Zip World Tower and Rhigos Road (between Aberdare & Treherbert)

[Envoy]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/south-wales-metro-updates.117763


It is good to see Tower is now a tourist attraction. Visitors park at the old colliery and are then taken in mini buses up ‘The Rhinos’ - as the locals call it - to the launch pad for a zip wire. Hopefully, the Metro will be extended at least as far as the A4059 at Hirwaun where the mini buses could pick people up. Going the other way, a mini bus service linking with Penderyn and the distillery would be useful. This could also serve as a drop off for the 35 minute walk to Scwd Y Eira waterfall.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

It is good to see Tower is now a tourist attraction. Visitors park at the old colliery and are then taken in mini buses up ‘The Rhinos’ - as the locals call it - to the launch pad for a zip wire. Hopefully, the Metro will be extended at least as far as the A4059 at Hirwaun where the mini buses could pick people up. Going the other way, a mini bus service linking with Penderyn and the distillery would be useful. This could also serve as a drop off for the 35 minute walk to Scwd Y Eira waterfall.

Never in my life heard it called the Rhinos! It's normally Rhicos with a hard c rather than a soft g. I presume it was a typo!

Interestingly the top end of the zip wire is only a (very steep) mile or so from Treherbert station so they could run shuttles from the Rhondda rather than the Cynon line if they wanted to.

 

[TravelDream]

It is good to see Tower is now a tourist attraction. Visitors park at the old colliery and are then taken in mini buses up ‘The Rhinos’ - as the locals call it - to the launch pad for a zip wire. Hopefully, the Metro will be extended at least as far as the A4059 at Hirwaun where the mini buses could pick people up. Going the other way, a mini bus service linking with Penderyn and the distillery would be useful. This could also serve as a drop off for the 35 minute walk to Scwd Y Eira waterfall.

Never heard it called 'The Rhinos' just like Tomos y Tanc above and I know the area pretty well.

There's no need for a minibus to Penderyn either as Stagecoach serve the route hourly which stops just outside the visitor centre and will presumably go via new Hirwaun station. It's just Monday to Saturday though.

https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/Wales/Aberdare%20Temp%20TT/7%2C8%2C9.pdf

 

[PHILIPE]

Rhigos it is and also Sgwd Yr Eira.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Rhigos it is and also Sgwd Yr Eira.

The opencast site was always referred to as Rhigos !

Now - some help required - is there a bus service from Treherbet to Aberdare via the impressive "Bwlch" zig zag over the top. We tried this years ago and were strongly advised to use a local taxi farm. On the day , we duly rang them and were told due to a local funeral , there was no taxi resources available !

It is a supremely impressive road.

 

[Dai Corner]

The opencast site was always referred to as Rhigos !

Now - some help required - is there a bus service from Treherbet to Aberdare via the impressive "Bwlch" zig zag over the top. We tried this years ago and were strongly advised to use a local taxi farm. On the day , we duly rang them and were told due to a local funeral , there was no taxi resources available !

It is a supremely impressive road.

Sadly the buses only get as far as Nant-y-Moel on one side and Cwmparc on the other. I agree it is an impressive road in both scenic and civil engineering terms. Watch out for the sheep!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Sadly the buses only get as far as Nant-y-Moel on one side and Cwmparc on the other. I agree it is an impressive road in both scenic and civil engineering terms. Watch out for the sheep!

One of these inter-valley roads built (or upgraded) in the 1920's and 1930's for unemployment relief. I think. A give away is often the concrete bridges etc. Shame there is no bus service. Thank you.

 

[Dai Corner]

One of these inter-valley roads built (or upgraded) in the 1920's and 1930's for unemployment relief. I think. A give away is often the concrete bridges etc. Shame there is no bus service. Thank you.

It was indeed. With apologies for going off-topic.

A4061 - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki

www.sabre-roads.org.uk

The mountain sections of this road were built as part of the "Glamorgan Inter Valley Road" project, to alleviate severe unemployment in the valleys of South Wales during the mid 1920s. This explains the TOTSOs in the Rhondda valley as it connected into what were previously side streets. The whole area had experienced severe unemployment after World War I, and it was hoped that the new roads would provide jobs, improve transport links, and allow people to visit the mountain summits for leisure purposes. The project was championed by future Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, who strongly believed that South Wales should move away from simply being a coal mining area.

The total cost was around £400,000, paid for by a composite of the national government and Glamorgan County Council. The mountain parts of the A4061 were mostly built by out-of-work miners, and completed quickly. Funding was cancelled partway through the project, but MacDonald insisted that the roads should be completed.

