore some of its many attractions and enjoy refreshment before your return bus. Photo: C. Speakman, TFL |
Map: OS Explorer 166 & 165; or Landranger 170
Distance: 7½ miles (12 km); allow 3 hours.
Terrain: Mostly along forest tracks with some short footpath sections; on some sections of the path the Ordnance Survey Map may not reflect a route change. Total ascent: 130m easy gradients; steeper (and greater) descent.
Start: Bryn, Royal Oak bus stop (eastern end of the village), Grid Reference 819920
Bus there: Mondays to Saturdays: First Cymru X3 from Swansea and Port Talbot; frequency every hour daytime. Sundays: no service.
The village of Bryn, with a population of around 6,500 people, was once a thriving colliery village- the Bryn Navigation Collieries opened in the 1890s and as late as 1945 employed 615 miners, producing 96,000 tones of coal annually. The village’s colliery railway, the trackbed of which is crossed at the start of the walk, linked with Maesteg through the 1,012 yard long Cwmcerwin tunnel, which finally closed, along with the colliery, in 1964.
Walk: From the bus stop, cross the road by the Royal Oak and the footpath signs for the ‘Coed Morgannwg Way’ and go up the hill. Take the narrow lane leading up to the forest; turn left at the forest boundary past the road barrier which has a waymark on the right hand side. Follow the road for 50m before taking the well defined path sharp left; the path ascends through the forest along a wide trail.
After an initial climb, the path takes a level route along a boulevard of broadleaf trees surrounded by a conifer plantation.
The Coed Morgannwg Way is a 36 mile (58km) walking route between Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare and Margam Country Park. The way takes its name from Coed Morgannwg, a complex of four forests covering many of the hills of Neath Port Talbot. The route as a whole route follows several ancient Celtic tracks, with remains of several ancient settlements and forts are passed along the way including Myndd y Castell at the end of the walk.
At the edge of the woodland, the path leads up the hillside passing some electricity pylons before joining a wide track by a barrier; take this track which ascends gradually. At the next junction take the waymarked track left and at the third junction, turn right. The fourth junction is signposted with the track left pointing to Margam Park with a distance of ‘9.9km’. At the fifth junction the path joins a track; head left onto this to ascend the summit. Soon after, the ‘Coed Morgannwg Way’ turns left on to a path through the trees and rejoins the track below.
Turn right, up to the cattle grid and turn right again, following the ‘Coed Morgannwg Way’ arrows. The track follows the edge of a plantation (some of which has been recently harvested), before a right turn marked by a stile down a grassy path (828871). The path joins another track; turn left and follow this as far as the waymark indicating the track which curves back right and descends. In the clearing below, take the left fork to drop down into the valley.
At the next junction of tracks, turn left to follow the valley down to Margam Park. Go through the entrance gate, turn right and continue down the valley. Below the hill fort, take the left turn around the fort to Margam Castle and Visitor Centre.
Mynydd y Castell to the left of the path is the site of an Iron Age hill fort in the Country Park overlooking the park from its own summit.
Margam Park itself is a spectacular place to end the walk. Originally the family home of the great iron industrialist Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803-1880) who developed and eventually gave his name to Port Talbot as a major industrial centre, the 1,000 acres estate, which includes the ruins of the 12th century Margam Abbey, has magnificent parkland with peakcock and deer, gardens, and huge 18th century orangery a unique Stone Museum and a narrow gauge railway - as well as a welcoming cafeteria. >> More details.
For the bus stop, from the Visitor Centre, follow the access road down towards the main gates. The bus stop is on the A48, just to the right, on the opposite side of the road for the service to Port Talbot and Swansea.
Finish: Margam Park main gates; Grid reference 799857
Facilities: Bryn Royal Oak pub for bar meals; café and toilets in Margam Park Visitor Centre
Bus back: Mondays to Saturdays: First Cymru X1 to Port Talbot & Swansea; frequency: every hour daytime. Sundays: no service.
Tickets: Best buy First Day Swansea Bay; prices as of summer 2010: £4.25 adult, £2.75 child.
Updated 19.08.10