South Wales has many beautiful and interesting places to visit. These range from the rugged natural beauty of the Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to the myriad of historic castles and classic Welsh seaside towns. Not forgetting Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.
However, there are many places around South Wales that are often overlooked by tourists as well as locals. These can be much quieter and just as interesting as the popular locations. In fact, you can often get these places to yourself. Most people drive past these places on the way to somewhere else because they just don’t know they are there.
So, in no particular order, let’s have a look at some of these unique locations.
Pen Pych Waterfall
You can find Pen Pych waterfall in the Rhondda valley near the town of Treherbert. Most people drive past the area on the way up the A4061 to the Brecon Beacons missing out on some beautiful Welsh scenery.
The walk to the waterfall isn’t that difficult and it’s just over a mile each way. There is free car parking available at Pen Pych Forest car park.
Culver Hole
Just a medieval dovecote or a secret smugglers den with a dark history? Culver Hole is around the corner from Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula below the Wales Coast Path. It’s only a short walk but it is quite steep and requires climbing over some rocks to get there. Also, it’s only accessible at low tide but it’s definitely worth a visit.
Ewenny Priory
Ewenny Priory was not only a priory but part of the medieval defensive network around Bridgend. Ogmore Castle is only a short distance away but unlike Ogmore, Ewenny attracts very few visitors. Although, one of those visitors was JMW Turner who visited the priory and created a watercolour of the transept back in 1795.
The remains of the priory lie within the later parish church and it is free to enter. It’s worth checking the CADW website for the latest information regarding opening times.
Melincourt Waterfall
Another location painted by Turner during one of his trips to South Wales is Melincourt Waterfall. You can find the waterfall near Resolven in the Vale of Neath. Unlike many other waterfalls in the area, access to this one is relatively easy. It does involve a short walk but the path is generally flat. There is also free car parking nearby.
Old Beaupre Castle
Old Beaupre Castle is another historic location that gets very few visitors. You can find it in the Vale of Glamorgan not that far from Cardiff. Although Old Beaupre is called a castle, it’s actually a manor house and the current ruins date from the 16th century.
There is parking in a small layby across the field and the house is free to enter. The property is manged by CADW so again, it’s worth checking their website for the up to date opening times.
These are just a few of the less well known places around South Wales. If you want to see more Welsh locations off the beaten path check out our Hidden Wales playlist on YouTube.