The opening of the Bwlch-y-Clawdd Road on 4 February 1928 took it up to the A4107, which was originally the through route down to Treorchy. The section from Treherbert to Hirwaun opened on 4 November 1929, and was initially an extension of the A4058.

In 1935, this section, along with the A4058 west of Treorchy up to Hirwaun was renumbered as A4061 to form a continuous north - south route.

 

[TravelDream]

Now - some help required - is there a bus service from Treherbet to Aberdare via the impressive "Bwlch" zig zag over the top. We tried this years ago and were strongly advised to use a local taxi farm. On the day , we duly rang them and were told due to a local funeral , there was no taxi resources available !

Which road are you talking about?
The Bwlch road from Ogmore Valley to Treochy or the Rhigos Road from Treherbert to Aberdare?
The Bwlch is more zig zaggy, but the Rhigos road is incredibly impressive.
Neither has service sadly.

You can take the 172 from Aberdare to Maerdy over the Maerdy mountain road which is also very impressive.

 

[daodao]

Which road are you talking about?
The Bwlch road from Ogmore Valley to Treochy or the Rhigos Road from Treherbert to Aberdare?
The Bwlch is more zig zaggy, but the Rhigos road is incredibly impressive.
Neither has service sadly.

You can take the 172 from Aberdare to Maerdy over the Maerdy mountain road which is also very impressive.

The Bwlch-y-Clawdd road goes from Treorchy to Blaengwynfi or Nant-y-Moel (there is a T junction at the summit). There was a long railway tunnel under this pass on the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, which collapsed in 1968, precipitating the line's closure, which had been proposed as part of the Beeching restructuring.

The Rhigos mountain road runs from Treherbert to Hirwaun.

Both have stunning views and form part of the A4061 road originating in Bridgend.

I have driven over both routes on a number of occasions, and had a walk from the Bwlch-y-Clawdd summit.

 

[TravelDream]

The Bwlch-y-Clawdd road goes from Treorchy to Blaengwynfi or Nant-y-Moel (there is a T junction at the summit). There was a long railway tunnel under this pass on the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, which collapsed in 1968, precipitating the line's closure, which had been proposed as part of the Beeching restructuring.

The Rhigos road runs from Treherbert to Hirwaun.

The reason I asked is because he said he said he was referring to Treherbet to Aberdare (which isn't referred to as the Bwlch road but is what he called it). Another poster described services between Ogmore Valley and Treochy. I was trying to clarify. I know the area very well.


Hirwaun is a part of Aberdare so I don't see the issue with saying it runs from Treherbert to Aberdare. It doesn't really run from Treherbert to Hirwaun either. Actually, it is a very strange road in it looks like a T. The long part from Cynon to Rhondda and the short part on the top from Hirwaun to Cefn Rhigos. None of it actually goes through the village of Rhigos.
Locals refer to the road from Hirwaun to Cefn Rhigos/ Glynneath as the Rhigos Road and the other as the Rhigos Mountain Road.

 

[iantherev]

Sadly the buses only get as far as Nant-y-Moel on one side and Cwmparc on the other. I agree it is an impressive road in both scenic and civil engineering terms. Watch out for the sheep!

There used to be a Swansea - Treorchy bus run by South Wales Transport. By the time I sampled it in the early 1980s it was a Saturday only one bus each way run but I suspect it's origin was as a rail replacement bus service from the closure of the Blaenrhondda Tunnel. Sadly it was a victim of deregulation.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

It was indeed. With apologies for going off-topic.

A4061 - Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki

www.sabre-roads.org.uk

Excellent material - thank you so much.

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

Both the mountain roads out of the top end of the Rhondda Fawr are specatacular as are the little known walks and waterfalls at Pen Pych just beyond Blaencwm.

With Treocorchy recently winning the high street of the year competition, good sustainable leisure and tourism could provide a much needed strong economic base for the area. Let's hope so.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Both the mountain roads out of the top end of the Rhondda Fawr are specatacular as are the little known walks and waterfalls at Pen Pych just beyond Blaencwm.

With Treocorchy recently winning the high street of the year competition, good sustainable leisure and tourism could provide a much needed strong economic base for the area. Let's hope so.

Indeed - there is much natural beauty to see and admire. We did many school geography field trips back in the mid 1970's on these roads , looking at both urban development and natural features.

Need a car alas to get out and about. Will arrange.