Trevithick Trail Landscape
Under phases one and two the trail has benefited from a series of
landscaping enhancements of which all were designed in-house by
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Councils landscape architect
Mr Tom Bramley.
Kings Hill to Dan-y-Deri
The formation of the Trevithick Trail in 2008 was followed by a series of
improvements to the landscape quality along the route.
Just below the Kings Hill section adjacent to the Trail sits a seating area
the location chosen for its spectacular view north and southwards of the Taf
Valley
The bespoke seat was made specifically by
Pawswood
in Denbigh North Wales. The seat is made from a range of native hardwoods oak, beech, birch, lime
etc, arranged in a radial pattern to display the variety of grains and
colours and to represent the sleepers of a tramway; also added were the
channels which represent the rails themselves; the steel sub-structure
evokes the mechanics of an engine.
To the rear of the seating area is a
relief of the valley in bronze attached to a large standing stone. This
section of the trail has also been planted with native hedgerows consisting
of holly, hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple and elder so that with
time the Trail will resemble more of an enclosed lane at this point and give
greater visual separation from the adjacent Cardiff Road.
Dan-y-Deri to Station Terrace
Further south the trail takes on a more urban character as it passes
through the area of Dan y Deri into Merthyr Vale. Here the new trees that
have been planted are oak (above the trail) and ornamental pear alongside
the playground / park.
At Station Terrace the rear of the houses a natural stone wall snakes its
way for several metres, interspersed with entrances to the rear of the
properties and locally designed ceramic plaques that depict interesting
facts about the history of the area. South of Station Terrace has been
planted with a mixed ornamental hedgerow adjacent to the railway line to add
some colour and evergreen qualities.
Darren Las
At Darren Las the impressive footpath cycleway bridge lifts the traveller
over the railway into a far less urban character area. Here native hedgerows
have been planted to give a link between the bridge area and the woodlands beyond.