A group of sixteen walkers and spaniel Pepper turned out in glorious sunshine with a nip in the air as a reminder that it is mid-autumn to join Rachel for a 12 mile trek in the Pontypridd area.
Beginning from Treforest Railway Station, where cars and train arrived simultaneously, the group trooped up beside the University of South Wales and heading around the back of a house into woods they passed over the top of a long tunnel that had been built for the Barry Railway Line which connected Trehafod with Barry Docks.
By-passing the exceedingly busy rail bottleneck at Pontypridd, the wind held off despite the weather forecast, so there were plenty of russets and golds and a few red leaves still clinging onto their host trees, with carpets of leaves almost everywhere for them to kick their boots through and scuff up.
From Graig the route led them on grassy trails, old farm and forestry tracks and wooded trails to cross over fast flowing streams and pass Maesycoed, Pwll Gwaun and Hopkinstown, whilst admiring the views across the Rhondda Valley and up into the valley ahead.
Arriving eventually at Trehafod near the Rhondda Valley Heritage Park, before following the Rhondda River into Barry Sidings Country Park which stretches along the south bank of the Rhondda Fawr, a gentle gust of wind blew delicately showering them with golden larch spines as they passed through before heading behind the cricket clubhouse, where two of the group peeled off to walk back into Pontypridd for an early finish.
The remainder headed up a stiff hill, interrupted with a steep set of steps, to come out in Pantygraig Wen, where they made an unscheduled stop at the Eagle’s Rock before deciding to stay there for lunch utilising rocks as seating and to absorb the extensive views and watch mist roll over the valley, followed by more blue sky.
More vibrantly golden-carpeted woodland led them along a tree-bound escarpment and down to Trallwn and crossing the River Taff and making their way into the town via Fish Lane they paused to view the famous bridge that Pontypridd is famous for.
The old bridge when it was erected was the biggest single spanning bridge in Europe and was constructed by William Edwards between 1746 –1754, but it took him four attempts as it has a 140ft span and is 45m in length. The first bridge built of timber was washed away in floods, the second and third simply collapsed by the weight of the construction whilst the triumphant fourth was also built of stone, but has three holes on each side with various diameters in order to make it lighter.
Skirting Ynysangharad War Memorial Park and crossing below the A470, another steep set of steps brought them towards Pontypridd Common where they lingered at the obelisk memorial to the 5th battalion the Welch Regiment, to consider its significance and take advantage of the extensive stunning views over the areas they had already walked through.
The next stop was the famous Rocking Stone on Pontypridd Common or Y Maen Chwyf that was erected by Edward Williams more famously known by his Bardic name of Iolo Morgannwg. Williams’ first meeting of the Bards was on Primrose Hill in London where he erected 12 stones called the Great Circle around a central stone called Maen Llog in 1792. Influenced a lot by the use of laudanum Williams work was often ridiculed as being fictitious or a figment of his imagination but these are the opening lines of a poem he wrote about the stones …
As the sun, so sly, speeds on to hide behind the western hills
I stand within this
Ancient circle with its rugged stones
Pointing to the sky
Like the digits on the clock of time –
The time that has refused to move …
The Rocking Stone at Pontypridd is high above the confluence of the Taff and Rhondda Rivers and no doubt was a very important site during prehistoric times. In 1795 a Gorsedd meeting took place in Pontypridd around Maen Chwyf, a huge slab of slate and this became the meeting place for the Druids with the circles being constructed later. The site is surrounded by two circles plus an avenue leading to the centre.
Walking past the century old Cottage Hospital or Y Bwthyn and down the hill in front of them stood Dr William Price’s round houses. William Price was born in 1800 at Rudry and despite being unable to write or speak English until the age of ten when he went to school, by the age of 13 he passed all exams and became apprenticed to a local doctor. After attending the Royal London Hospital he qualified as a surgeon in 1821 and moved back to the valleys. Setting up a co-operative health system in Pontypridd he was much admired and advised people to give up smoking, take exercise and become vegetarian. He was very much influenced by Iolo Morgannwg and became a Chartist setting about reviving the Celtic religion and not believing in marriage he fathered many children by two different women. In 1844 he burned the body of his infant son in the belief that burial would taint the ground and argued that the law did not prevent him from doing this which in fact led to the 1902 Cremation Act. His eccentric ways, he wore bright flamboyant clothes with a fox skin headdress, made him a comical character and as an ardent Welsh nationalist his views were often extreme. When he passed away in January 1893 he was cremated in an iron coffin on 2 tons of coal and although his memorial statue stands in Llantrisant square, his biggest achievement is Wales’ first crematorium just down the valley at Glyntaff.
Tramping along part of the Taff Trail led them past Glyntaff cemetery to head towards Rhydfelin. Re-crossing under the A470 and heading across a bridge which led them back over the River Taff they arrived alongside the impressive remains of the Crawshay’s Tin Rolling Works.
In 1834/5 William Crawshay II of the Cyfarthfa Iron Company rebuilt the original tinplate works which was managed by Francis his son. Production began in 1836 and by 1842 it was converting gig to wrought iron with two mills for rolling iron into sheets and furnaces with the power provided by eight waterwheels instead of using steam power. This site later became known as the Rolling Mill and by 1876 had 5 working mills which increased to ten by 1893 along with 12 furnaces. The Rolling Mill is Grade II listed as it is the earliest surviving building on the site which dates to 1835 and also because of its use of water for power.
They made their way to Long Row, where the delightful rows of terraced cottages were built by Francis Crawshay to house his workers as were many of the surrounding streets and this is one of the oldest streets in Treforest.
From there it was across the road and back to the station, just in time for the rail users to get the train back home with dry and clean walking boots after what had been a challenging but very enjoyable walk.
