Walking The Briton Ferry Incline - Remains Of Industrial South Wales

[@carolynellis387]

I'm not sure if the Park was available earlier as my Nana played there as a girl. She was born in the Ferry in 1901, the Earl of Jersey built houses and the park was named after him. The docks were built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

[@PeopleWatchingMarcus]

Keep walking Marcus!

[@welshhibby]

Marcus loving these videos. Im from Port Talbot originally but left in 1990 but I'm hoping to move back later this year. You've given me some ideas for walks ! Theres so much history in our area.

[@marcuswalks]

Cheers, I will try and do some more over the summer.

[@huw3851]

I found this route looking at old maps and walked it starting from Pontrhydyfen. I does start on private land, a field sometimes with a sign, but there is a clear track and it's clearly much used. The very pleasant park at the end of my walk was a nice surprise.

[@marcuswalks]

I'll take a look, 👍

[@caitlineveartist2264]

I had always intended to take this walk after seeing the sign at the top of Jersey Park. However, it wasn't until I watched this that I realized I had already spent many days wandering through those woods during lockdown without even knowing it, as I had come from a different direction! I will have to give it another try soon, starting from the beginning this time. 😅

[@caitlineveartist2264]

I'm quite lucky with where I live that I can cut through the woods near my house to go in a few different directions whether that be towards the Cimla or into Britom Ferry woods

[@avirti]

Hi marcus, i have discovered so many lovely walks in the porthcawl, bridgend, neath area because of your channel so just wanted to say thankyou for being such a good local guide 😊

[@marcuswalks]

Thanks so much 👍

[@raybeaumont7670]

Thanks Marcus - another interesting stroll.

[@marcuswalks]

Thank you

[@kevingriffiths-lx8pi]

The bridge where you ended the walk carries the Bwlch Road which starts at the lower end of Cimla, Neath and goes over to Cwmavon in the Afan Valley. You can also branch off to Baglan with a footpath through Bwlch Farm. Keep up the good work.

[@marcuswalks]

Cheers - Thanks for the info! 👍

[@cosmicpop]

I'm Briton Ferry born and bred, and used to play up the Incline as a boy. I'm living in east London now so it's lovely to see some of my boyhood stomping grounds/ My word it's overgrown now. From the carpark area you used to be able to see all the way up the incline, it was a spectacular sight.

[@marcuswalks]

Thanks for watching, yes it was quite overgrown but not surprised with all the rain we've been having 🌧️

[@cosmicpop]

@@marcuswalks you asked for suggestions of walks in your video. I can see you've done Neath Canal north of Aberdulais. Have you considered heading south from there, through Neath and Briton Ferry to the sea?

[@AdamTweed-d1v]

Hi Marcus, Thank you for doing this walk! I live in Swansea now but I used to live in Cwmafan, I had many friends in Briton Ferry as a lad and would often walk this way to see them ( at least three times a week). I have not walked it for about 30 years and it was fantastic to see it again and learn some more about the history! Keep up the good work! 😊👍 0:28

[@marcuswalks]

Cheer, glad it brought back some memories. There are so many intersting walks in this area.

[@LeeJonesNPT]

I walk that route regularly coming from Ladies Walk Baglan up the Rhodfa Clarke incline and across to the Foel above Cwmafan, before coming back to Baglan through Briton Ferry woods.I am not sure about that private land sign towards the top, it seemed to appear out of nowhere. A local told me that it is as a result of some sort of family dispute as access was previously allowed across the land.

[@LeeJonesNPT]

The Briton Ferry docks walk is in a bit of a state due to the demolishing of the old power station at the moment. I regularly walk up the Tennant Canal from Jersey Marine to Neath or Aberdulais full of history especially Neath Abbey and the various industrial heritage around Aberdulais, I also enjoy the Neath Canal walk from Briton Ferry docks up as far as Glynneath, loads of history and wildlife on both canals….and flat😂

[@marcuswalks]

Hi, thanks for the info. I have done a bit of the canal walking up from Aberdulais but may do a bit more maybe I'll try the walk from Briton Ferry Docks

[@kelvinroberts7894]

I live just down the road from the top of the walk in cimla , I'm not 100% sure but I was told that part of the track was in the History museum in London .

[@marcuswalks]

Thanks for the info 👍

[@adriancunningham2938]

I am sure that was a nice walk, burning off the cruise calories.. I miss those places. I live in Switzerland now but grew up in PT and those walks are beautiful. Keep walking!

[@marcuswalks]

Yes, I need to burn off some cruise food. There are some great views but I'm sure Switzerland has its fair share.

[@adriancunningham2938]

@@marcuswalks Not Welsh ones.

[@JBMtravels]

Hey there great video and I see this channel becoming big soon. Keep going 💪

[@marcuswalks]

Thanks

[@PeterWalsh-k7n]

A nice guide and walk, as always. I suggest you investigate Cwm Nash, from the area around the Plough and Harrow to the beach. There are several route options so you don't have to return exactly the same way. The total distance will only be a couple of miles or so. The pub is worth talking about. The area around it is littered with monastic remains. Nice lanes and field paths (well defined public footpaths) including the lovely woodland walk down the cwm. What I think looks like a ruined watermill part way down. Recent discovery of human bones emerging from eroded ground near the beach, thankfully ancient. Lots to talk about in a short and very scenic walk. But watch the tide. And did I mention the pub?

[@marcuswalks]

Thanks for the info about the walks.I have done a few walks around this area kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGbClaeMjauIpac but there are always more to do. We have also done a pub lunch review of the old Plough and Harrow, it was very good.

[@PeterWalsh-k7n]

@@marcuswalks Ah, I missed that. I will watch it when I get a quiet moment. Thanks. You seem to find all the nooks and crannies so it is hard to suggest anything for you, but how about the part of the Taff Trail known as the Trevithick Trail, especially the part at or near Quakers Yard? I cycled it a few years back and thought it looked interesting and merited a return visit on foot. It follows Richard Trevithick's very early tram line.

[@marcuswalks]

@@PeterWalsh-k7n Thanks for that, I haven't done the Taff Trail or that area yet.

[@LKBRICKS1993]

Great video so interesting to watch.

[@marcuswalks]

Thanks 👍

[@swans4012]

2/3 of the way up by the waterfall, on the right behind a cutting there's the remnants of a small building

[@marcuswalks]

I'll take a look next time

[@NatSatFat]

Good Stuff Marcus, am a bit bewildered about the incline, it wens from the dock to the East, about a mile uphill, you said it received trucks from the Afan Valley, looks like the route must have been to Pontrhydyfen?, in the Afan Valley, but that looks like it must have gone down a steep hill again? to the Afan Valley, very strange arrangement, when they could have gone around on the flattish, Cymafon, Port Talbot, the Baglen before going into Briton Ferry, can't see the point in full trucks of coal going up & over the mountain? (but I have never been there or seen the situation) sny enlightenment?

[@marcuswalks]

Hi, it entered a tunnel further up than Pontrhydyfen. Have a look at this walk I did a few years ago in the Afan Valley, I go into the tunnel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaGri62ijJWIgrM from around the 3:30 mark

[@karlos77p]

I used to ride my mountain bike up and down there when I was a boy. If you keep on walking you end up by cimla and T bone restaurant a

[@marcuswalks]

Can you keep walking along the old line, there were lots of private property signs when I was walking. Not sure what was going on up there.

[@karlos77p]

@@marcuswalks yes you can just keep on going if you look on Google maps you can see the main path and you can cut in by the road that leads to the T bone restaurant. And you can carry on walking on the pontrhydyfen and the Richard burton trail path and joint on to afan forest park. It was all part of the old railway