OUT & ABOUT - recreational facilities, ideas, places to visit and things to do
There is so much to see and do in this part of Wales, slag heaps and coal mines are thought of as
quintessentially South Wales but that couldn't be further from the truth, if you know where to go
and where to look you will find a country as beautiful, enjoyable and as diverse as anywhere.
Here are a few ideas of what you can see and do from Bryn Teg House and remember, if you would like
a packed lunch to take with you for the day, just ask and we'd be delighted to provide one for you.
AFAN FOREST COUNTRY PARK
Afan Forest Park is excellent
for relaxational walking, more strenuous hill-walking, cycling and
mountain-biking and boasts that visitors are to be welcomed by the "drumming of woodpeckers". Explore the forest tracks
and old disused railway lines on foot or bicycle, or choose the way-marked walking or cycling trails that will enable
you to reach the best view points and most interesting features from the Afan Forest Countryside. Leisurely strolls
through forested walkways, bird watching and trout and coarse fishing are all close by.
WELSH MINER'S MUSEUM
The Welsh Miner's Museum is just a
couple of miles away and is situated in the Afan Forest Country Park. It portrays with candid realism, mining through the
eyes of the miners themselves, their stories of hardship and struggle, dangerous and dirty work but also the shared warmth
of their valley communities in a bygone industry. A fascinating, educative and enjoyable day out for all the family.
GLYNCORRWG PONDS
Just two miles from Bryn Teg House is Glyncorrwg Ponds situated in an
isolated valley off the river Corrwg in the Afan Forest Park. A delightful, picturesque and relaxing location for a great
day out with the family as well as for individuals and couples. Fishing, canoeing, cycling, walking, there's many miles of
old, disused railway lines for exploring and steep sided mountain slopes, ideal for mountain-biking and hill walking.
The "ponds" boast three man-made lakes full of brown/rainbow trout, a coarse lake stocked with bream, tench and roach and a
smaller lake of carp.
EATING OUT
Meals and alcoholic drinks are available at our local public house and restaurant called the "Refresh" and
it's only a five minute walk from Bryn Teg House. Alternatively if you would like a packed lunch to take
with you for the day, just ask and we'd be delighted to provide one for you. "The Refresh" was once the main
Cymmer Afan station building and is still extant today as a pub and restaurant (below right).
It may sound a little strange today but Cymmer Afan was once a major railway junction and boasted three railway stations -
Cymmer General (amalgamated with Cymmer Afan), Cymmer Corrwyg (closed 1930) and Cymmer Afan - now the "Refreshment Rooms".
The line was originally opened by the Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway in 1885 and at the beginning of the last
century it was taken over by the Great Western Railway. It originally ran from Swansea Docks and Port Talbot
to Cymmer Afan, then through the mile long Blaenrhondda tunnel to Treorchy and Treherbert in the Rhondda Valley.
Nowadays you can have an enjoyable meal and a relaxing drink at Cymmer Afan "station", but no more shall the
shrill of the whistle from a small Great Western steam engine announce its fervent arrival, nor will you catch
the next train through the tunnel to the Rhondda, sadly on the 15th July 1970 it closed to passengers forever.
Home 
|
