St Cynfelin's Church (Eglwys Cynfelin Sant)

The churchyard gate opens onto something genuinely old - we're talking 12th century, though the building itself has been reworked plenty of times since. St Cynfelin's sits on a slope above Port Talbot with a view down over the valley that most visitors completely miss because they're too busy photographing the leaning gravestones.

The church itself is modest in scale, but that's rather the point. Walking round the exterior, you notice the mismatched stonework and different roof repairs that tell the story of 900 years of patches and prayers. Inside, it's cool and quiet - the kind of place where you genuinely feel the age in the stone.

History buffs will appreciate the medieval carvings and the fact that this spot has been a place of worship since long before the Industrial Revolution turned Port Talbot into what it is now. Families with younger children might find twenty minutes is enough, but walkers tackling the surrounding countryside will naturally pass this way and should definitely stop. The churchyard itself is atmospheric for rambling about.

It's free, obviously, and there's no visitor centre or café nonsense. Just a church doing what churches do. If you're staying at Willow Springs Campsite nearby, it's worth the short drive or a decent walk from there. The landscape round about is proper South Wales - valleys and old industrial heritage mixed together. Don't expect tourist attractions. Do expect authenticity.