Taffs Well

 

 

It would be nice to think that even without this asphalt dividing line, these two historic little settlements would retain the distinct identities they display today.

 

 

Anyone who has ridden the Taff Trail cycle route underneath the great concrete towers of the Coryton interchange will know that moving from Whitchurch into Tongwynlais the outskirts of Taffs Well is like travelling back in time, moving from a hectic, bustling metropolis into a sylvan arcadia where the Taff meanders gently through the landscape and you fancy there’s the bleating of a lonely lamb somewhere in the distance.

 

Well, it’s a nice thought, anyway. Around 100 years ago, this rural idyll was actually a hive of heavy industry, remnants of which can still be seen today.

 

And did you know, the village is also recognised as the source of the story that inspired the film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain.

 

Even more remarkably, Arthur’s Shop, which once stood in Taffs Well, is the inspiration for Ronnie Barker’s hit comedy Open All Hours... at least according to Wikipedia.

 

 

Tongwynlais draws its fame from being seen as the gateway to the Valleys and for being the site of the remarkable curiosity Castell Coch, with its connections to the Bute family, whose wealth helped put Cardiff on the map.

 

Local legend talks of a tunnel that links Cardiff Castle with Castell Coch but that’s a myth... isn’t it?

 

Written by WalesOnline.