Porth – United Kingdom

About Porth

Porth, or Y Porth in Welsh, is a town and hamlet in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically, it was a part of the county of Glamorgan. Porth, in the Rhondda Valley, serves as the meeting point for the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys and is hence considered a gateway between the two. “porth” is Welsh for “gate,” which explains its use here. The people of Porth speak English as their primary language. Towns like Trealaw, Trebanog, Trehafod, and Ynyshir can be found in close proximity to you.

The area we now call Porth was undeveloped forest in prehistoric times. The upper parts of the valley show signs of villages, while the highest elevations in the Porth area have only cairns used as way-markers. While deserted, the land became part of the commote of Glynrhondda in the cantref of Penychen throughout the Middle Ages. Except from the two bridges (Pont Rheola and Pont y Cymmer) that crossed the River Rhondda at Porth, no notable permanent buildings existed at the period, but the area was frequented by visitors. These bridges were first documented in the historical record by antiquarian John Leland in the 1530s.

Once fashioned out of wood, these bridges were eventually replaced with stone. To the south of Porth, near the present-day hamlet of Cymmer, the first notable structures were erected, primarily a chapel called Capel y Cymmer (1743) and a mill on the south bank of the River Rhondda. Five farmsteads had been established by the 18th century; most of these were located on the northern slopes of Llwyncelyn. Cymmer, an ancient Welsh term meaning “where two rivers meet,” was the name of the area prior to industrialization.

Hotels in Porth

1. The Llwyncelyn

Address: North Rd, Porth CF39 9SH, United Kingdom