All walks › Cardiff and the Vale
Cardiff and the ValeFfordd y Bryniau: The Taff Ely Ridgeway
An ancient ridgeway running east to west above the coastal plain, following a line that has been walked since prehistory.
- Distance
- 5.6 mi / 9 km
- Time
- 3 hr 10
- Ascent
- 320 m
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- Shape
- There and back
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
Follow the waymarked ridgeway from Llantrisant in either direction along the crest. Undulating with open ground.
Worth knowing
- The route follows a prehistoric ridgeway line, marked by burial mounds along the crest.
- It links to the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway and the Ogwr Ridgeway for a much longer route.
- Open common with ponies and no shelter.
What you’ll see
Burial mounds along the ridge, the Vale below, and the valleys opening north.
Background
Ridgeways like this were the main routes across south Wales before valley roads existed, and the burial mounds mark them.