In my pre teen ears, one of my favourite adventures/ past times/ treks was to Morfa Pond. An area of water, bordered by reeds, bulrushes and inhabited by swans, mallards, coots, moorhens, other migratory birds. Along with small fish, tiddlers and during season frog spawn and tadpoles.
Now gone forever, covered and devoured by the concrete and steelwork of the Abbey Works
The Morfa Wetlands extended from Morfa Fawr to Taibach, comprising water laden marshes, dykes ponds and streams. It was an area of outstanding natural beauty, lying between the green hills of Margam and the mountainous sand dunes of the Morfa beaches.
The trek from home took us past the now gone Tollgate that before the advent of the A48 main road collected dues from travellers. Our journey continued over a stone humpback bridge over the main railway lines( Paddington to Fishguard). Here we would stop to watch the express trains roar past having our heads over the bridge parapet to feel the smoke,getting our faces coal smoke dirty. Sometimes before the arrival of the trains, scramble down the embankment to put small coins, half pennies on the line. After the trains enjoy the new shape of the coins. Simple fun at that age but a good laugh.
After crossing the bridge we would join a path made of ash, slag and pebbles along side Morfa Pond. The path was lined by tall reeds and bulrushes which we would snap off and pretend were spears. It would take us to the lower end of the pond where armed with our nets and jam jars with string handles we would spend our time collecting toddlers or in season frog spawn and tadpoles
Much to the dismay of our mothers on returning home we would display our jam jar catches on the kitchen window sills and through ignorance they would all in time die.
It was always an adventure, a laugh and if nothing else, we learnt and stayed healthy
If I could do it today I would without hesitation bu it no longer exists.
Remember, our trespasses are forgiven as we forgive those that trespass against us
Emrys Cambrensis 