Name
Margam
Description
Nearby attractions
Margam Country ParkMargam CastleBrombil ReservoirMargam Stones MuseumNearby restaurants
The Grand SultanThe Walnut TreePyle Charcoal GrillThai Thai TakeawayNearby localities
BirminghamBristolOxfordBathMetropolitan Borough of SolihullNew ForestStratford-on-AvonWarwickDudleyCotswold DistrictRelated posts
Keywords
Margam tourism.Margam hotels.Margam bed and breakfast. flights to Margam.Margam attractions.Margam restaurants.Margam travel.Margam travel guide.Margam travel blog.Margam pictures.Margam photos.Margam travel tips.Margam maps.Margam things to do.Margam things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Basic Info
Margam
Margam, Wales, United Kingdom
Ratings & Description
Info
attractions: Margam Country Park, Margam Castle, Brombil Reservoir, Margam Stones Museum, restaurants: The Grand Sultan, The Walnut Tree, Pyle Charcoal Grill, Thai Thai Takeaway
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Reviews
Things to Do in Margam, Wales, United Kingdom - Margam Attractions & Activities
Attractions of Margam
Margam Country Park
Margam Castle
Brombil Reservoir
Margam Stones Museum
Margam Country Park
4.7
(2.2K)
Open until 4:30 PM
Click for details
Margam Castle
4.6
(1.3K)
Open until 4:30 PM
Click for details
Brombil Reservoir
4.6
(96)
Open until 12:00 AM
Click for details
Margam Stones Museum
4.0
(20)
Open until 2:50 PM
Click for details
Things to do nearby
Alpaca Experience, walk feed and cuddle them
Sun, Nov 2 • 11:00 AM
Kenfig, CF33 4PS, United Kingdom
View details
Royal Mint Tour & Exhibition
Sun, Nov 2 • 10:00 AM
Pontyclun, CF72 8YT
View details
Restaurants of Margam
The Grand Sultan
The Walnut Tree
Pyle Charcoal Grill
Thai Thai Takeaway
The Grand Sultan
4.6
(486)
$$
Closed
Click for details
The Walnut Tree
4.5
(109)
Closed
Click for details
Pyle Charcoal Grill
4.5
(107)
Closed
Click for details
Thai Thai Takeaway
4.3
(53)
Closed
Click for details
Margam Country Park
Margam Country Park
4.7Park
ruffing__itruffing__it
I don't know why it took us so long to visit Margam Park. There's so much to do and see, especially in the school holidays. We're so excited to go back when the gardens are in bloom and the dog park is open! A perfect day out for the whole family and only 25 minutes out from Swansea 🐾 . @Friends of Margam Park @Margampark . #dogfriendly #dogfriendlydaysout #dogfriendlyadventures #adventureswithpig #dogfriendlysouthwales #margampark
KasturborosKasturboros
After reading some of comments here, I wanted to add my thoughts...
We visited South Wales for a glorious holiday recently, and added Margam Country Park to our itinerary after learning it had been used as a location for a recent episode of Doctor Who. What can I say, my daughter and I are suckers for anything Time-lord related :)
I wasn't expecting too much, and did wince at the £7.70 parking fee. As it turns out, it was the best value day out we enjoyed all week.
We made a beeline for the Orangery (wedding venue and aforementioned Who location), and soaked up the atmosphere. From there it was a short walk to Fairytale Land for a whimsical few moments popping in and out of the nursery rhyme themed houses. Alright, we're not the target audience any more, but we still appreciated the effort made on these houses, and the castle (complete with secret passages!), the play area, and the giant chess and draughts boards (my daughter thrashed me, but the surroundings were so lovely, I didn't care).
From there we wandered around the gardens (small, but beautifully maintained) and explored the ruins of the abbey. We were treated to some glorious, though uncharacteristic, Welsh sunshine, but the gardens and ruins would have been worth a look even on an overcast day.
