Neath Abbey

Neath Abbey was founded by the knight Sir Richard de Grenville in 1130, and by the 13th century was one of Wales’s wealthiest abbeys. It didn’t escape the Industrial Revolution however; by the 1730s the abbey had become a copper smelting plant with furnaces, workshops and workers’ dwellings. The industrial debris was cleared away in the early 20th century and its ruins are still considered one of the most impressive monastic remains in South East Wales.

Key visitor information:
Neath Abbey is open daily from 10am to 4pm throughout the year (1 April – 31 March), with last admission 30 minutes before closing, and the site is closed on 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January. Entry is free of charge. There is a small car park approximately 30 metres from the entrance, although spaces are limited and there are no dedicated disabled bays. Dogs on short leads are welcome on the ground-floor areas of the site. The site is mostly level with gravel paths, though some areas may become wet or uneven in poor weather, and care is needed around low walls and ruinous steps. There are no toilets on site, but visitors can use the nearby Tesco Superstore which provides accessible toilets, standard toilets and baby changing facilities.