Parks and Open Spaces outdoor facilities
The Authority’s parks are subdivided into Borough Parks, Community Parks and Country Parks.
Borough Parks
There are five Borough parks, these are:
- Cyfarthfa Park
- Thomastown Park
- Troedyrhiw Park
- Treharris Park
- Trelewis Park
A borough park has a playground or playgrounds, it has a bowling green and tennis courts and may have a kickabout area or playing fields, formal flowerbeds and a hard landscape feature such as a bandstand or fountain. It will cater for a wide range of interests. It will be closed each night at a pre-determined time.
Community Parks
There are six Community Parks, these are:
- St Tydfil’s Park, Thomastown
- Bandstand Park, Dowlais
- Stables Park, Dowlais
- Engine House Gardens, Dowlais
- Troedyrhiw OAP Gardens
- Aberfan Park
A Community Park is less formal than a Borough Park and is basically a place where people can just go and sit to relax or where children can play on the grass and will have benches and litter bins and receive daily maintenance. It will not however be closed to the public at night.
Country Park
There is one Country Park: Parc Taf Bargoed which is situated at Trelewis, is a site of reclaimed land owned by the Authority and under a deed of dedication and agreement with The Groundwork Foundation has benefited from funding provided by the Millennium Commission.
This Country Park does not have the formality of a Borough Park, and creates an open public space feeling whilst still offering the facilities of play areas such as walking, football, rugby, angling, canoeing, cycling and horse riding. It has a natural environment using native species as opposed to traditional ornamental planting of Borough Parks.