About rural Rhondda Cynon Taf

Rhondda Cynon Taf is best known for its coal mining past, but its valleys and uplands have a rural character that’s often overlooked. Beyond the towns lie grazed hillsides, forestry plantations, and small farms that continue to work the land despite economic and geographic challenges.

The higher ground, especially around the Cynon and Rhondda valleys, supports upland sheep grazing — much of it on common land that has been used for generations. Stone walls and rough pasture define the terrain, while smallholdings and farms still dot the ridgelines and secluded hollows.

Recent decades have seen efforts to restore green space, reclaim post-industrial land, and support rural enterprise through rewilding, tree planting, and local food production. Villages like Penderyn, Cwmdare, and Llanwonno retain pockets of agricultural identity, with small fields and livestock on their edges.

Nature reserves, walking routes, and community growing projects now tie together the urban and rural fringe.

Though shaped by mining, Rhondda Cynon Taf’s hills are once again being shaped by sheep, soil, and slow regeneration.