This is a slow TV video of a 20 km (12 mile) walk along the Neath Canal towpath. It shares the ambient sounds and landscape of the Neath Valley, towards the western end of 'The Valleys' of South Wales.
Running from Glynneath to Briton Ferry, the Canal once took coal and other raw materials and manufactured goods to the factories and ports of the coast for export around the world. Today it is a quiet survival from Wales' industrial past just waiting to be discovered.
Timestamps:
01:15 - Layby Car park. The start of the walk
01:45 - Lock 14. Ysgwrfa, 0.2 km (220yds)
03:25 - Lock 13. Maesgwyn, 0.5 km (0.3 miles)
04:30 - Lock 12. Ynys-yr-Allor, 1 km (0.6 miles)
05:25 - Lock 11. Aberclwyd, 1.7 km (1 mile)
06:50 - Rheola Aquaduct, 2.4 km (1.5 miles)
08:00 - Lock 10. Reheola, 2.7 km (1.7 miles)
08:50 - Lock 9. Crugau, 3.2 km (2 miles)
11:08 - Lock 8. Resolven Uchaf and Resolven Basin, 4.3 km (2.7 miles)
13:08 - Lock 7. Resolven (unrestored), 5.4 km (3.4 miles)
14:14 - Lock 6. Abergarwed Upper (dry), 6 km (3.7 miles)
14:22 - Lock 5. Abergarwed Lower (dry), 6.1 km (3.8 miles)
15:09 - Abergarwed water treatment plant, 6.5 km (4 miles)
16:50 - Ynysbwllog basin and slipway, 7.7 km (4.8 miles)
17:29 - Ynysbwwlog Aquaduct, 7.9 km (4.9 miles)
19:10 - Lock 4. Clun Uchaf (upper Clyne), 8 km (5 miles)
20:00 - Lock 3. Clun Isaf (lower Clyne), 8.9 km (5.5 miles)
21:20 - Lock 2. Machin Lock, 9.5 km (5.9 miles)
23:15 - Aberdulais Junction, 11.4km (7 miles)
24:05 - Lock 1. Tyn-yr-Heal (Tonna), 12.5 km (7.7 miles)
25:50 - Neath Castle winding hole, 14.4 km (8.9 miles)
26:15 - Neath shops/Morrisons car park, 14.7 km (9.1 miles)
26:34 - Bridge Rd low bridge (and magnet fishing), 14.9 km (9.2 miles)
28:01 - A474 main road bridge, 15.7 km (9.7 miles)
31:06 - Footbridge, remains of lifting bridge, 18.2 km (11.3 miles)
31:52 - Pill Terrace/Giants Grave Road bridges, 18.7 km (11.6 miles)
Note that all distances are a rough guide only, and not an official measurement of the canal length.
The tow-path north of Neath is part of the Sustrans National Route 46, and south of Neath it is part of National Route 47.
The owners of the canal remain Neath Canal Navigation Ltd (ie it is not part of the Canal and River Trust). The company remains responsible for the Neath Canal south of Resolven, whilst management of the canal rests with Neath Port Talbot council, who have also been active in promoting it's restoration.
Many of the major restoration works have been coordinated by the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust, who also organise volunteer-led projects and were running the 'Thomas Dadford' boat trips until the boat was found to be beyond repair in 2020.
Maps are all from openstreetmap.org
Filmed in September 2020
