Taff Trail - Pontsticill to Quakers Yard

The Taff Trail is a multi-purpose route between the Cardiff Bay and Brecon 55 miles (88km) in length. This section covers Ponsticill to Quakers Yard approximately 17 km. The Trail is well signposted and additional information can be found on www.tafftrail.org.uk.

The entry point on the Taff Trail is the eastern end of the Pontsticill Reservoir and dam. It is also the point where a short lane will take you to one of the stations of the Brecon Mountain Railway. This is a narrow gauge railway however bicycles can be carried on request. See www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk for more information.

First stop is Pontsarn. The Pontsarn Inn was built as a Station Master`s house in the mid 19th century to serve the Brecon to Merthyr line. The building later served as a post office, shop and an inn, providing refreshment for miners and their families enjoying their Sunday School trips to the countryside. Sadly the Inn has recently gone into disrepair.

Pontsarn Station platform is still visible which was on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway Line, where parties of sightseers and Sunday School outings used to arrive by train a hundred years ago.

The first through train came on 8th August 1868. Increasing to 21 trains a day by 1873. It was closed in 1963.

The trail runs along the NW side of the Taf Fechan (Little Taff) river. After crossing a wooden bridge the view across the valley towards Merthyr Tydfil in now largely obscured by trees.

After crossing the `Heads of the Valleys` main road on a bridge, we use a short narrow path at the side of St John`s Church. The trail runs to the bottom of Church St, across the main road, another path to the Station Hotel then onto the Cefn Coed viaduct.

A plaque erected by the Merthyr Tydfil Heritage Traust says "This viaduct stands 115 feet high and was built to carry the Merthyr to Brecon line. The cost of building was £25,000. Notice the curving sweep of the viaduct so built to avoid Crawshay land."

From the Viaduct continuing down the traffic free path towards the former Cyfarthfa Iron Works there is a good view across the valley towards Cyfarthfa Castle.

The nearest point on the Taff Trail to the centre of Merthyr Tydfil is the college. It is also a very large Pay and Display Car Park.

The Station at Merthyr Tydfil is the end of the line from Cardiff and is in the town centre.

The trail picks up the towpath of the former Glamorganshire Canal. The Taff Trail follows the canal for the next 5 miles.

The villages of Abercanaid and Pentrebach are two small villages situated on opposite sides of the River Taff. The Taff being crossed via a footbridge.

Leaving Abercanaid going South with the housing on the left and the hillside on the right, we pass underneath a high viaduct which carries the main road across the valley.

Aberfan is a village on the trail - known for the disaster on 21 October 1966 when mining waste slipped down the hill, destroyed a school killing 144 people, 116 of them children.

As the Taff Trail runs along the contour of the valley, the Garden of Remembrance can be seen high above. Merthyr Vale and its station is across the other side of the valley.

A plaque was erected by the bridge by the Merthyr Tydfil Heritage Trust reads "Taff Trail Heritage Sites. Pont y gwaith meaning the `Works Bridge` was constructed in 1811 to replace a wooden bridge associated with the nearby 16th century ironworks. Repaired in 1993 by Mid Glamorgan County Counciland awarded a commendation by the Civic Trust."

The bridge carries the Taff Trail across the valley.

The best known of Tevithick's locomotives was the one he made to carry iron along the cast iron tramway from the Pendarren ironworks to the Glamorgan canal. The iron was loaded onto barges at Abercynon. It was he said, 'the first and only self-moving machine that ever was made to travel on a road with 25 tons at 4 mph, and completely manageable by one man'. This steam locomotive was used for the first time over this track in 1804 (25 years before Stephenson's Rocket). You can bounce your bicycle along the original stone sleepers as you tackle this part of the Taff Trail.

Continue until you arrive at houses and Roderick's Terrace which marks Quaker`s Yard.