The Welsh park, which includes a castle, Grade I listed gardens and a herd of deer, is considered one of the best in the UK.
A beautiful Welsh country park with a historic castle on its grounds has been named one of the UK’s top ten favorite green spaces. Margam Country Park in Port Talbot has 800 acres of stunning parkland complete with a castle, gardens, orangery, woodland, lake, deer herd and sculpture trail.
The park made the top ten as one of the most impressive green spaces in the 2023 Green Flag People’s Choice Awards, after more than 21,000 members of the public voted for their favourite. The park is just a short drive from the M4 motorway and provides the perfect escape to Welsh history and wildlife. There is a magnificent 19th-century Gothic Tudor-style mansion on the site which was designed by architect Thomas Hooper. The house was built using sandstone from nearby Pile quarry and is listed as a Grade I mansion of exceptional quality.
Marjam Park is also a Grade I listed park, with the site filled with beautiful trees, flowers and shrubs. While animals such as foxes, badgers and voles can be found, Margam’s beautiful herd of deer is arguably the most exciting wildlife attraction. Herds of fallow and red deer and even endangered roe deer can be found in the park. For the latest Neath Port Talbot news, sign up to our newsletter here
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There are seasonal events hosted by the park such as Luminate and an outdoor cinema, as well as some food festivals. Whether you want to walk or bike the park grounds, or do something more adventurous like the Go Ape Tree Top Challenge, there’s something for everyone. You can also try water sports like stand-up paddling or kayaking. For the little ones, there’s the lovely fairytale village – a collection of miniature houses designed for children aged 10 and under – or the farm trail where you can meet animals such as lambs, chicks and piglets.
The stadium at Margam Park was named one of the best in the UK by The Times earlier this year. He made the park sound like a dreamy place to take the family, saying: “A small castle with a lookout tower and a huge slide are the highlights of this adventure playground, while younger children will be drawn to the fairytale village filled with miniature rides.” Homes. With a castle, a steam train, and a lake accessible by kayak, it’s easy to spend an entire day here. Keep your eyes open to see the herd of deer roaming the park as well.
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Regarding Margam Country Park being voted one of the best parks in Britain, Sean Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing at Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “I would like to thank the hard work of our staff and the wonderful volunteers at Margam Country Park which makes it such a wonderful place.” For recreation, sport, play and relaxation, it has once again been proven, by a public vote, to be one of the best parks in Britain.
Lucy Brisk, Green Flag Coordinator for Keep Wales Tidy, added: “Our parks and green spaces are essential to people’s wellbeing, and we know that free access to these spaces will continue to be vital for communities. For Margam Country Park to receive this award is testament to the hard work of all the staff and volunteers involved, and we are delighted to be able to celebrate this additional honor that accompanies the Green Flag Award.
