Discover Crynant

Crynant combines woodland scenery with traces of medieval settlement and industrial history. This offers a choice of different themes when planning a stay: routes through Crynant Forest, archaeological sites, churches and evidence of coal mining. The destinations below give you an overview of these distinctive features and their historical context.

Woodland and Routes Around Crynant

Crynant Forest covers large parts of the western slopes of Mynydd Marchywell and lies between the Tawe and Dulais rivers. Two named routes pass through the forest: National Cycle Route 43 and the long-distance St Illtyd's Way. They offer different ways to experience the landscape—as part of a cycle route or a long-distance walking trail.

Bus stops along the Tawe Valley are conveniently located for Crynant Forest. If you plan to travel by bus, check current routes and timetables before setting off. This will help you plan your journey around the available services, without assuming a specific connection.

Archaeological and Religious Heritage

Above and northeast of Crynant are the house platforms and large enclosure at Coed Ddu. The two house platforms and the enclosure are a Scheduled Monument. They probably date from the medieval or post-medieval period and may be the surviving remains of Crynant Grange, which belonged to Neath Abbey. Both the dating and this interpretation should therefore be treated as tentative.

The Coed Ddu ring cairn is also a Scheduled Monument. It lies above and northeast of Crynant and probably dates from the Bronze Age; an approximate date range is 2300 to 800 BC. Hirfynydd is also home to four Neolithic burial mounds.

The area's church history also reaches back a long way. Crynant Chapel of Ease has medieval origins. Around 1500, the parish church of Llangatwg opened a daughter church, or chapel, in Creunant to make pastoral care in the Dulais Valley easier. The Crynant Village Trail describes Crynant as the oldest settlement in the Dulais Valley.

St Margaret's Church stands on the east side of the A4109, set back slightly within a leafy churchyard. Its windows on the north, south and east sides contain stained glass depicting scenes from the life of Christ. The works were made by Celtic Studios between 1951 and 1966.

Gelli Galed Ruin is a Grade II listed farmhouse where monks rested on their pilgrimage to St Davids. The site includes a secret chamber known as a priest's hiding place; fugitives hid there during the English Civil War. The route of the Roman road Sarn Helen can also still be traced near Crynant. These sites bring together the area's religious and archaeological themes, without implying a specific route between them.

Coal Mining and Planning Your Visit

The Cefn Coed Colliery Museum is located near Crynant, five miles north of Neath on the A4109. Cefn Coed Colliery was once the deepest anthracite mine in the world. An authentically designed underground gallery at the museum depicts coal mining from the Victorian era to modern times.

On 1 September 2026, the museum was closed to the public for essential maintenance work. Check its current opening status before planning a visit. You should also take current traffic conditions into account when travelling there. This lets you include the historical significance of mining in your travel plans without confusing past operations with present-day visitor access.

Discover more destinations: Pontardawe, Neath, Port Talbot, Rhos, Seven Sisters, Cymmer, Aberdulais, Skewen.

See the main travel guide: Neath Port Talbot.