All walks › Cardiff and the Vale
Cardiff and the ValeThe Garth from Taff’s Well
The long way up the hill above Cardiff, from the only thermal spring in Wales, through woodland onto the barrow-topped summit.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 30
- Ascent
- 300 m
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Climb from the village through the woods and onto the open ridge, returning by the Taff trail or the lanes. Steady climbing.
Worth knowing
- The thermal spring at Taff’s Well is the only one in Wales and was used as a spa.
- The four Bronze Age barrows on the summit are clear and substantial.
- The Taff Trail below gives a flat return along the river.
What you’ll see
Bronze Age barrows, Cardiff and the Channel south, and the valleys opening north.
Background
The thermal spring maintains around 21 degrees year round and was enclosed as a bath house in the eighteenth century.