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Pontypridd and Valleys

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Items on this page in alphabetic order:

Aberdare Museum
Bacchetta's Italian Caf‚ Museum
Fforest Uchaf Farm
Pontypridd Historical and Cultural Centre
Tower Colliery Visitor Centre

Local Attractions

The people of the valleys behind Pontypridd try to keep alive the memory of their industrial past. For over a century coal provided both the economic motor and the magnet which drew people to the valleys. It was a frce for social cohesion as well as a source of strife between the workers and the mine owners. It also accounted for widespread loss of life in the numerous collapses and explosions. Today it is remembered in centres such as the Rhonnda Heritage Museum. The photograph shows the wheel of the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery, now the Rhondda Heritage Museum in Trehafod, between Pontypridd and Porth.

Aberdare Museum

Museum with extensive range of artifacts covering the history of the Cynon Valley.

Particular emphasis on the history of coal mining and in particular the 1984-85 miners' strike.

The history is brought to life by means of a multimedia display based on the life of a family over a period of more than a century. There are a number of screens covering different periods. Click on the picture of one family member and they tell you their story. Choice of language - English or Welsh.

No admission charge.

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Fforest Uchaf Farm (www.ponies.demon.co.uk)

For centuries Fforest Uchaf Farm has nestled quietly on its lofty perch on the mountainside above Treforest and watched the world go by. A rich and diverse wildlife hustle and bustle their lives away unaffected by industrial and technological revolutions that happen in the valley.

The farm is a working small holding and home to Fforest Uchaf Horse and Pony Rehabilitation Centre, a registered charity in Wales to provide for horses and ponies in need. The Centre has ponies of all shapes and sizes, many come from a background of misery and mistreatment. However the life on the high pastures soon has their physical condition improved.

The farm is open to visitor: 10am - 2pm Weekdays 10am - 4pm Sundays, closed Saturday.

Admission charges: adults: two pounds , consessions: one pound, or five pounds per car.

Maindy Road, Pencoedcae, Pontypridd CF37 1PS, telephone 1443 480 327

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Bacchetta's Italian Café Museum

Many Italian people immigrated to South Wales, particularly in the period between the two wars. Bacchetta's cafe is one of many set up in the area by Italian families. Above the cafe is an interesting collection from Italian cafes through the ages.

Address: 3 Station Street, Porth

Open: 7.30 am to 6.00 pm - entrance to museum through the cafe - no charge

Telephone: 01443 682256

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Pontypridd Historical and Cultural Centre

The famous Welsh Opera star, Sir Geraint Evans, comes from Cilfynydd, just north of Pontypridd. His dressing room is one of the exhibits in the Pontypridd Historical and Cultural Centre. Mock up of Sir Geraint Evans dressing as Shakespeare's Falstaff.

Effectively the museum for the town of Pontypridd. Traces the history of the town with displays of agricultural and intustrial implements. Models show the development of the town and there is a working model of the railway station.

Telephone 01443 409 512 - Admission 25p Adult 15p Child

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Tower Colliery Visitor Centre

In the early 90s the miners at the Tower Colliery were faced with the threat of closure of their pit (mine). Unlike other pits in the area, the Tower did not close. As a result of their determination and their resistance to the Government's plans, the Tower remained open as a cooperative, controlled by the workers themselves. To this day it remains producing coal and providing a livelihood for its workers. The Tower Colliery is located near the head of the Rhondda Valley between Treherbert and Hirwaun. It has a Visitors Centre which is open to the public.

The Tower is the only colliery in Europe wholly owned by its workers. The colliery fought off closure following the miners' strike in the mid 80s, evnetually forming as a cooperative of workers.

The history of the struggle and day-to-day life of the colliery is shown in photographs on the walls. There is an audio-visual display describing the history of the region from prehistoric times to present.

There are a few artifacts of the industry such as miners lamps on display.

The colliery is located beyond the end of the the Rhondda Valley on the road from Treherbert to Hirwain on the left hand side. Follow the signs to the Visitors Centre.

Open Wed - Sun 10 am to 4 pm. No admission charge

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This page was last updated on 21 November 2000 __________ Back to:net-cymru Home Page