Rhondda facts for kids
Rhondda or Rhondda Valley is a former coal mining community in Wales. It's actually made up of two valleys: the larger Rhondda Fawr (which means 'big Rhondda') and the smaller Rhondda Fach (which means 'small Rhondda'). People often use both 'Rhondda Valley' (singular) and 'Rhondda Valleys' (plural) to talk about the area.
Rhondda Fawr: The Big Valley
The Rhondda Fawr is the bigger of the two valleys. It stretches from Porth and goes up through the valley until it reaches Blaenrhondda, which is close to Treherbert. This valley is home to many towns and villages.
Some of the main communities in the Rhondda Fawr include:
- Cwm Clydach
- Llwynypia
- Pentre
- Penygraig
- Porth – Many people see Porth as the unofficial main town of the Rhondda because of where it's located.
- Tonypandy
- Trealaw
- Trehafod – This is the community furthest south and the smallest in the Rhondda Valley.
- Treherbert
- Treorchy – This is the largest community in either of the Rhondda valleys.
- Ystrad
Other villages and districts in the Rhondda Fawr are:
- Blaencwm (part of Treherbert)
- Blaenrhondda (part of Treherbert)
- Cwmparc (part of Treorchy)
- Cymmer (part of Porth)
- Dinas Rhondda (part of Penygraig)
- Edmondstown (part of Penygraig)
- Gelli (part of Ystrad)
- Glynfach (part of Cymmer)
- Ton Pentre (part of Pentre)
- Trebanog (part of Cymmer)
- Tynewydd (part of Treherbert)
- Williamstown (part of Penygraig)
- Ynyswen (part of Treorchy)
Rhondda Fach: The Small Valley
The Rhondda Fach is the smaller of the two valleys. It also has several important towns and villages.
The main communities in the Rhondda Fach are:
Other settlements in the Rhondda Fach include:
- Blaenllechau (part of Ferndale)
- Penrhys (part of Tylorstown)
- Pontygwaith (part of Tylorstown)
- Stanleytown (part of Tylorstown)
- Wattstown (part of Ynyshir)
Images for kids
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The River Rhondda in the Fawr Valley, close to where it starts in Blaenrhondda.
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Llyn Fawr Reservoir in 2008.
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The old ruins of the Hen Dre'r Mynydd settlement at the top of the Rhondda.
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A Welsh longhouse from 1735, similar to those found in the Rhondda during medieval times.
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Llwynypia looking north towards Llwynypia Hospital, around 1912.
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A statue celebrating the "Mining Communities of Rhondda" by Robert Thomas.
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The Lewis Merthyr Colliery, which is now part of the Rhondda Heritage Park.
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Cwmparc leading into Treorchy in the Rhondda Fawr.
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A simple map showing the main villages of the Rhondda along the two branches of the River Rhondda.
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A statue of "Our Lady" at Penrhys, which is a pilgrimage site.
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St Peter's Church in Pentre, sometimes called 'The Cathedral of the Rhondda'.
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Dai 'Tarw' Jones.
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The Gorsedd Stones in Treorchy.
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The A4061 Bwlch-y-Clawdd road was built in 1928. It connected the Rhondda to Nantymoel and Abergwynfi and was even featured in National Geographic because of its impressive look.
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The boxer, Jimmy Wilde.
See also
In Spanish: Rhondda para niños
