The Brit

The steel-producing town of Port Talbot used to be somewhere you’d pass on the way to the beaches of Gower or West Wales. But the home town of actors Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen has had a renaissance in recent years, when visitors began to descend upon ‘The Port’ in December 2018 after a Banksy mural – Season’s Greetings – appeared on someone’s garage (it’s now on display in Ty’r Orsaf opposite the railway station). The other reason tourists head to this area is for the world-class mountain biking trails in nearby Afan Forest Park. The Brit, in an attractive riverside setting a couple of miles north east of Port Talbot, is a good option to spend a night or two. The multi-award-winning gastropub, which was built in 1845, has three rustic but comfortable rooms: one large en-suite double and two bunk rooms sleeping four people. Reassuringly, there’s a locked garage in which to keep your bikes. The stylish bar and restaurant, a quirky mix of modern décor and original features, attract drinkers and diners from across South Wales. The pub was Swansea CAMRA’s 2019 Pub of the Year, with a changing selection of three cask ales and an annual beer and cider festival. Although the food menu has an international flavour, it lists some local specialities such as Glamorgan sausages (cheese and leek), and offers a “pie of the day” at lunchtime. Meals are served in the bar, the adults-only restaurant or in the gorgeous tree-shaded garden in warmer weather.