The lie of the land

The community includes Rhigos together with Cefn Rhigos and extends southwards from Sychryd and the Heads of the Valleys Road.  A tiny part falls within Fforest Fawr Geopark.  It ranges in elevation from about 70m in the Vale of Neath to nearly 590m above Craig y Llyn.  Prominent hills include Craig y Bwlch at 515m.

It is drained by Sychryd which flows into the River Neath although parts fall within the catchments of the Cynon and Rhondda Fach rivers.

Solid rocks

The community is underlain by the Namurian age Bishopston Mudstones and Twrch Sandstone and mudstones of the Westphalian ('Coal Measures') division of the Carboniferous period.  Numerous coal seams have been mined and continue to be worked within the area through open-casting.

Legacy of the Ice Ages

The north-facing scarp formed by the Pennant Sandstones has been carved by ice leaving two spectacular glacial cirques - the westerly one containing the dammed Llyn Fawr.  Much of the lower ground is plastered with glacial till (boulder clay).

Archaeology

There are numerous relics of the industrial age scattered around the area.  An ancient cairn sits atop Craig y Bwlch.

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 Rhigos Road. The nearest railway stations are at Neath and Aberdare.

See Traveline Cymru for bus and train services including stops, timetables and route-planning information.