Mynydd Merthyr

Mynydd Merthyr is a broad ridge of high ground in South Wales. It stands between the Taff and Cynon valleys, forming the boundary between Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil. The ridge stretches northwest from the rivers’ confluence at Abercynon. Its highest point reaches 493 metres at Mynydd Gethin, though the trig point is slightly lower. The ridge includes smaller summits such as Twyn Brynbychan and Twyn Sych. To the northwest lies Mynydd Aberdâr. The hill is mostly covered in coniferous forest, with mining scars visible on its slopes. Below the eastern slopes sits the village of Aberfan, where a coal tip collapsed in 1966, burying a school and killing 144 people, most of them children. The hill’s geology consists of Carboniferous sandstones and mudstones, including worked coal seams. Its steep flanks were shaped by glacial ice during past ice ages. Walkers can explore much of the hill under the CRoW Act, which grants access to open country and moorland. A network of public footpaths and rights of way provides routes across parts of the ridge. The forest trails lead to open plateaus where views stretch over the valleys. The mining scars contrast with the planted woodland, marking the hill’s industrial past. The summit plateau offers wide, open landscapes for walkers to enjoy.