Neath Abbey

The ruins of Neath Abbey sit quietly beside the River Neath, about three miles north of Swansea town centre, and they're genuinely worth tracking down if you're staying in the area. What remains is a sprawling set of stone foundations and walls from a Cistercian monastery founded way back in 1130 - enough to get a proper sense of the place without needing much imagination.

You can wander the grounds for free and take your time picking out the different sections: the cloister, the chapter house, bits of the dormitory. The stonework is lovely in places, particularly where the afternoon light catches the arches. It's not going to overwhelm you - the site isn't vast and you'll cover it in under an hour - but it's exactly the kind of thing that works perfectly for a quieter afternoon during a park holiday. Families with older kids who aren't easily bored will get something out of it; younger ones might lose interest quicker.

Timing-wise, there's no entrance fee and no set hours that I'm aware of, so you can rock up whenever suits. Spring and early autumn are best - the ruins look better when they're not soaking wet. If you're based at either SWDA Riverside or Riverside Holiday Park, it's a short drive and saves you from spending yet another day at the leisure centre. The Abbey sits within easy reach of decent walks along the river valley too, so you could stretch it into something longer if the mood takes you.