The Taff Trail:Quakers Yard
Quaker`s Yard
At Quaker's Yard the Taff Trail passes above a caravan park along a back lane. The lane (Roderick's Terrace) is on a steep hill with a blind corner.
If following Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 47 (East), drop down Roderick's Terrace across the bridge over the river and the main road. Turn left at the Quaker's Yard Inn. Another left takes you across the stream to the mostly off-road route through to Newport via Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed and the Sirhowy Valley.
Quaker`s Yard to Abercynon
(approx 1.2 miles 2km)
The start of this section is from Roderick's Terrace and, with the river Taff downhill to the left, along the back lane of the houses.
We go past the caravan park and across the river on a narrow footbridge. Follow the lane in a deep valley, with the main roads crossing on viaducts high above, through to Tram Road Side at Abercynon.
Quaker`s Yard to Pont y Gwaith
(approx 1.9 miles 3km)
The start of this section is from Roderick's Terrace and, with the river Taff downhill on the right. Straight ahead, we are soon alongside the river leaving the houses behind running in a deep valley with various used and disused stone railway bridges high above. Passing the end of the path from Quakes Yard Station, the route again takes on a rural feel.
The best known of Tevithick's locomotives was the one he made to carry iron along the cast iron tramway from the Pendarren ironworks to the Glamorgan canal. The iron was loaded onto barges at Abercynon. It was he said, 'the first and only self-moving machine that ever was made to travel on a road with 25 tons at 4 mph, and completely manageable by one man'. This steam locomotive was used for the first time over this track in 1804 (25 years before Stephenson's Rocket). The path has been improved, but when the Taff Trail opened, you could bounce your bicycle along the original stone sleepers. On arrival at a tarmac lane we drop down and over the river again on a hump-back bridge at Pont y Gwaith rebuilt for the Taff Trail.
Quaker`s Yard to Hengoed Viaduct
This is NCR47 and part of the Celtic Trail. From the bottom of Roderick`s Terrace cross the River and main road turning left at the Quaker`s Yard Inn.