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Museum service

The Neath Port Talbot Museum Service document, record and conserves the rich cultural heritage of our area.

Through our museums, exhibitions and outreach work we strive to celebrate our place in world history from Iron Age Celts, the industrial revolution, the shaping of the Rugby Union, to the invention of radar in World War II and beyond!

The museum service works closely with schools, heritage organisations, local history groups and partner museums maintaining a proactive learning experience for residents and visitors to the area.

Cefn Coed Colliery Museum

The museum is currently closed to the public due to essential maintenance work

Located near the village of Crynant in the Dulais Valley five miles north of Neath, the museum tells the story of coal mining at the Cefn Coed Colliery, once the deepest anthracite coal mine in the world. Cefn Coed was one of the most dangerous coalmines in Wales where many men lost their lives in dangerous working conditions gaining the colliery the nickname of ‘The Slaughterhouse’.

The story of the thousands of men who worked at Cefn Coed and at other pits in the anthracite coalmines of South West Wales is told through words, pictures and artefacts throughout the museum. The underground gallery, a simulated working seam, brings these harrowing conditions to life.

The museum is home to a preserved 1927 Worsley Mesnes Horizontal Duplex Cylinder Steam Winding engine, arguably the jewel in the museum’s crown. Once powered by steam when the site was a working colliery this magnificent winder is now turned over by electricity, however its majesty never fails to impress enthusiasts the world over.

Guided tours

Visitors can receive a guided tour led by one of our dedicated volunteers by arrangement or if you prefer there are hand held audio tours of the site, recorded by a retired miner from the Cefn Coed Colliery available from reception.

Neath Gas Tram

The museum is also the proud home of the last surviving gas tram from the town and one of the only restored examples in the world! The Neath gas tram ran from 1875 until 1920, a victim of modernisation it was abandoned in favour of motor buses and the old tram cars were sold off. This fine example was recovered from a local garden in the 1980s where it was being used as a garden shed! Visit the museum to discover its fascinating story and sit up on the top deck!

Neath Model Railway Club

Cefn Coed Museum is also host to the Neath Model Railway Club. The club’s dedication and commitment is evident from the constantly evolving layout celebrating the age of steam in the Dulais Valley.

Opening times

The museum is currently closed to the public due to essential maintenance work.

Contact details

  • Tel: (01639) 750556
  • Email: colliery@npt.gov.uk
  • Visit: Cefn Coed Colliery Museum, Neath Road, Creunant, SA10 8SN

How to get here

  • Bus: X58/158 runs hourly from Swansea and Neath daily
  • Car: At Junction 43, Exit M4 east bound. Take the A465 signposted Aberdulais / Resolven / Brecon. Come off on slip road signposted (A4109) Aberdulais Falls, Cefn Coed Colliery Museum. The museum is approximately 3 miles along the Neath Road.

Margam Abbey & Stones Museum

Margam Abbey Church, founded in 1147 is the only Cistercian Foundation in Wales whose nave is still intact and used for Christian worship. Other remains of the Monastery include a twelve-sided Chapter House in early English style located within Margam Country Park.

Margam Abbey Stones Museum is a small but significant museum in the care of CADW, housing a collection of inscribed pre- Romanesque, Roman and Celtic stones and crosses, some found within the Margam area, including the great Wheel Cross of Conbelin. Guided tours of both the Abbey and the Stones Museum are available by arrangement with the Margam Parish Office.

  • Tel: Margam Parish Office 01639 871184/ CADW 029 20 500200

Location: M4 junction 38, 2 miles east of Port Talbot on the A48.

Bus: X1 (First Cymru) from Swansea/Port Talbot.

Accessibility: Accessible to all. Disabled facilities on site.

South Wales Miners Museum

Located within the Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre is this intimate museum depicting the story of the miner and his family in the South Wales Valleys.  There is also a range of outdoor exhibits including a blacksmith’s shop.

  • Tel: Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre 01639 850564

Location: On the A4107, 6 miles from M4 Junction 40.

Bus: 23 (First Cymru) from Port Talbot.

Accessibility: Accessible to less able visitors

More information: Visit South Wales Museum website