Best Kept Secret

Sometimes there are things that seem almost too fantastic to believe.

For example, if I told you that within a small area in Wales you could visit Roman ruins, Medieval ruins, early Industrial ruins, and see the birthplace of saints, Hollywood celebrities, and one of the fathers of the American Industrial Revolution, would you believe me?

What if I also told you that in the same area there are world class mountain bike trails, an amazing beach, four local nature reserves, four stunning country parks, four canals, five beautiful valleys and five towns - each with their own character - would you accuse me of exaggeration?

I wouldn't blame you if you did, but you'd be wrong to do so.

The truth is that Neath Port Talbot, an unassuming county borough in Wales, is home to all of the above and more. It was here that Saint Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, is likely to have been born and raised. It was here that a local boy-turned-industrialist further developed a system of iron smelting that would lead him to Catasauqua in Philadelphia, in the United States, where he would contribute enormously to the growing industrial revolution. And it was here that legends of the silver screen like Ray Milland, Richard Burton, and Anthony Hopkins were born.

It is also where Welsh Rugby Union was formed, the place that contributed towards evolutionary theory via Alfred Russel Wallace, and where the fairest Abbey in Wales once stood. It is a place with a rich heritage stretching back centuries, and is filled with natural beauty.

You wouldn't hear about it though, as this is an area that seems intent on keeping itself a secret. So much so that many locals aren't even aware of what's on their doorstep.

Despite having lived here my whole life, it has only been in the last few years that I have begun to discover the hidden wonders of Neath Port Talbot. This change started when I met my partner, and through the various walks we went on. Almost every weekend we would look for somewhere new to visit, somewhere that we could easily get to as we were reliant on public transport.

The more places we went to, the more places we discovered. It seemed as though we learned something new on every walk, or uncovered something that added greater depth to the things we knew. At the same time as we fell in love with each other, we fell in love with the places around us. At the same time we were writing our own story, we were learning more about the rich story of our community.

However, this also led to some frustration.

As we looked at the various tourist guides and leaflets that filled display stands, we noticed that places in Neath Port Talbot were almost always missing. It didn't matter if we were visiting somewhere in Neath Port Talbot or in neighboring areas, the lack of marketing was clear.

It didn't make sense that a place could have so much going for it yet be incapable of making the most of that enormous potential. It was at that moment we decided that we were going to do something about it, and we started using whatever means at our disposal to promote and celebrate the best things about the place we live.

This has become our mission, our passion.

If you're reading this, we invite you to check out this forgotten little county borough of ours.

It's time to lift the lid on the best-kept secret of Wales and make the forgotten, unforgettable.