Swansea and Neath
The Neath Canal
A level towpath along a restored canal through the Vale of Neath, with locks, an aqueduct and wooded valley sides above.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 1 hr 55
- Ascent
- 30 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Shape
- There and back
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
Follow the towpath in either direction from Aberdulais. Flat and surfaced, so the distance is entirely up to you.
Worth knowing
- Restored in sections by volunteers and one of the most accessible flat walks in the area.
- Links to the Aberdulais falls at the northern end.
- The Vale of Neath was called the most beautiful valley in Wales by nineteenth-century tourists.
What you’ll see
Locks and bridges, the aqueduct, and the wooded valley sides.
Background
The Neath Canal opened in 1795 to carry coal and iron to the sea and remained in use into the twentieth century.