Tonypandy
Tonypandy is a peaceful town that has benefited from regeneration to its original Victorian centre. It is a town with a long and difficult history. The name of the town relates to the pasture land and waterways that surrounded and fuelled the fulling mills. Yet this is the place that history remembers as a place where miners on the brink of starvation rioted in 1910, forcing the then Home Secretary Winston Churchill to deploy the army.
Today the troubled past is just a shadow; now the wonderfully peaceful town which is nestled in the Rhondda offers its visitors a warm welcome. This is where you will find the biggest shopping centre in the whole of the Rhondda region. The facilities are well designed, pleasantly pedestrianised and offer up something of the elegance that was lost with the passing of the Victorian era.
Things to See and Do
No visit to the area would be complete without sampling the delights of Mr Creemy’s fabulous ice cream. How many people can say that they have been to an award winning ice cream parlour? Have a lesson at the archery centre and enjoy the beautiful woodlands. Journey further up the valley and you will come to Penryhs which was one a site travelled to by thousands of pilgrims during medieval times in order to pray to the statue of the Virgin Mary.
This is very much a place where the whole family is catered for, especially the younger members as there are a number of indoor and outdoor play centres for them to enjoy whatever the weather. Even if you are just looking for a base from which to explore the whole of the Rhondda Valley this could be the right place for you.
Places to Visit
Travel just a couple of miles out of town and you will find the Rhondda Heritage Park, located at what was once a busy colliery site. Billed as one of the best cultural and heritage attractions in the whole of South Wales if makes for an interesting and fun day out for all of the family. Inside the centre you will find an art gallery and an incredible period street which makes you feel as though you are stepping back in time. Take a tour with an ex-miner and discover what life was like for the miners that spend most of their time underground. The tour incorporates a multimedia experience plus an underground trip.
Lakeside Farm Park is a great place to take the kids. As the name would suggest there is a fresh water lake which is fed directly by the crystal clear mountain springs that cascade over a waterfall in what is a wonderful area of unspoiled and open countryside. The views are wonderful and this is a great place to indulge in a spot of watercolour painting or photography. Visitors to the park can try their hand at fly fishing, plus there is a children’s play area and a small petting zoo too.
