If you are driving along the M4 towards the
Gower Peninsula and Pembrokeshire dreaming of stunning coastline and rolling
moorlands, you may be brought up short by the sight of the coastal plain at
Port Talbot with its expanse of industrial plants and smoking chimneys. The local economy here is dominated by the
steelworks, and Industrial Gases plant, a biomass power station and a gas-fired
power station. However, there is one local attraction not to be missed: the Baked Bean Museum of Excellence. Started in his own home by an orange-clad super hero who calls himself Captain Beany, the museum houses over 200 baked bean related displays. On his 60th birthday earlier this year, Captain Beany celebrated by having 60 baked bean tattoos. A true British eccentric!
Within sight of the industrial expanses of this stretch of coast is the
quiet beach resort of Aberavon, with a long stretch of sand backed by a
park, making it popular with families.
If you tire of the sight of the nearby industrial landscape, you can
always look the other way for lovely views to Swansea and beyond. The actor Michael Sheen hails from these
parts, and in 2011 he starred in a performance of The Passion, which lasted all
weekend. The action started on the
seafront and moved on to other parts of town, with thousands of onlookers and a
large cast including hundreds of local residents.
To the south of Port Talbot and inland a
bit is Margam Country Park, free to enter and with lovely
grounds where deer can be seen. There
are also nature trails to follow and activities for the kids. The Margam Stones
Museum, which is attached
to the 12th century Margam Abbey, has a collection of stones from pre-Roman
times onwards. Another landmark in the
park is Margam Castle, actually a large Victorian
country house. Mynydd Margam, a mountain
which rises up above the coastal plain, contains evidence of human habitation
from 4000BC.
Map of the area.
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| The promenade, Aberavon Beach, Port Talbot - geograph.org.uk - 1853730. Photo by David Lewis, via Wikimedia Commons. |
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