Neath Abbey

Neath Abbey was a monastery built circa 1129 AD on the outskirts of Swansea. The monastery itself was dissolved in 1539, and part of the buildings were turned into a mansion. This was abandonded after 100 years, and by the 1700s the site had turned to industrial use, mainly copper smelting and an iron foundry, which led to the ruins of the abbey eventually being covered by industrial waste. What was left of the abbey was excavated between 1924 and 1935.

Believed to be the first purpose built stock car track, Neath Abbey Stadium was built next to the ruins of Neath Abbey in early 1955. Plauged by bad weather and a lack of interest from the locals, it ran for four months before a temporary closure for refubishment. It never reopened.

A local speedway club took over the track and had their first meeting in April 1962, but like the stock cars before them, the locals did not attend in any significant numbers and the track closed in September.

Apart from where stated, all photos are stills from the British Film Institute's footage of racing at Neath Abbey, courtesy of Graham Brown.