Tonteg
Encyclopedia
Tonteg is a village
around three and a half miles (6 km) from Pontypridd
, south Wales
. It is 9 miles (14.5 km) north west of Cardiff
and four miles (6.5 km) north east of Llantrisant
. The village is within the community of Llantwit Fardre
. Tonteg is to the north west of the Garth Mountain
, on the west side of the River Taff
valley, at the top of a hill known locally as Powerstation Hill. The hill gets its name from the Upper Boat
power station which was situated at the bottom of the hill until it was demolished in 1972. Tonteg is next to Church Village
and the boundaries between the two villages are blurred. A significant part of the Treforest Industrial Estate falls within the Willowford area of Tonteg.
castle
with an intact moat
called Tomen-Y-Clawdd. To locals this fort
situated in Ffordd Gerdinan is known as the Monkey Tump.
, Cardiff, Pontypridd, Talbot Green
and Royal Glamorgan Hospital
.
Tonteg used to have at differing times two stations - both called Tonteg Halt railway station
- on two former railway lines that ran nearby; Barry Railway and the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
. After 1930 the original Tonteg Halt was moved to Tonteg Junction after track rationalisation; the name Tonteg Halt was used for this station.
The existence of the railways in the area around Power Station Hill has been obliterated by the Church Village bypass (described below), though some remnants exist between Tonteg and Treforest and to the south of the village towards Church Village.
There existed plans for a new station to be built on the remaining Pontypridd-Cardiff line between Treforest and Treforest Estate to serve the village, although its location would have been at the bottom of Power Station Hill and access to the village difficult.
to reduce traffic congestion on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend
road, at Tonteg, Church Village and Llantwit Fardre
. The Church Village bypass, as it is known, is built as a single carriageway, with crawler and overtaking lanes around roundabouts and was completed in Autumn 2010.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
around three and a half miles (6 km) from Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, south Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. It is 9 miles (14.5 km) north west 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 four miles (6.5 km) north east of Llantrisant
Llantrisant
Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the River Ely and the Afon Clun. The town's name translates as The Parish of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St...
. The village is within the community of Llantwit Fardre
Llantwit Fardre
Llantwit Fardre is a large village situated on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend , road near the Welsh towns of Pontypridd and Llantrisant. Confusingly, Llantwit Fardre is also the name of the old parish and the community area that takes in the villages of Llantwit Fardre, Tonteg and Church...
. Tonteg is to the north west of the Garth Mountain
Garth Hill
Garth Hill is a hill located near the village of Pentyrch in Cardiff...
, on the west side of 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, at the top of a hill known locally as Powerstation Hill. The hill gets its name from the Upper Boat
Upper Boat
Upper Boat is a village on the southernmost outskirts of the town of Pontypridd, within the electoral ward of Hawthorn, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, and comprises part of the Treforest Industrial Estate. Historically it fell within the parish of Eglwysilan, Mid Glamorgan...
power station which was situated at the bottom of the hill until it was demolished in 1972. Tonteg is next to Church Village
Church Village
Church Village is a large village in the historic parish and community of Llantwit Fardre, located within the Taff Ely district of the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales...
and the boundaries between the two villages are blurred. A significant part of the Treforest Industrial Estate falls within the Willowford area of Tonteg.
Castle
The village has a fairly well preserved 12th century motteMotte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
with an intact moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
called Tomen-Y-Clawdd. To locals this fort
situated in Ffordd Gerdinan is known as the Monkey Tump.
Hospital
Tonteg Hospital exists in the north of the village, now surrounded by housing estates. It was originally an isolation hospital treating contagious diseases. Now days it provides mental health care and other services. No emergency services are provided.Shopping
Two main areas of local businesses exist along Main Road through the village and in the center of one of the housing estates (Cardigan Close area). Tonteg still has a post office.Transport
There are bus services to BeddauBeddau
Beddau is a large village around 1.5 miles from Llantrisant and 4 miles from the larger town of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales.-Education:Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Castellau is the village's Welsh speaking primary school...
, Cardiff, Pontypridd, Talbot Green
Talbot Green
Talbot Green is a village just north of the M4 motorway, in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales in the United Kingdom...
and Royal Glamorgan Hospital
Royal Glamorgan Hospital
The Royal Glamorgan Hospital , is a District General Hospital in Ynysmaerdy, Talbot Green, near Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The Hospital is operated and maintained by Cwm Taf NHS Trust and has around 570 beds....
.
Tonteg used to have at differing times two stations - both called Tonteg Halt railway station
Tonteg Halt railway station
Tonteg Halt refers to two railway stations serving the township of Tonteg in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. They were located on the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway and latterly on the Barry Railway under the Great Western Railway....
- on two former railway lines that ran nearby; Barry Railway and the Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway
The Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway was a railway located in south Wales which broadly ran between Pontypridd and Llantrisant. It opened to freight traffic in 1863 and to passenger traffic in 1875...
. After 1930 the original Tonteg Halt was moved to Tonteg Junction after track rationalisation; the name Tonteg Halt was used for this station.
The existence of the railways in the area around Power Station Hill has been obliterated by the Church Village bypass (described below), though some remnants exist between Tonteg and Treforest and to the south of the village towards Church Village.
There existed plans for a new station to be built on the remaining Pontypridd-Cardiff line between Treforest and Treforest Estate to serve the village, although its location would have been at the bottom of Power Station Hill and access to the village difficult.
Bypass
Rhondda Cynon Taf, the local authority, has constructed a bypassBypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
to reduce traffic congestion on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
road, at Tonteg, Church Village and Llantwit Fardre
Llantwit Fardre
Llantwit Fardre is a large village situated on the A473, Pontypridd to Bridgend , road near the Welsh towns of Pontypridd and Llantrisant. Confusingly, Llantwit Fardre is also the name of the old parish and the community area that takes in the villages of Llantwit Fardre, Tonteg and Church...
. The Church Village bypass, as it is known, is built as a single carriageway, with crawler and overtaking lanes around roundabouts and was completed in Autumn 2010.
External links
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Tonteg and surrounding area
- http://www.trackbed.com/pages/location_tonteg.htm WWW.TRACKBED.COM : photos of Tonteg Junction railway station