All walks › Rhondda and the Western Valleys
Rhondda and the Western ValleysPenrhys and the Pilgrimage Way
A hilltop shrine between the two Rhondda valleys, a pilgrimage site since the medieval period, with a holy well and open ridge in every direction.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 35
- 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
You climb from the valley to the shrine and along the ridge, returning by the Pilgrimage Way. Open ground with big views.
Worth knowing
- The Penrhys Pilgrimage Way runs twenty-one miles from Llandaff Cathedral to here and can be walked in sections.
- The holy well below the statue has been visited for centuries and still is.
- The ridge between the two Rhonddas is open common with ponies.
What you’ll see
The shrine and statue, the holy well, and both Rhondda valleys from the ridge.
Background
Penrhys was one of the great Welsh pilgrimage sites until the shrine was destroyed at the Reformation and the statue burned in London.