Afan Forest Park
Encyclopedia
The Afan Forest Park is a 48 square miles (124.3 km²) forest park in Britain. It is set in the Afan Valley
in Neath Port Talbot
, in south Wales
. It is well-known for its mountain biking
and hiking
or hillwalking
trails. It is situated seven miles (11 km) from Junction 40 of the M4
(the Port Talbot
turn).
The Forest Park Centre has camping
facilities, with campsite
s with a shower block and toilet block which can also be used by other visitors. In addition to these basic facilities, the Centre also offers a cafe, small local museum on mining, bike shop and a gift shop.
. In Afan Forest Park, 'Kanji Wood' was developed on three kanji characters; human, forest and life and landscaped with Japanese trees, shrubs and sculptures.
The Penhydd trail was built by a group of enthusiasts from the local mountain bike club. It's a 22 km loop. This trail was voted as the trail to ride before you die by What Mountain Bike Magazine in 2004..
The Wall Trail
with the success of the Penhydd Trail, the Forestry Commission saw how popular mountain biking was becoming so the Wall trail was built. This is a 24 km mainly single-track loop. It is memorable for its cliff top views of the River Afan
. The Graveyard section and the final descent of the Wall have been well reviewed.
White's Level Trail
This is a 6 km single-track climb and downhill. There is usually transport available for downhill riders at weekends, from the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre. The whole trail is 15 km long and has recently been the focus of most new trail building activity. A new section, the NPower Renewables Energy Trail, was opened on 12 October 2007.
Skyline Trail
The newest trail in the valley. This is a 46 km long loop, sharing the same initial climb as White's Level. It is renowned for the stunning views from the horizon line. The Jetlag section is well known for its high difficulty. There are also two 'shortcuts' on the route for riders who are not ready to attempt the whole 46 km.
W2 Trail
This is a high level link that connects both The Wall and White's Level.
, Canada.
Afan Valley
The Afan Valley is a valley that encompasses the upper reaches of the River Afan in Port Talbot, South Wales. The valley is traversed by the A4107 Afan Valley Road. Settlements in the area include Cwmafan, Pwyll-y-glaw and Cymer.- External links :**...
in Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot is a county borough and one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. Neath Port Talbot is the 8th most populous county in Wales and the third most populous county borough....
, in south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is well-known for its mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
and hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
or hillwalking
Hillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
trails. It is situated seven miles (11 km) from Junction 40 of the M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
(the Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
turn).
Trails and waymarked walks
As the A4107 meanders through the steep sided valley it is easy to understand why this valley has been developed as a premier Mountain Bike riding venue in the United Kingdom. The Forest Park also has nine waymarked walking trails, ranging from a 30 minute amble to a 3-4 hour ramble. There are also miles of public rights of way to make up your own walks. As well as mountain biking, there is also a network of 25 miles (40.2 km) of disused railway lines which can be used for walking and cycling. These are called the Family Routes, or the Low Level Cycleway. These also form a link between the mountain bike trails.The Forest Park Centre has camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
facilities, with campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
s with a shower block and toilet block which can also be used by other visitors. In addition to these basic facilities, the Centre also offers a cafe, small local museum on mining, bike shop and a gift shop.
Kanji Wood
In 2002, Afan Forest Park was officially twinned with the C.W.Nicol Woodland Trust in Kurohime in the Nagano prefecture of JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In Afan Forest Park, 'Kanji Wood' was developed on three kanji characters; human, forest and life and landscaped with Japanese trees, shrubs and sculptures.
Education and activities
The Forest Park runs an extensive schools program with its Education Ranger and also organises adult education from the Study Room at the Forest Park Centre, which is available for private groups. They also do an annual program of walks and activities and have a wildlife puzzle trail for families. Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre can supply information on all facilities within the Forest Park.Theatre Tymaen
Developed in 2006, this is a 300 seat outdoor theatre for all sorts of drama, music, art workshops etc. and is available for hire. Information for this can be found at the Forest Park website.Mountain bike trails
Penhydd TrailThe Penhydd trail was built by a group of enthusiasts from the local mountain bike club. It's a 22 km loop. This trail was voted as the trail to ride before you die by What Mountain Bike Magazine in 2004..
The Wall Trail
with the success of the Penhydd Trail, the Forestry Commission saw how popular mountain biking was becoming so the Wall trail was built. This is a 24 km mainly single-track loop. It is memorable for its cliff top views of the River Afan
River Afan
The River Afan is a river in southwest Wales whose river valley formed the territory of the medieval Lords of Afan. The town of Aberavon grew up on the banks of the river, and was later subsumed by the larger centre of population known as Port Talbot...
. The Graveyard section and the final descent of the Wall have been well reviewed.
White's Level Trail
This is a 6 km single-track climb and downhill. There is usually transport available for downhill riders at weekends, from the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre. The whole trail is 15 km long and has recently been the focus of most new trail building activity. A new section, the NPower Renewables Energy Trail, was opened on 12 October 2007.
Skyline Trail
The newest trail in the valley. This is a 46 km long loop, sharing the same initial climb as White's Level. It is renowned for the stunning views from the horizon line. The Jetlag section is well known for its high difficulty. There are also two 'shortcuts' on the route for riders who are not ready to attempt the whole 46 km.
W2 Trail
This is a high level link that connects both The Wall and White's Level.
Accommodation
Lists of places to stay in and around the park can be found at the Afan Forest Park website.Media attention
Afan Forest park was named in the top ten places in the world to "ride before you die" by What Mountain Bike Magazine. Other destinations named included WhistlerWhistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, Canada.