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tashski Says: The Parc & Dare Theatre in Treorchy is home to one of the best brass bands in Wales, and also home to world renowned Treorchy Male Voice Choir.The Parc & Dare was constructed in two parts. The first part was built in 1903 and was a working men's hall/club. It was funded by...
tashski Says: Situated in Tonypandy, on side of road (A4119) is a statue of a miner, his wife and child. Not an old statue, nor one of any archeological importance, just a symbol of Rhondda's proud heritage, honouring the unique history of Rhondda.Unfortunately, whoever placed this statue...
tashski Says: Rhondda Heritage Park, Trehafod shows how coal mining was an integral part of Welsh heritage and culture. It does this in a way which is informative, educational and fun.At the Park, which is situated in the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery, there is a guided tour underground,...
tashski Says: The Lodge (was called the Britannia) is a traditional pub situated in Porth. As with many pubs in Rhondda, there is a small bar room then separate lounge, as miners in dirty works clothes were not permitted in lounge, only the bar.The Lodge features many basic pub meals, all...
Conti's: It has good days and bad days
pooke Says: its a chip shop, trouble is it did used to be one of the best in the country, now it does have its odd days with good food, but it usually doesnt. Staff can sometimes be a bit rude. Bacon Rolls, Just so nice in the morning
Pontypridd District/Graigwen: Rocking the district
tashski Says: Just outside Rhondda, in the town of Pontypridd is the District club. If you enjoy live music, then visit on a Friday, when live bands are playing. Tends to be rock and rock/blues type music so if you enjoy that type of music you will enjoy this venue. Also, because drink is...
Stones Cafe Bar: Comfortable drinking
tashski Says: Newly opened (just 3 days ago!) this is a cafe/bar situated in main shopping street in Porth in Rhondda. Refurbished totally, the building used to host the local football team club bar. It does now look good, and the small entrance conceals a larger than you think bar...
tashski Says: There is not really great nightlife in Rhondda. Most locals go to Pontypridd or even to Cardiff if they want good night out/nightclubs. Many of the pubs/clubs in Rhondda itself are only really visited by the locals. There are quite a few of the traditional working men clubs...
tashski Says: It is said that a weaver from Pontypridd in Mid Glamorgan, Evan James, wrote the words one Sunday morning in January 1856 to a tune composed by his son James James, which is believed based on an old harp melody. The date of the song's adoption as the National Anthem is...
tashski Says: Even though the Rhondda people are very proud to be Welsh, most speak English only. There is a rising number of bilinguals (welsh and english speakers) due to the rising popularity of Welsh medium schools as more and more choose to send their children to these schools.If you...
tashski Says: The Rhondda is made up of two narrow valleys - imaginately named, the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach (Big Rhondda and small Rhondda!)Most of the villages have welsh names, such as Porth (meaning gateway), Cymmer (pronounced Kummar, not simar!) and Ynyshir, Llwynypia,...
Lots of Lots of Houses (part2)
tashski Says: Even though so many people and their homes were crammed into such small space, as they were surrounded by mountains, the valleys communities are much nearer to open countryside than other industrial areas of Britain.
Lots and lots of houses (part1)
tashski Says: Not really a tip, but a explanation to the unusual set up of building in the Rhondda. The housing was created purely to house the miners (most built at end of 19th/beginning of 20th century as mines were sunk), who came to valleys for work. By 1911, almost 24,000 people (on...
There are no tourist traps I could warn VT'ers about - this is probably because, as you could probably guess from the small amount of tips/places to go, Rhondda is not really a traditional/typical tourist area.
So, if you want to go somewhere different, where there are very few (if any) tourists, this would be the place for you!
Updated Aug 29, 2005
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Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Would recommend light rainproof clothing whatever time of year you visit, Wales does seem to be pretty rainy! The summer can be warm (just same as rest of Britain), but advisable to have warm clothing for higher ground (such as hillwalking in Brecon Beacons)
Written Aug 21, 2005
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Located just off a roundabout, high on the Penrhys mountain is the statue of Lady of Penrhys.
There is not much on this mountain apart from the statue and the large council housing estate, but the views are great.
IN 13th Century, Cistercian monks from Llantarnam Abbey built a grange here. The monks that lived here lived a very simple agricultural life, and legend has it that one of them found a statue of the Holy Mother when working one day in the fields. So, the monks then built a chapel and shrine to put the statue in. Penrhys became a centre of pilgrimage, to pay homage and to be healed. Although there is no longer a chapel/shrine, there is a statue dating from 1953 placed in its site.
The site has to be one of the best viewpoints in the area, giving fantastic views of Rhondda Valleys.
To get there, B4512 road, between Tylorstown and Ystrad, roundabout, Penrhys mountain.
Written Aug 29, 2005
christopaul Says: Wether you are into cycling on the road or mountain. The Rhondda and surrounding areas are fantastic. The Rhondda is surrounded by montains and forestry. These forests all have good service roads which make getting around on a mountain bike rather covenient. There are good...
tashski Says: If you enjoy watching rally car racing, then visit Rhondda on 18 September as every year the Welsh Rally stages one of its legs here. The Rhondda stage tends to have some of the twistiest hairpin bends you could imagine, all at mountain side heights! Check out the website to...
tashski Says: Rhondda has its' own golf course, situated on Penrhys mountain - great views from here. I don't play golf, but apparently it is quite a good course.18 holes. 6205 yards, mountain course. Par 70. Once get to Rhondda, follow signposts to Ystrad and/or Treorchy, then turn off...
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Favorite thing: The rich history of Rhondda, and the determination and sincerity of the people who live there.
The area is not perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing but it is the grittiness that creates its' unique appeal. The rows and rows of terraces hugging the valley walls, whilst behind the terraced houses is open mountainside- this unusual combination epitomes Rhondda for me - a unique place. Most of the housing has not basically changed in over 100 years, and the basic structure of inside the terraced miners cottage is still the same - how did they fit in families of 10 or 13 people in these 3 up, 2 down houses.
Although its' population is perhaps now declining (as more move away for employment, etc), in the heyday of mining, the rate of absorbtion of immigrants into Rhondda was faster than anywhere else in the world (apart from USA).
In the heyday of coal mining, one third of all the world's coal was produced here - the Kuwait of its time!
Fondest memory: The closeness of the people, which could be a result of the closeness of housing! And the fact that even though you could be standing in the middle of a street, with houses on both sides, with another street just behind and another street just in front - you only have to tilt your head up slightly to see welsh countryside mountains. When I go away, I miss the mountains.
Written Aug 29, 2005
Romans occupied Wales for 400 years but never succeeded in subduing all of Wales, as they had done in England. The language of Welsh survived, and is considered to be one of the oldest languages in......
Build your own Rhondda page
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