Neath Abbey, South Wales is a short distance from the M4 and Swansea Bay but it’s “off the beaten path” for many visitors to Wales.
Neath Abbey and the neighbouring ironworks are often overlooked. Not only by tourists but by us South Wales locals too.
On this short Welsh river walk which is less than a mile I walk along the picturesque River Clydach and come across many places which trace the local Welsh history going back over 900 years.
During the industrial revolution, Neath Abbey was a busy ironworks and the two blast furnaces of Neath Abbey ironworks still stand today. As well as producing iron, Neath Abbey ironworks used to power the industrial revolution by making steam engines, maritime engines, iron ships and locomotives.
Neath Abbey ironworks was in use until the 1880s.
A few minutes from the ironworks is Neath Abbey itself. A monastery founded in 1129 for Richard de Granville one of the twelve Knights of Glamorgan.
By the 13th century, Neath Abbey was one of the wealthiest abbeys in Wales.
Despite paying a fine to Henry VIII the abbey was dissolved in 1539 and the estate was granted to Sir Richard Williams.
A few years later a grand mansion was constructed in the cloisters of the southwest corner of Neath Abbey. This mansion was used for about 100 years before being abandoned due to the growth of the industry in the area.
Neath Abbey was used as copper smelting works and furnaces, workshops and workers houses were built within the grounds and over time the ruins were engulfed by industrial waste.
The historic ruins of the abbey were finally excavated in the 1920s and the abbey is now managed by CADW, the welsh agency which manages many Welsh historic sites.
It is free to enter the abbey, you can check the opening times here cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-t...
So If you haven’t yet visited this Welsh historic gem; then you should definitely make the trip.
‘Neath Abbey - A ‘Must Do’ Walk Through Welsh History’ - Filmed April 2021 #NeathAbbey #VisitWales
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