Garth Hill

Garth Hill is a hilltop near Cardiff that rises above the surrounding landscape and offers views from its summit in multiple directions. From the top, you can see across the city, the Taff Valley below, and toward the Bristol Channel coast, reaching as far as England on clear days.

The hill was inhabited in Bronze Age times and contains several prehistoric burial mounds at its summit. In the 19th century, the lower slopes were worked for coal mining, an industry that shaped the region significantly.

The 1995 film 'The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain' brought attention to this geological formation in South Wales.

Several walking routes climb to the summit from Taff's Well village, with parking available along Cardiff Road or in Gwaelod-y-Garth. The paths are well-trodden but require a good level of fitness for the ascent.

A restored portal from Y Lan Colliery still stands on the hill, commemorating a mining explosion in 1875 that claimed many lives. The structure shows the dangerous past of the place and the hardships of mining life in this region.

Location: Cardiff

Elevation above the sea: 307 m

GPS coordinates: 51.54324,-3.29487

Latest update: December 7, 2025 10:04