Things to do in Trecynon

Brecon Beacons National Park is an expanse of immeasurable natural beauty. Rugged mountain ranges spill down to valleys while limestone caves and dramatic waterfalls highlight a landscape of flower-filled meadows, forests and grassy hills. Brecon Beacons National Park is a paradise for biking, hiking, horseback riding and touring on canals. Discover more than 250 ancient monuments, villages crowned by castles and designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Rhondda Valley is an area of outstanding natural beauty with a rich mining heritage. For more than 100 years this was an industrial heartland where tens of thousands of men extracted coal from the earth. The mines may have closed, but their history can be explored. Go underground on a mine tour and get active in the outdoors on a hiking or cycling expedition.

With its conical stone towers and drawbridge, Castell Coch may look like a medieval fortress but in fact its history is more recent. The impressive monument dates back to Victorian times and was built for the third Marquis of Bute.

Despite that, this beautiful Anglican cathedral has endured a chequered history, falling into disrepair under Henry VIII, occupied by Parliamentarian troops in the English Civil War, badly hit by the Great Storm of 1703, and suffering extensive bomb damage during World War II that undid much of the restoration work that had been carried out to that point. Yet it has survived triumphantly, a majestic example of Norman architecture that has been carefully curated in recent years. The west frontage is considered one of Wales’ foremost examples of medieval art, while the figure of Christ in Majesty that hangs from a concrete arch added by George Pace takes the breath away when you enter the nave.

The second distinctive feature is the system of defences, built in large part surrounded by a system of large artificial lakes. Caerphilly Castle was originally constructed in the 13th Century, which makes the engineering behind the construction of the dams and sluice gates required to create the water defences even more impressive.