South Wales · Easy · Circular

Garth Hill from Gwaelod-y-Garth

Up Garth Hill above Taff's Well to its Bronze Age burial mound and trig point, and down to Gwaelod-y-Garth, with views from Cardiff to Pen y Fan.

Distance
4.5 km (2.8 mi)
Ascent
257 m
Time
About 2 h
High point
303 m
Grade
Easy
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Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.

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Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Garth Hill from Gwaelod-y-Garth
Alan Hughes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

The walk starts from the small car park on the lane below Garth Hill, at Gwaelod-y-Garth. A path climbs the hill to the trig point, which stands on a Bronze Age burial mound, at 307 m, with views over Cardiff, the Taff valley and Weston-super-Mare across the Bristol Channel, and on a clear day Pen y Fan. It comes down on the east side to the village of Gwaelod-y-Garth, and footpaths and the village road lead back to the car park.

It is 4.5 km with 257 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy.

The path up the hill is steep in places and can be muddy, and the top is exposed to wind. There is a short stretch of road in the village. The car park holds only about six cars: come early or use the roadside with care.

The car park has no charge shown in OpenStreetMap or in the parking data we use. Taff's Well has a railway station.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Garth Hill, Mynydd y Garth, is 307 m high and looks down on Taff's Well and Gwaelod-y-Garth
  • Christopher Monger of Taff's Well made The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain (1995), and the film's Ffynnon Garw is said to be based on the Garth
  • The trig point on the top stands on a Bronze Age burial mound
  • The views take in Cardiff, the Taff valley and Weston-super-Mare, and on a clear day Pen y Fan

Summits on the way

  • Garth Hill 307 m

Getting there

Start: Garth Hill car park, Gwaelod-y-Garth · Free parking. 51.54184, -3.28695

Directions to the start

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By train: Taffs Well station is 1.6 km from the start.

Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Garth Hill car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.