33118-20 Heritage Driving Trails booklet_Layout 1 10/06/2010 11:08 Page 32 Rhondda Cynon Taf Tour 3 - Route Description Heritage Trails Tylorstown is also where world flyweight boxing The statue at this spot of ‘Our champion Jimmy Wilde (1892 – 1969) once lived Lady of Penrhys’ was re-erected and a short way down East Road from the in 1953 having been ‘cast down’ Pendyrus Choir plaque is Tylorstown Working in 1538 during the reformation Men’s Club and Institute where he once trained, and it marks the site of a plaque is on the wall. The ‘Tylorstown Terror’ medieval pilgrimage of great fought an incredible 152 fights, winning 137 and importance. Tour 4 99 of those by a knockout. Many regard him as the greatest flyweight boxer ever. On the hill below stands the ‘Little Church’ Continue to a traffic roundabout and turn right housing St Mary’s Well, a Llanwynno, Rhondda (3rd exit) up the B4512 for a short detour to chalybeate spring once one more spectacular view at Penrhys. We thought to offer continue up the hill to a roundabout and at this miraculous cures for & Llantrisant high point take the first exit to park in the small arthritis and other car park to see St Mary’s Well. Here we can see ailments. both the Rhondda Fach and the Rhondda Fawr valleys and spectacular views south towards the Our tour ends here. Bristol Channel and Exmoor, way distant in Return now back England. down the hill to Tylorstown roundabout, where turn right (3rd exit) and follow the A4233 back to Porth and then join the A4058 to our starting point at Pontypridd. 33118-20 Heritage Driving Trails booklet_Layout 1 10/06/2010 11:08 Page 34 Tour 4 Llanwynno, Rhondda & Llantrisant Llanwynno ynysybwl 1 pontypridd B4273 ferndale porth a4233 2 3 b4512 blaenllechau tylorstown 4 5 A4233 penrhys cymmer Summary tonyrefail llantrisant Starting Point – Pontypridd – 4 Penrhys CF43 3PT 7 B4273 CF37 4PE 5 Porth (Optional stop – Cymmer a4119 Ynysybwl CF37 3DY Chapel) CF39 9AD A4093 1 Llanwynno – St. Gwynno’s Trebanog CF39 9DU Church CF37 3PH 6 Optional detour – Gilfach Goch Blaenllechau CF43 4NE CF39 8TG 6 2 Ferndale CF43 4LY 7 Llantrisant (Optional heritage walk) CF72 8QQ 3 Tylorstown CF43 3DA gilfach goch 33118-20 Heritage Driving Trails booklet_Layout 1 10/06/2010 11:09 Page 36 Tour 4 - Route Description From the South take a look at this Proceed carefully down the narrow lane along song here and, at the time of writing it is historic and peaceful the side of the valley, descending into the mining anticipated this will be open from November Leave the A470 at the exit signed A4058 spot, there is an village of Blaenllechau. At the T junction at the 2010. Visitors may wish to enquire about it and Pontypridd and Rhondda Valleys. At the information board in bottom, (because the turn is too tight to turn the latest information can be found on the roundabout take the 2nd exit and follow the the car park giving left!), you will need to turn right and then website www.cor-meibion-morlais.org road that runs parallel to the A470. At the next some information about immediately turn around at a roundabout to roundabout take the 1st exit onto A4223. Continuing further south along the A4233 and the area. The church is continue downhill into Ferndale. after passing a left turn for the Leisure Centre, Proceed downhill to a bridge over the River Taff thirteenth century, The road bends sharp right and then crosses an we reach Tylorstown. Keeping an eye to our left and at the traffic lights turn right onto the much rebuilt in the late old railway bridge. Stop at the bottom of the see a Blue Plaque for Pendyrus Male Choir on B4273 signed Ynys-y-bwl. nineteenth, but standing valley just past the new ‘Rhondda Life’ the modern flats on East Road, - previously the on a site selected by St From the North development* at the entrance to Greenwood site of Ebenezer Chapel where the choir was Gwynno who settled Park. founded in 1924. Leave the A470 at the exit signed Pontypridd here c. AD549. Inside A4233, Rhondda Valleys, Ynysybwl, Llantrisant. At the church there is a Guto Nyth Bran Statue, *(At the time of writing the new Rhondda Life Tylorstown is also where world flyweight boxing the roundabout at the end of the slip road, take 1,300 year old stone Mountain Ash project is due to start. When complete it will champion Jimmy Wilde (1892 – 1969) once lived the 4th exit signed Pontypridd A4233. Proceed cross (restricted access so may not be possible have a visitor