Neapor one

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I walked half of this route, which I guessed would be the better half because it ran through the hills and promised good views. So, instead of starting at Neath, I started at the Briton Ferry 'McDonalds' roundabout and joined the route at the top of Thorney Road. There's a good woodland walk up there, just inside the woods, running past the highest suburbs. The route leaves the wood too early and it's better to stay on the woodland path and leave at Baglan Heights, then head down past the primary school at Blaenbaglan. The best part of the route is the path climbing high on Mynydd Dinas, providing that you like views of urban sprawl and industry. You can see all the way around Swansea Bay and across the sea to Exmoor on a clear day, but you'll have a close-up view of the steelworks as you make your way down to Port Talbot. It's a steep descent with lots of wooden steps, before Mountain Road leads into town. You need to keep an eye on things to get under the M4 motorway and cross a busy road correctly to follow a riverside walk past Tesco. The town centre is pedestrianised and it's an easy matter to reach one of two little bus stations, or the railway station at Port Talbot Parkway.

This is a nice scenic and very largely off road.

Picks up Baglan and Briton Ferry on the way so connects those villages as well - easy jumping on points. I actually walked it in two stretches from the Ferry to Neath and from Port Talbot to the Ferry joining at the top of Jersey Park. This would also be a breakpoint if you wanted to detour down into Briton Ferry for snacks etc. The shops are closer to the route here than in Baglan.

Significantly slower starting at the Port Talbort end because it climbs right up Mynydd Dinas to the national coast path along the top - there are other paths lower down along the side of the hill which all meet up.

It's really very satisfying being up on those paths as you're parallel to the motorway and dual carriageways so the contrast is striking and you get a sense of how you're progressing along!

There is one odd detour through a the housing at Baglan instead of the waymarked Coast Path route through the same estate.

The route was otherwise largely easy to follow. I went mildly astray once by not staying far enough right coming onto the footpath at Pant Howell Ddu - it looked too muddy to be correct, but it is and dried up quickly. (Keep the piles of stones to your left)

This part of the route was completely new to me and is def a way I would routinely use as an alternative to the canal path which is my current usually walking route into Neath. Very pleasant bit of woodland.

The route is trails much of the way - some but not all flat enough for wheeling. Short sections are very tree-root-y or muddy which would be a hindrance to wheeling - and there's the extensive steps up out of Port Talbot.

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