Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksCardiff and the Vale

Cardiff and the Vale

Llantrisant Common

Hilltop town with a castle ruin and open common below, and a statue to the doctor who made cremation legal in Britain.

Distance
3.1 mi / 5 km
Time
1 hr 45
Ascent
170 m
Difficulty
Moderate
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

Paths drop from the old town onto the common and loop back through the fields. Gentle with one climb back up.

Worth knowing

  • Dr William Price, who cremated his infant son here in 1884 and won the resulting court case, has a statue in the square.
  • The Royal Mint moved to Llantrisant in 1968, which is why it is called the hole with the mint.
  • The common is grazed and unfenced.

What you’ll see

The castle ruin, the old town, open common with ponies, and the Vale below.

Background

Price’s acquittal in 1884 established that cremation was legal in Britain, which changed funeral practice nationally.