Port Talbot and Margam

The enormous steelworks at Port Talbot and Margam pushes the Wales Coast Path inland, largely onto roads. However, there is another route available, a little further inland, running across hillsides overlooking the urban and industrial sprawl. This route combines both route options into an elongated circular walk.

Route detail

Distance: 8.9 miles or 14.4 kilometres 
Start location: Port Talbot Parkway Station
Start Grid Ref: SS 76745 89643
Start What 3 Words: reader.urgent.flips

Transport to the start

Parking
Parking on both sides of the railway at Port Talbot Parkway Station and elsewhere around town.

Bus
Daily bus services to Port Talbot Parkway Station from Swansea, Neath and Bridgend, but these are very limited on Sundays.

Train
Daily South Wales Mainline train services link Port Talbot Parkway Station with Cardiff and Swansea.

Map and GPX link

The circular route is marked in dark pink in the map image below. The purple flags show the start and finish point. View and download the GPX link Port Talbot and Margam 

Detailed Route Description

1. Start at Port Talbot Parkway Station, on the same side of the station as the bus station. A signpost points towards the town centre, across a broad, paved square. Continue straight along a road, preferably using the pavement on the right-hand side, then walk straight ahead along a pedestrianised road passing town centre shops. When an old stone-arched bridge is reached spanning the River Afan, don’t cross it, but turn right to follow a paved riverside path past a Tesco supermarket. Looking across the river, the rounded hill of Mynydd Dinas is seen.

2. Turn left onto a busy road bridge spanning the river and use a pedestrian crossing in the middle of it. Turn right, then left, looking for Wales Coast Path signs on a lamp post, or follow the blue Cwmavon cycleway signposts. These reveal a tarmac path heading upstream beside the River Afan, behind a Tesco filling station. Pass beneath the M4 motorway, which is supported on concrete pillars. The path turns right and continues upstream, signposted for the Wales Coast Path, Cwmavon and Afan Forest Park. Again, walk beneath the M4 motorway, among the concrete pillars, turning left to cross a footbridge over the river.

3. Turn right to follow a riverside backstreet called Reginald Street. Keep right at a road junction beside a school, Ysgol Hendrefelin, and cross a road bridge over the river as signposted. Once across, turn left along a road called Ynys-y-Gored, almost immediately crossing the road to climb 109 stone and concrete steps up a steep slope. Cross a road at the top of the steps and follow a path as signposted up another 46 concrete steps to reach an even higher road called The Uplands. Turn right to follow the road gently downhill, then once the houses run out, descend more steeply.

4. Watch out for a large and a small gate on the left and go through the small one as marked. Walk up a grassy path and go through another gate. The path mostly climbs across a slope of trees, bracken, gorse bushes and brambles, overlooking Port Talbot, Margam and the steelworks. The path contours across the slope for a while, then two marker posts reinforce a sudden right turn, where a path runs steeply downhill on wooden steps. Go through a kissing gate and continue down more steps to reach a road-end beside houses.

5. Follow the road a short way then turn left at a junction to walk steeply down another road called Broomhill. Reach a junction at the bottom of the road and turn left, then shortly afterwards turn left again at a mini roundabout as signposted for the Wales Coast Path. Follow the road, Tan y Groes Place, to the next signposted junction and turn left to walk up Dyffryn Road, passing the last house.

6. Turn sharp right as signposted up a steep concrete path on a wooded slope. Three gates are reached, so go through the middle one as marked. A gentle grassy path continues, flanked by trees, leading to a kissing gate. The path is fenced on both sides to another kissing gate. Climb across a slope of bracken and brambles, then keep straight ahead, rising across a pathless grassy slope, looking for another kissing gate. Go through the gate and the path is easier to follow, flanked by dense gorse bushes and brambles. The M4 motorway and Margam lie below, with the steelworks just beyond, and the Bristol Channel further away. On clear days, and if the smoke from the steelworks allows, it might be possible to see distant Exmoor.

7. Walk through a gate and continue straight ahead along a broad, level path. Eventually, cross a concrete slab over a hidden stream in Cwm y Geifr and go through a kissing gate below two wind turbines that stand on top of Mynydd Brombil. Later, after a broad and easy stretch of the path, go through a gate. Reach a bend on a gravel track and turn right to walk downhill. Go through a large gate at a farm and continue straight down a short, grassy path to go through a kissing gate. Follow a road away from Brombil Farmhouse as signposted. Turn left at a road junction to pass Brombil Cottage. (Note that turning right allows a short-cut by road into Margam to re-join the Wales Coast Path on Toronto Avenue, saving 3 miles / 5km.)

8. Turn right as signposted, then two private driveways lie to the left and right, with a path climbing between them into woodland. Climb a few wooden steps, cross a little footbridge, then turn left at a path junction as marked, climbing further upstream. Climb 130 wooden steps in the woodland then the gradient eases. Follow the path past three concrete buildings, where a Chain Home Low radar station operated during WWII. Also pass an electricity pylon, overlooking a power station, reservoir and roundabout. Climb further to enjoy a walk along the crest of the hill, reaching 170m on Graig Fawr. Enjoy extensive views from distant Exmoor to Gower, around Swansea Bay to nearby Port Talbot, Margam and the steelworks.

9. The path runs gently downhill just inside a beech wood, then a steeper descent down wooden steps leads to a narrow road in the woodland. Turn right to follow the road downhill. Turn right again up a track marked as the Wales Coast Path, passing a barrier gate. (Following the road further downhill leads into the Margam Country Park. This is an extensive and very interesting property, where it is best to come back on another day to explore properly. See www.margamcountrypark.co.uk)

10. The path climbs across a well-wooded slope and Margam Castle can occasionally be glimpsed to the left. Walking ahead, the ruined 14th century church of Capel Mair is reached, then passed by keeping to the right of it. The church was associated with the nearby Margam Abbey, primarily for the use of the local workforce, rather than the monks. Go down a flight of 76 plastic steps and continue downhill on the wooded slope. Watch carefully for the line of the path, or continue downhill until a few wooden steps drop to a small dirt car park.

11. Walk through the car park to a road and turn right to follow it. Turn right again at a triangular road junction, following the road downhill as marked. When the road ends, follow a fenced tarmac path that suddenly reaches a huge roundabout constructed above the busy M4 motorway. (To avoid a lot of road-walking through Margam to Port Talbot, turn left here and follow the road signposted for Pyle, where there are bus stops for services to Bridgend, Margam, Port Talbot and Swansea.) Keep to the right-hand side of the roundabout, as marked for the Wales Coast Path and a cycleway. Cross a dual carriageway road as signposted to reach a three-way Wales Coast Path signpost. The red marked inland alternative ends here, and the blue marked main path runs left and right.

12. Turn right to return to Port Talbot, noting that the Wales Coast Path follows the same course as the National Cycle Route 4, from London to Fishguard. Follow the route for 4.8km along roads and tarmac paths, through Margam and along Harbour Way, until signposted for Port Talbot from a roundabout.

    The road leads to Port Talbot Parkway Station, but it is necessary to cross the covered footbridge over the station to reach the bus station and town centre on the other side.