Grey wood
Llwydcoed comprises the villages of Llwydcoed and Tre-Gibbon. No part of the community lies within the Geopark but it shares a 1.5km border with it along the Nant Hir. Locations beyond the Geopark are denoted by an asterisk(*).
The lie of the land
The community ranges in height from about 140m beside the Afon Cynon* in the south to over 440m at Mynydd Aberdar*. Bryn y Gwyddel* is another prominent hill which reaches 384m.
The area is drained by the Nant Hir and Nant y Gwyddel* which flow south and west into the Afon Cynon*.
Solid rocks
The area is underlain by mudstones of the Lower and Middle Coal Measures including numerous coal seams, most of which have been worked in the past. A small area of Upper Coal Measures sandstone occurs beneath the old settlement at SO 013053
The rocks dip generally south and south-eastwards. Several geological faults run from NW to SE through the area.
Legacy of the Ice Ages
The area is largely blanketed with a cover of glacial till.
Archaeology
There are the remains of an old settlement on the western slopes of Mynydd Aberdar*.
Maps
Geology
Sheet 231 ‘Merthyr Tydfil’ of the British Geological Survey’s 1:50,000 map series of England and Wales gives full coverage of both the bedrock geology and superficial deposits of the Community area. It is available in two editions. BGS publishes a ‘memoir’ to accompany these maps.
General
The following Ordnance Survey maps cover the Community:
- Landranger sheet 160 ‘Brecon Beacons’ (1:50,000 scale)
- Explorer sheet OL12 ‘Brecon Beacons National Park/Western area’ (1:25,000 scale)
Public transport
Bus services operate along the road.
See Traveline Cymru for bus and train services including stops, timetables and route-planning information.