All walks › Rhondda and the Western Valleys
Rhondda and the Western ValleysMargam Park
Deer park, a ruined abbey, a Victorian mansion and an eighteenth-century orangery, with hill paths climbing to an Iron Age fort above.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr 5
- Ascent
- 180 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Paths circle the park from the castle, taking in the abbey ruins, the orangery and the deer herd, with steeper trails climbing to Mynydd y Castell.
Worth knowing
- The orangery is the longest in Britain, built in 1790 to house a citrus collection.
- Fallow and red deer roam the park; keep dogs on leads.
- The hillfort above gives a view over the whole of Swansea Bay.
What you’ll see
The abbey chapter house, the orangery, the deer herd, and the hillfort on the ridge.
Background
Margam was a Cistercian abbey from 1147. After the Dissolution the Mansel and Talbot families built successively on the site.