Swansea and Neath
Neath Abbey and the Canal
The largest abbey ruin in Wales, with an ironworks built into it and the canal running past, all within a mile of each other.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 40
- Ascent
- 60 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- 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 link the abbey, the ironworks and the canal towpath. Flat and easy.
Worth knowing
- The abbey was called the fairest in all Wales by Leland in the sixteenth century.
- An ironworks was later built among the ruins, which is why parts look industrial.
- The abbey is free and open at any reasonable time.
What you’ll see
The abbey church and undercroft, the ironworks remains, and the canal.
Background
Neath was a Cistercian abbey from 1130. After the Dissolution the ruins were used for copper smelting and iron founding.