One scenic walk up to the castle later, we were enjoying the artisan fair inside. I'd recommend planning your visit on a day when the fair is organised, just check their website. Some of the crafts on display were exceptional, and I'm sure the craft cider I sampled didn't influence my judgement in the slightest :)
The courtyard next door had a few tempting places to grab a snack or ice cream, with a gift shop and cycle hire place for good measure.
We then visited the animal enclosures and fed the goats, alpacas, donkeys, etc. You're never too old to say hello to an alpaca...
There was a Go Ape Centre nearby that looked amazing, and having done that before at Leeds Castle, I'm sure that would have been a blast too.
As a grand finale, we scaled a hillside following a well-marked trail to reach a pinnacle that affords you views of four counties. Breath-taking, both literally and figuratively!
So much to do, we spent the whole day there. So in summary, three people got to enjoy the open air, a playground, some ruins, a castle, a jaunt around some animals, amazing scenery and acres of space, all for the price of the car park. No extra fees, no surprise entry charges, everything included in the price. We loved it!
So many reviews here claim the park has gone downhill and is suffering from excessive dog mess. I can't speak for how it may have been previously, but I personally didn't see evidence of either while I was there. My experience was that of a glorious family day out that didn't break the bank and created some very happy memories. Thank you Margam!
SBrooks4SBrooks4
Well I would advise anyone considering coming here to do your research first....
Take £8.50 from me for the carpark? 'sure' they said....
Try to go in the castle after taking my money and letting me go in the park?....
'oh didn't you know...that's closed for a wedding function until July'!
Fancy a ride on the monorail?....'oh didn't you know..it's only open on weekends and the school holidays'!
Try and hire a boat on the lake for a spot of canoeing?....oh didn't you know..that's closed because the boats are hired out for school group activities today!
Considering going go ape?....oh didn't you know...that's closed too!!
Oh but YOU CAN walk around the farm trail and try to find the deer!
A farm trail you say?....wow, two black sheep and a family of goats, that was SO worth the £8.50 I paid...
Grab some ice cream from the cafe....sure, that will be £3.80 for a magnum!
Nothing like daylight robbery...
Of course when we told the gatekeeper who had charged us on the way out about our LOVELY experience at the park, you know what he said?
"We have nothing to do with go ape or the boat hire company"
Why didn't you tell us the castle was closed?
"You're the first this week to say anything, didn't you check the website"?...
NO YOU JACKASS!
No apologies or offer of some sort of partial refund for my ticket, all too happy to take my money and run away with it!
How many more people they have scammed out of money under false pretenses I have no idea, but I was appalled at the lack of information and forewarning given to me by the gatekeeper before letting me pay to enter the park grounds...
When I did check the website this was only AFTER entering the park, and only because I was trying to look up tickets for the wicked outdoor cinema showing that was going on today....
When your coming to visit Wales and on a tight schedule it would be very handy to know about these closures before hand wouldn't it?
I'm sure on a weekend day things would be different, but I wouldn't recommend anyone to try and come here during the weekdays, less you run a foul of the same things we did...
Because of the closures and the complete lack of advice or empathy from the gatekeeper, I will be leaving this one star review now.
Iqbal MohammedIqbal Mohammed
We went here on a family day, where you have to pay £18 an adult and £16 per child. A family (2+2) ticket is £60. Otherwise, it’s free entry but parking is £8. Parking is free on family days.
On the family day, they had small tents set up to provide entertainment; kids characters (paw patrol, duggie etc), fire shows and glitter tattoos.
I say without hesitation that a family day is not even close to being worth the ticket price. For small children, the park’s train is probably the best feature but it’s extra, about £5 for one adult and child. It’s a 10 minute ride around the park from the orangery. This should be included in the ticket cost.
While the shows are frequent, and generally good, in the rain, they’re a wash out. It was forecast rain for weeks but the organisers arranged no extra canopies so performers where huddled under a small canopy in the main tent, meaning that the shows became rubbish. Many disappointed parents left early.
