Werfa
Geology
The hill is formed from Pennant Sandstone overlying a thick suite of South Wales Coal Measures rocks which have been heavily mined in the past. Many NW-SE aligned faults cut through the area. Numerous small landslips affect the steeper slopes of the hill.
Access
Almost all of the upper slopes of the hill are mapped as open country under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and thereby open to largely unfettered public access on foot. In addition numerous public footpaths give access onto the hill from the communities in the surrounding valleys and a public bridleway runs southwest from the A4107 road across the summit plateau then steeply down to Blaengarw.
Geodesy
Werfa, under the name of Llangeinor, was the origin (meridian) for the 6 inch and 1:2500 Ordnance Survey maps of all the old Welsh counties except Pembroke, Denbigh and Flint: Anglesey, Carnarvon, Merioneth, Montgomery, Cardigan, Radnor, Carmarthen, Brecknock, Glamorgan and Monmouth. It also was the origin for Shropshire and Hereford.
References
- ^ British Geological Survey 1:50,000 map sheet 248 Pontypridd & accompanying memoir
- ^ Ordnance Survey Explorer map 166 Rhondda
- ^ https://www.charlesclosesociety.org/files/153Meridians.pdf