Other in Rhondda Cynon Taf

Dare Valley Country Park near Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf covers over five hundred acres of a reclaimed coalmining valley transformed over several decades into one of the finest country parks in the Welsh valleys. Centring on two small lakes and a network of paths through grassland, scrub, woodland and moorland on former spoil heaps, the park provides walking, cycling and wildlife watching within a post-industrial landscape of considerable natural interest. Moorland above the valley supports kestrel and peregrine, while the lake margins and woodland attract kingfishers and a range of woodland and waterside birds during the breeding season. The park includes a visitor centre, café and camping facilities, and represents one of the most significant examples of successful industrial land reclamation in Wales. Entry is free.

Glyncornel Lake is a reservoir and recreational open space in the Rhondda valley above Llwynypia, set within a forested valley in the former coal-mining heartland of the Rhondda Fawr. Originally constructed in the late nineteenth century to supply water to the densely populated valley communities, the reservoir is now a quiet recreational area popular with walkers, anglers and local residents. The surrounding conifer woodland provides pleasant walking and habitat for common woodland birds. The approach through the lower valley offers views of the characteristic Rhondda townscape, with Victorian terraces climbing the steep valley sides above former colliery sites. The Rhondda valley is one of the most historically significant landscapes in Wales, its identity shaped by the coal industry.

Rhigos Mountain, known in Welsh as Mynydd Rhigos, is an upland plateau forming the Cynon-Rhondda watershed in northern Rhondda Cynon Taf, offering some of the most extensive panoramic views in South Wales. The summit marks the boundary between the former coal-mining valleys to the south and the wilder uplands of the Brecon Beacons to the north, and from the ridge the densely settled valley towns of the Rhondda and Cynon are visible to the south while open moorland stretches northward toward the Beacons. The A4061 Rhigos road is one of the most dramatically scenic routes in south Wales, forming part of the upland zone between the coalfield valleys and the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Rhondda Heritage Park at the Lewis Merthyr Colliery in Trehafod in the Rhondda Fawr is one of the most important industrial heritage attractions in Wales, dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of coalmining and the communities it created. The centrepiece underground tour takes groups into the former colliery workings guided by ex-miners who provide first-hand accounts of life underground, creating a genuinely moving and educational experience. Above ground, exhibitions in restored surface buildings cover the social history of the mining communities including domestic life, chapel culture, trade unionism and the distinctive musical and sporting traditions of the valleys. Situated at the lower end of the Rhondda valley and accessible by train from Cardiff.

The Rhondda Tunnel is a remarkable Victorian railway tunnel that once connected the Rhondda Fawr valley in Rhondda Cynon Taf with the Afan valley in Neath Port Talbot, driven through the mountain at the head of the Rhondda at an elevation of over 1000 feet and stretching for 3,443 yards to make it one of the highest and longest railway tunnels in Wales. The tunnel was opened in 1890 to carry coal from the Rhondda to the port at Port Talbot and was used for freight and passenger traffic until its closure in 1968. A community project has restored the tunnel for use as a cycling and walking route through the mountain, providing a unique underground experience on a dedicated bike trail that is unique in the United Kingdom. The Rhondda Tunnel Society oversees access and has created one of the most unusual and historically significant active heritage transport attractions in Wales.