The latest hike involved traversing a hugely underrated part of South Wales that I hadn’t considered beforeThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
My latest hike involved traversing a hugely underrated part of South Wales that I hadn’t considered before.(Image: Portia Jones )
One of my favourite things to do after eating an ungodly amount of festive food is plan a lovely walk. For many of us, wrapping up and going on a bracing new year walk is an annual tradition, a chance to get much-needed fresh air and get our bodies moving after the inevitable excesses of the Christmas period.
The new year offers a chance to get out of the house and explore our lovely landscapes while digesting all that turkey you swore you wouldn’t eat.
As an avid hiker, I’ve stomped my way along plenty of Wales’ finest trails, from rolling coastal paths to shady woodland walks, and I’m always on the lookout for somewhere new to explore. Luckily, I’m part of the We Hike Wales hiking group, which is forever organising brilliant social hikes.
It’s the perfect chance to get together with like-minded outdoor lovers, discover new routes, and enjoy a good walk at your own pace and at your own risk.
If you download the AllTrails app, you can easily follow this route (Image: Portia Jones )
The latest hike involved traversing a hugely underrated part of South Wales that I hadn’t considered before. The Graig Fawr Circular route is located in Margam, in the Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, just off the M4 motorway.
This route takes walkers 8km through farmland and forest, eventually leading to sweeping views of Port Talbot and the Swansea Bay area.
If you download the AllTrails app, you can easily follow this route and enjoy features like user reviews, trail maps, and GPS tracking. The pro version also lets you download trails, which is super handy if you lose signal.
Most people who visit this area head straight for Margam Park’s castle, Orangery, and even Go Ape tree top ziplining. As lovely as they are, there is a hugely underrated hiking loop that feels almost like a local’s secret, threading woodland, fields, and open ridges with unexpected historical layers and epic views.
The route begins near Margam Abbey, located inside the expansive Margam Park(Image: Getty Images)
The route begins near Margam Abbey, located inside the expansive Margam Park. Founded in 1147. It was an important Cistercian monastery until its dissolution in 1536.
It’s an undulating loop of around 8km, with some welcome ups and downs and enough variation to keep it interesting. It starts with a pretty steep climb out of the lower parkland, cutting through fields and woodland.
It then settles into a rhythm of ridge walks and forest tracks that split off, so you’ll need to pay attention to a map or hiking app to stay on the loop.
We definitely missed a few turns and had to double back, but who cares when you’re hiking with pals and stopping for coffee and chocolate breaks.
It’s an undulating loop of around 8km, with some welcome ups and downs and enough variation to keep it interesting(Image: Portia Jones )
I set off with my hiking group, and we plodded our way along muddy paths and through shady woodland, ducking brambles, tiptoeing past nettles and clambering over the odd fallen tree.
I’ll be honest, the first stretch didn’t exactly feel like the most thrilling hike I’ve ever done. But just as my enthusiasm was starting to dip, we crested a ridge and arrived at the wonderfully romantic ruins of Hen Eglwys, also known as Cryke Chapel. Perched high on the hill, this ruined chapel once served the local community and instantly made the climb feel worthwhile.
According to Margam Country Park, the stone chapel was possibly built in the 15th century and features classic Cistercian architecture. It was likely constructed to serve the local abbey community. Only monks were allowed to worship at the abbey itself, so local people needed their own place of worship, which is where Hen Eglwys came in.
A small farming community lived nearby on the hillside, sparing them the long, steep climb each time they wanted to attend a service.
Living my best hiking life!(Image: Portia Jones )
I’m a total sucker for a dilapidated chapel or abbey that looks like it’s been lifted straight out of Game of Thrones, so I made a mental note to read up more about it when I got home, nerd that I am.
Once you’re past the chapel, you’ll also be rewarded with big, wide views that make Welsh walking so addictive: looking south and west towards Port Talbot, hints of the Bristol Channel and beyond on a clear day, and the patchwork of fields and mixed woodland stretching back across the countryside.
I think the most surprising aspect of this lesser-known walk is the mix of history and nature that keeps things interesting(Image: Portia Jones)
I think the most surprising aspect of this lesser-known walk is the mix of history and nature that keeps things interesting. On one hand, you’re seeing evidence of medieval life in the chapel ruins, and on the other, you’re looking back towards the industrial legacy of Port Talbot’s steelworks, a piece of modern Welsh history that looms large on the horizon and shaped entire communities for decades.
From the hills, the view opens out across the landscape, and you can clearly see the vast Port Talbot steelworks in the distance. It’s a striking sight and a reminder of how closely this area is tied to both industry and nature.
Tata Steel’s primary steelmaking operations at Port Talbot largely came to an end in September 2024, when its last blast furnace was shut down.
The closure marked the end of more than a century of traditional iron and steelmaking on the site, as the company began transitioning to greener electric arc furnace technology. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here
Yiu can see the remains of Port Talbot steel works in the distance on this walk(Image: Getty Images)
It’s a huge change for the area, and one that has sadly meant thousands of job losses, making the view feel both impressive and a little sobering at the same time.
It’s a poignant contrast to have both kinds of history in view on the same walk and a lot to discuss with hiking pals on the trek.
The descent back down is steady and pleasant, dipping through mixed woodland and open farmland before you loop around to where you began.
The paths here are well-worn but feel quiet and a bit off-grid, with only the occasional other walker or horse rider passing by.
It’s surprising how peaceful it stays, even though you’re so close to places that get far more visitors.
People in South Wales cherish Margam Country Park for its famous buildings and gardens, but the Graig Fawr Circular offers a side of the same land that feels more personal and less trodden, and that makes it worth seeking out if you have time after your walk.
Other than the historical sights and quiet trails, one of the odd pleasures of this route is doing it with a lovely hiking group like We Hike Wales.
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I’ve met more strangers on organised walks than I have at office parties, and you notice straight away that being out with people who are as keen to be outside as you are changes the whole experience. Walking alone is fine, of course, but with a group, there’s a joy in walking with like-minded people.
Especially when someone face plants in the mud, shares a bag of crisps with you (thanks Claire) or really gets into discussing their favourite film or why they believe Walt Disney is being cryogenically frozen (I’m still on the fence to be honest).
In a world where everyone is “busy” or “too tired” to do anything, it’s strangely uplifting to see people haul themselves out of bed, lace up boots, and commit a day to wandering through Welsh landscapes with virtual strangers.
You cheer each other up the first proper slope, pause at the crumbling chapel to take snaps, and tentatively inch towards new friendships, a surprisingly tricky business when you’re an adult with bills to pay.
You could do this route solo, of course, but a group turns it into an experience: laughter, shared snacks, dogs in attendance, and the comforting knowledge that someone will hand over chocolate at the exact moment you most need it.
You can find the route here.