Discover Skewen

If you’re looking for a hotel in Skewen, the area’s local nature and history can help you decide whether it suits your travel interests. Crymlyn Bog and Coed Maesmelin offer opportunities to explore nature; the Tennant Canal, a former railway embankment and St John the Baptist Church provide other insights into the area’s history. This can help you decide in advance whether the landscape, walking routes or architectural history should play a bigger role in your stay.

Nature between bog and woodland

Crymlyn Bog is the largest lowland raised bog in Wales. The area has walking trails, including boardwalks through the centre of the bog. Great Crymlyn Bog extends west of Skewen for around 2 square miles, reaching the sea. Its approximate extent and the trails through the bog’s centre offer two different ways to appreciate the landscape: its vast area and the experience of walking through this natural environment. Coed Maesmelin offers another way to enjoy nature. The ancient woodland is in Skewen and gives visitors a chance to retreat into nature. For planning your trip, this provides a clear distinction between bog and woodland.

Walk to Carreg Bica

The Skewen Station–Drummau Mountain walking route starts at Skewen railway station and leads to Carreg Bica. Located north of Skewen, Carreg Bica is a 4.3 m-high monolithic slab of local sandstone. The route connects a named starting point with a specific destination, while the stone itself can be described by its shape, material and height. Unlike the boardwalks in the bog, this route focuses on reaching a single stone feature. If you’d like to include a walk in your plans, you can choose between the bog trails and this named walking route.

The Tennant Canal: history and cycling route

The Tennant Canal opened in 1824 and is 8 miles long. National Cycle Route 4 runs alongside the canal to Jersey Marine. A former railway embankment near Skewen was built over a deep, still-water-filled cutting in the Tennant Canal. The canal and the embankment therefore offer different points of connection to the area’s history: the cycle route follows the canal to Jersey Marine, while the embankment reflects the area’s railway heritage.

The church and Skewen Park

St John the Baptist Church in Skewen was built in 1850 to a design by architect R C Saunders in the Early Decorated Gothic style. The church features stained glass by Clayton & Bell, and the grave of Sir S T Evans is in its churchyard. The church brings together architectural design, decoration and a specific connection to a burial site.

Skewen Park also has a clear historical date: it opened in 1929 on land acquired from the Tennant Estate. The park has a children’s play area, a paddling pool and a skatepark. If you plan to use any of these facilities, check before visiting whether they are currently open and accessible to the public. In terms of their dates, the park’s opening in 1929 and the church’s construction in 1850 mark different points in the area’s history.

Discover more destinations: Aberdulais, Rhos, Crynant, Cymmer, Neath, Port Talbot, Seven Sisters, Glynneath

For the wider travel overview: Neath Port Talbot.