Worst still, there was nothing to do while it rained. There was a cafe and a gift shop but no other internal space.
There’s a huge castle I hear you say!
Yes, it was closed except one small room downstairs which had model boats. I didn’t personally see the connection to the castle but it was of no interest and took a few minutes at most.
So if it rains, you’re better off going home having wasted quite a lot of money.
I think the grounds are substantial and beautiful. If you’re paying for parking, they’re a bargain. If you’re paying for the family ticket, I would not bother. It’s absolutely not worth the money.
If it’s going to rain, this castle has nothing to offer you at all.
Natasha ScammellNatasha Scammell
A great place to take the kids or just to take yourself, there's so much to see and do.
Firstly its free to enter, you just pay for parking.
There's plenty of space to roam around, lots of wide open spaces and natural views.
There's a great park with small fairytale houses to explore and a fort.
A train runs from the entrance up to the castle which is well worth the money as it travels through the park with great views. I believe this to be wheelchair/pram accessible. We were able to take the pram on at low peak anyway.
The castle and gardens are beautiful and it's worth popping inside just to see the stained glass.
There's a bike rental place that we have yet to try so I can't vouch for it but people I've seen pedalling by seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was also another section where you could book activities like archery.
There's a nice cafe that has a good assortment of food and drinks. Although the babycino was not a true babycino.
Great baby changing facilities, everything we've been to is easily pram accessible and for those with potty training toddlers or just those with small bladders there are plenty of conveniently located toilets.
There's a couple of nice little gift shops.
I really like the scenic walk down to the farm, where there are a variety of chickens, pigs, donkeys, sheep and goats. The kids loved this.
I'm missing a lot but it really is worth the trip. There's so much to do that you could spend the entire day there, weather permitting and not get bored. I would thoroughly recommend this as a cheap day out for anyone with kids. And we'll definitely be returning many times over!
Margam Castle
Margam Castle
4.6Castle
Paul BellamyPaul Bellamy
Lovely castle and grounds.. Poor facilities! One cafe at the far end and a shop. The day I visited it was during the heatwave. Having walked from one end of the estate to the other I was ready for a nice coffee. No hot food available only limited over priced sarnies.. Okay did get a coffee from a vending machine. Families were coming in with hot and fed up children asking where they could buy ice-cream only to be told the ice-cream shop had closed early at 4 pm even though the park was open for several more hrs. The slush drinks machine was filled and spinning around to tease the children but that too was unavailable until the following day as it's contents weren't frozen. Also it's a shame something wasn't done with the grand house it's empty inside and needs some TLC. You can go into the entrance hallway and that's it! Waste of a building.
Laura JamesLaura James
Lovely place to visit when it's a lovely day. Although the shop and cafe were shut due to it being a week day. If we had known this we would of brought a packed lunch and drinks. Beautiful gardens and you could easily spend the day here. There's plenty for this kids, fairy tale land, go ape for the older ones and nice gardens to wander for the older generation. You can access the castle but unfortunately we couldn't at this time due to them filming a show called his dark materials apparantly! We were made aware of this at the entrance so if this was sole reason for the visit we would know right away. Entry to the park is free but it is £6 entrance for car parking. It sounds steep but if you are going for a day then it works out a bargain
Jonathan DaviesJonathan Davies
Went for the Superhero day.
My 4 year old son really enjoyed it (which was the main thing).
However, for over 1000 people in attendance, there was one cafe (in the main area) with two servers. The queue was around the corner and took at least 20-25 mins. There should have been more stalls (coffee and food etc).
Also, the prices were extortionate. Over £5 for a baguette. Nearly £4 for a ham roll. £3 for a coffee from a machine. Overpriced and not enough staff!
Also, from the main area down to the orangery (and all around that area) there were NO BINS.
The circles where the main events were taking place were not big enough meaning lots of people couldn't get to the front.
Also, the events were far apart.
Queues were too big too.