facility and the intention is to have and a short way down East Road from the downhill to a bridge over the River Taff and at to view). The churchyard is particularly accommodation available. When complete, Pendyrus Choir plaque is Tylorstown Working the traffic lights turn right onto the B4273 interesting and contains the grave of Griffith visitors may well wish to call in). Men’s Club and signed Ynys-y-bwl. Morgan (1700-1737) known as ‘Guto Nyth Institute where Walk down the lane towards Greenwood Park Bran’ after the name of his farm near Porth. he once trained, We continue along the B4273 for 5 kms to to view a memorial to two major pit disasters Guto was a legendary runner who once a plaque is on the Ynysybwl, staying on the main road through the which in 1867 and again in 1869 killed a total of covered the 13 miles from Bedwas to Newport wall. The old mining village and then, further on continue 231 men and boys, devastating for a small valley in 53 minutes to win a 1000 guinea purse, but ‘Tylorstown through Old Ynysybwl staying on the B4273. community. dropped dead when slapped on the back by his Terror’ fought an Eventually we take a left hand fork signposted girlfriend Sian! The ‘Nos Galan’Races in Guto’s Continue ahead to shortly reach the junction incredible 152 for Llanwonno and Ferndale. This challenging honour are still run around the streets of with the A4233. To park and take a look at the fights, winning stretch of road passes through St Gwynno nearby Mountain Ash on New Years Eve. information board on The Strand turn left and 137 and 99 of immediately right to a choice of two car parks. those by a Forest and the valley is filled by woods of fir and From here go past the Brynffynon Pub on the Otherwise continue sharp left on the A4233 knockout. Many beech. We emerge from the forest to climb to left and take the right turn to pass the church south. regard him as the the Brynffynon Inn and St Gwynno’s Church at and continue along a narrow lane until the view the tiny hamlet of Llanwynno. Park up and greatest flyweight starts to open out before us. It is worth a stop Ferndale’s most famous son is probably the boxer ever. in the lay-by shortly after passing the aerial on actor Sir Stanley Baker, there is a plaque on the the left to take in the panorama before us. Note house where he was born although this is the conical Tylorstown Tip nearby – the tucked away down side streets at 32 Albany remnants of a spoil heap created by the mining Street. activity that once filled the Rhondda Fach valley below us. Note also the ‘ribbon development’ of One of Rhondda’s famous choirs, – Morlais is terraced housing,- this is a classic view of the from this part of the valley and they practice in South Wales valleys and we can see over into the Morlais Hall opposite the information board the Rhondda Fawr from here as well. located by the main bus stop in the Strand. It is intended to have a living museum of music and St. Gwynno’s Church, Llanwynno Jimmy Wilde 33118-20 Heritage Driving Trails booklet_Layout 1 10/06/2010 11:09 Page 38 Tour 4 - Route Description Continue to a traffic roundabout and turn right Detour Detour (3rd exit) up the B4512 for a short detour to another spectacular view at Penrhys. We Having turned right at the traffic lights park up At the next roundabout you may wish to turn Hill, London in 1968. Here at this high security continue up the hill to a roundabout and at this briefly in the second side street on the right. right on the A4093 to take a brief look at unit is the production point for the coins and high point take the first exit to park in the small Return carefully on foot to the traffic lights to Gilfach Goch – inspiration for the book ‘How notes used in Britain and also for a number of car park to see St Mary’s Well. Here we can see view Cymmer Chapel (note the Blue Plaque) – Green Was My Valley’ written by Richard other countries. built in 1743 this was the first chapel built in Llewellyn and subsequently made into a classic both the Rhondda Fach and the Rhondda Fawr At the end of the short dual carriageway, keep the Rhondda valley, quite some time before film. valleys and spectacular views south towards the straight on at a crossroads and where the road industrialisation took hold and so built for a Bristol Channel and Exmoor, way distant in Having turned right continue to another starts to narrow, take the right turn signposted rural community at that time.