Gilfach Goch

Get to know Gilfach Goch through its mining and settlement history, as well as its landscape and the leisure activities described here. The former mining settlement lies in the Ogwr-Fach Valley. This gives you a range of themes to consider when planning your trip: historical development, a former mine site, hiking views, and tennis and dining options.

Mining history and Garden Village

The history of coal mining in the Gilfach Goch area goes back a long way: coal seams were known and mined here as early as 1502. By the end of the 19th century, numerous collieries and mine workings were in operation. The two dates describe different phases in the local mining history—from the earliest mining activity to a period when many mines were operating.

Gilfach Garden Village is another aspect of the area’s settlement history. It was built between 1910 and 1914 and is described as the first planned Garden Village housing development of its kind in South Wales. Alongside mining history, the planning and development of a residential settlement are therefore also central. Anyone interested in the development of places and housing will find a specific historical point of reference here that goes beyond the history of coal.

Woodland in the Ogwr-Fach Valley

Gilfach Goch Wood occupies the site of a former mine and stretches for several hundred metres along the foot of the steeply sloping Ogwr-Fach Valley. The woodland also includes more open grassy areas. These features give the area its own landscape character: the woodland is both an example of a site with a mining history and part of a valley setting where wooded and more open stretches alternate.

The woodland and the Gilfach Goch Wind Farm Walk offer different landscape experiences. The Wood is characterised by its valley setting and open grassy areas, while the Wind Farm Walk is associated with far-reaching views. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are more interested in the connection between landscape and industrial history or a route with distant views.

Wind Farm Walk and views

The Gilfach Goch Wind Farm Walk forms part of the Taff Ely Ridgeway. The route offers far-reaching views as far as the coast of the Vale of Glamorgan and across the Bristol Channel. The Taff Ely Wind Farm has large wind turbines that are 30 metres tall.

One walking route starts at the Gilfach Goch Community Association. This starting point is a useful reference for planning your route. If you want to include the Wind Farm Walk or another walking route in your trip, check the route information relevant to your visit in advance. The views of the coast of the Vale of Glamorgan and the Bristol Channel give the Wind Farm Walk a different character from the valley and woodland scenery of Gilfach Goch Wood.

Garden, tennis and café

Local amenities also complement the historical and landscape themes. The garden of the Gilfach Goch Community Association received a Green Flag Award in 2026. Evanstown Welfare Park/Gilfach Goch Park has two hard-surface Macadam tennis courts, which can be hired. If you plan to play tennis, it is advisable to check whether the courts can be hired before you arrive.

The CF39 Café at the Gilfach Goch Community Association serves freshly prepared food. As the café’s offerings may change, it is best to check in advance whether they suit your visit. Together with the garden award and the tennis courts available for hire, this provides another specific look at local amenities beyond the mining history and walking route.

Discover more destinations: Aberdare, Pontypridd, Groes-faen, Nantgarw, Pontyclun, Mountain Ash, Treherbert, Porth.

For the broader travel overview: Rhondda Cynon Taff.