Andy O'BrienAndy O'Brien
Beautiful scenic setting for a gentle walk around the grounds and gardens or a longer hike into the woods.
There are two play areas, one for the smaller kids and the other for the rest.
There's a nice cafe with indoor and outdoor seating at the courtyard at the back of the house.
The house itself is a beautiful example of gothic style, I think, architecture. It appear mostly intact and in good condition on the outside. I'm not sure about the inside but I believe it's unfurnished and in need of refurbishment.
Overall Margam Castle is well worth a visit but bear in mind, with #covid restrictions, you need to book ahead as numbers of visitors are limited.
Sean HollymanSean Hollyman
A very grand and imposing looking Gothic mansion situated in a picturesque country park with plenty to see before you even enter.
Only the ground floor is accessible to the public when you're not on a tour, and there's only a few rooms to see. They are nice rooms, though. The mansion suffered a fire in the 70s and extensive restoration work was undertaken to make it presentable again. While some parts of the accessible portion of the castle have been made lovely again, some parts do look a bit shabby and bare with exposed brickwork and a bit run-down, but I imagine there's reasons for that.
Still, it's a lovely building and I like it a lot.
Brombil Reservoir
Brombil Reservoir
4.6Hiking Area
Jon BeardJon Beard
Brombil reservoir and land is nestled within a valley on Margam mountain. Entry to the reservoir, is via a footpath which is approximately 900m long. This is positioned on the west side of the site and accessed from the small community of Brombil.
This is perfect for nature enthusiasts, adventurers, filming and those with a keen interest for ecology. It is known locally as “Blue Lagoon” and has become famous in recent years with social media influencers with its eye-catching turquoise waters surrounding by hills forests and neighbouring MargamCountry Park.
Public transport links include Port Talbot Parkway mainline rail station together with localbus services serving the surrounding vicinity. Road links include the M4 Motorway which links Swansea to the west and Bridgend andCardiffto the east.
Freya H-WFreya H-W
A stunning hiking spot with a wide variety of environments and amazing views.
The reservoir itself could be used as a swimming hole but due to (I presume) local teens drinking around the water and leaving glass about, I wouldn’t recommend it without water shoes. The slope into the water is also rather steep and slippery due to algae so if you’re not a confident swimmer this isn’t the place to go for a dip.
The reservoir aside, the surrounding area is gorgeous with environments that range from muddy, forested river crossings to mountain trails to a striking pine forest.
One warning though — to get high up the mountain there are very narrow paths bordered by thick shrubbery. Be sure to wear protective clothing that covers most your skin, and check for ticks as often as possible.
Lukasz BiernatLukasz Biernat
Beautiful place, unfortunately covered in trash. I never understand why people have enough energy to carry beer packs endless snacks and packets up the hill, but run out of energy to take much lighter litter back home! 🤔 Instead they leave rubbish filled bags allover the place. Tragically sad and stupid! This place would've been so much nicer without the littering idiots, broaken glass on the paths, reservoir banks, without trash and glass in the water. The ancient water regulating system at the reservoir has been turned into the litter tip, filled with trash. I suggest, if you going to visit this beautiful spot, TAKE YOUR LITTER HOME!!! 🚯
Kothmini SamarakoonKothmini Samarakoon
An absolutely beautiful reservoir with crystal-clear blue water and breathtaking views. A good place for relaxing or a picnic as well. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the entrance along a marked footpath to reach the reservoir. There are additional paths around the reservoir, though some are not very clearly defined, and there’s also a trail leading to the top for an elevated view. There’s no proper car park, so the best option is to park by the bridge before the entrance.
Tennessee RandallTennessee Randall
A beautiful place to visit and go for a walk or exploring, there are multiple paths to take on the trail to get to the top! However I was very disappointed by how much rubbish was left on the trails, beer cans, energy drinks and plastic all littered around the reservoir. The incline on the trail can be very steep so I would recommend wearing clothes that you don't mind getting a bit dirty and shoes with good grip.
