Go Green
Green, Fresh and Untouched
'How Green Was My Valley' needs to be consigned, once and for all, to the history books. The novel by Richard Llewellyn painted a picture that vanished from the landscape of South Wales many years ago. In place of coal mines there are now country parks - more than anywhere else in Wales, by the way. The heavy industries of old have disappeared. Forests clothe the hillsides, and above the trees there are open moors and mountains that have always been green, fresh and untouched.
Green Footprints
The Valleys are green in a forward-looking and environmentally friendly way too. Tourism, leisure and pleasure come with the lightest possible touch. The area’s exceptional walking, mountain biking and cycling, and horse riding and pony trekking are all in tune with the times - as increasing numbers of visitors are discovering.
The City of Cardiff is only half hour away by train and you can even take a journey on the 35 mile long Monmouth & Brecon Canal starting at Cwmbran and finishing in the Brecon Beacons. And here’s another plus point: The Valleys are easy to get to know, with excellent road and rail links from most of the UK’s main centres of population. So getting here is guilt free - and as green as it comes.
Green Fingers
If you’re a fan of Jeremy Vine’s Radio 2 show then you’re probably also a fan of Terry Walton. Terry, from Tonypandy in the Rhondda, has become a star since reporting regularly on his allotment. He’s kept an allotment man and boy for 50 years so knows what he’s talking about. With our renewed interest in fresh, locally sourced food, he’s very much in fashion, along with lots of like-minded colleagues - ‘allotmenteering’ is something of a Valleys obsession. As he says, ‘More and more people are starting to put taste and freshness as the most important ingredients of the daily meals.’ The ‘Allotment Doctor’ doesn’t just dispense tips and wisdom regularly on radio (he’s usually on the show every other Friday). He’s also written a book, My Life on a Hillside Allotment. See our food and drink section for details of local markets selling fresh local produce plus many of our cafes and restaurants also use locally sourced produce where available.
Country Living
That’s what you’ll enjoy in the Dare Valley Country Park, Aberdare, in the Cynon Valley. It wasn’t always the case. It’s hard to believe that a coal mine once stood on this swathe of grassland, lakeland and mountain. Come here for the walking, horse riding and birdwatching - and for the stirring views northwards into the Brecon Beacons. You can even rest over night at the modern hotel or touring caravan and camping site located at the park. That’s another surprise. The Valleys and the Brecon Beacons National Park are close neighbours. So close, in fact, that just north of Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil the one lives in the pocket of the other. Penderyn near Aberdare stands at the gateway to ‘Waterfall Country’, a part of the National Park famous for its caves, deep wooded gorges and spectacular falls. And lakeside Pontsticill a few miles from Merthyr is in the foothills of Pen y fan, at 2,907 ft above sea level, the highest peak in South Wales.
Inspiring Green Ideas
Parc Penallta to Eglwysian Walk
Enjoy breathtaking views and the UK's largest figurative earth sculpture following a Celtic Trail and waymarked trails starting. The four hour round trip crossed the open countryside of the Eqlwysian Common giving fanatastic views of the Rhymney Valley the Aber Valley and across to the Taff Vale.
Walk under waterfalls
Waterfall Country is our hidden treasure in the Vale of Neath. A sequence of mystical waterfalls that are particularly striking. Enjoy a range of walks accompanying the waterfalls. Follow the footsteps of past explorers and rediscover our ‘special features’ at Sgwd Gwladys, Melincourt Falls, Aberdulais and Sgwd yr Eira.
