Wales
Mynydd y Grug
374M
1228FT
About Mynydd y Grug
Towering—or perhaps 'looming politely'—over the Caerphilly Basin, Mynydd y Grug is a 374m reminder of South Wales' industrial grit. It offers a vantage point over Trethomas that suggests the hill is perpetually waiting for the coal mines to reopen or for you to finally stop puffing.
Key Statistics
Rank
721st Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
204.3m
Nearest Town
Watchet
Geology
Ordovician Volcanics
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
ST177906
Latitude
51.6082°N
Longitude
3.1899°W
Did You Know?
- •The hill overlooks the site of the former Bedwas Navigation Colliery, a powerhouse of the Rhymney Valley until its closure in 1985. It is a landscape where nature is slowly reclaiming the scars of heavy industry.
- •Geologically, it sits on the southern edge of the South Wales Coalfield, where the Pennant Sandstone creates the characteristic plateau-like tops the region is famous for.
- •The name 'Mynydd y Grug' means 'Mountain of the Heather', implying a level of floral majesty that the local bracken and gorse are currently working very hard to contest.
- •Ancient trackways crisscross the slopes, once used by miners commuting on foot, proving that our ancestors had significantly better cardio and much less expensive Gore-Tex than we do.
- •Navigation here often involves a game of 'Is that a path or just a very persistent stream?', usually ending with you standing ankle-deep in a bog while a local sheep judges your life choices.