Garth Hill
Encyclopedia
Garth Hill is a hill located near the village of Pentyrch
in Cardiff
. It is thought to be the inspiration for "Ffynnon Garw", the fictional mountain (or hill) featured in the book, and later, film, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
by Christopher Monger
.
capital city
of Cardiff
, and on a sunny, clear day as far as Weston-super-Mare
across the Bristol Channel
in the South West of England
. It lies adjacent to the Taff Vale with the village of Pentyrch
on one side and looks down onto the small village of Gwaelod-y-Garth
. The Garth has a number of tumuli on its top http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/401909. These date from the early to middle Bronze Age
, around 2000 BC. They are burial sites.
Fine views of Cardiff and the Taff valley are obtained from the prominent crag visible in the picture http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/633985.
The Garth has a sister hill, the Lesser Garth. The Lesser Garth is of limestone
, which is extensively quarried http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/46160 and was formerly mined for iron ore. The valley between the two is eroded in softer Coal
Measures, shales in the main, while the Garth itself is formed of the resistant Pennant Sandstone
formation. Until the 19th century, the valley was full of small coal mines which fed the ironworks
below in the River Taff
valley, opposite Taff's Well
. There is now little trace of these.
The access road to Pentyrch village, Heol Goch, runs between the main and lesser Garth.
(1995). The location of Ffynnon Garw rather implies it is The Garth; however, the story is fictional. The popular movie has resulted in a stream of visitors climbing to the summit of Garth Mountain to view the location.
The History Society and the local community council are erecting a notice on the mountain to explain its real historical significance. The new notice will tell them that the story in the Hugh Grant
film is not true. To set the record straight the Pentyrch
History Society and Community Council will leave the information notice up near the summit.
51.54324°N 3.29487°W
Pentyrch
Pentyrch is a suburban community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, which covers the village and surrounding area.-Geography:...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. It is thought to be the inspiration for "Ffynnon Garw", the fictional mountain (or hill) featured in the book, and later, film, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain is a 1995 film written by Ivor Monger and directed by Christopher Monger. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival....
by Christopher Monger
Christopher monger
Christopher Monger is a Welsh screenwriter, director and editor, best known for writing and directing The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain and writing the HBO biopic 'Temple Grandin'. He has directed eight feature films and written over thirty screenplays.-Early life:Monger...
.
The Garth
The Garth can be seen near enough all over the WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and on a sunny, clear day as far as Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
across the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
in the South West of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies adjacent to the Taff Vale with the village of Pentyrch
Pentyrch
Pentyrch is a suburban community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, which covers the village and surrounding area.-Geography:...
on one side and looks down onto the small village of Gwaelod-y-Garth
Gwaelod-y-Garth
Gwaelod-y-garth is a village in the parish of Pentyrch, Cardiff in Wales.- Location :It is situated approx 6 miles north of Cardiff and 7 miles from Pontypridd. Castell Coch, the Fairytale castle of South Wales, is within easy reach of the village, by car or by foot.- History :In Elizabethan...
. The Garth has a number of tumuli on its top http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/401909. These date from the early to middle Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, around 2000 BC. They are burial sites.
Fine views of Cardiff and the Taff valley are obtained from the prominent crag visible in the picture http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/633985.
The Garth has a sister hill, the Lesser Garth. The Lesser Garth is of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, which is extensively quarried http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/46160 and was formerly mined for iron ore. The valley between the two is eroded in softer Coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
Measures, shales in the main, while the Garth itself is formed of the resistant Pennant Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
formation. Until the 19th century, the valley was full of small coal mines which fed the ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
below in the River Taff
River Taff
The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...
valley, opposite Taff's Well
Taff's Well
Taff's Well or Taffs Well is a village located just north of the city of Cardiff and from its city centre. Located in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Taff's Well serves as a commuter town.-Name:...
. There is now little trace of these.
The access road to Pentyrch village, Heol Goch, runs between the main and lesser Garth.
The book
A book was written about "Ffynnon Garw" which was made into a film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a MountainThe Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain is a 1995 film written by Ivor Monger and directed by Christopher Monger. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival....
(1995). The location of Ffynnon Garw rather implies it is The Garth; however, the story is fictional. The popular movie has resulted in a stream of visitors climbing to the summit of Garth Mountain to view the location.
The History Society and the local community council are erecting a notice on the mountain to explain its real historical significance. The new notice will tell them that the story in the Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
film is not true. To set the record straight the Pentyrch
Pentyrch
Pentyrch is a suburban community located on the western outskirts of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The village gives its name to a Cardiff local authority electoral ward, which covers the village and surrounding area.-Geography:...
History Society and Community Council will leave the information notice up near the summit.
51.54324°N 3.29487°W