Aberdare Park

For the Kenyan National Park, see Aberdare National Park.

Sculpture of Lord Merthyr by Thomas Brock

Aberdare Park (Welsh: Parc Aberdâr) is a well-preserved Victorian public park located in the village of Trecynon, near the town of Aberdare in South Wales.

History

The park occupies nearly fifty acres (20.25ha). It opened on 27 July 1869. It was landscaped and planted by William Barron who had laid out many parks in England. The park was created at the instigation of Rees Hopkin Rhys.

In April 1948, 33-year old Polish national Jerzy Strzadala was murdered in Aberdare Park in a case that is still unsolved.

In 1956 the National Eisteddfod was held in the park. A gorsedd circle was erected to commemorate this event, the stone circle still remaining.

Motorcycling

The park is the location of the annual Aberdare Park National Road Races, which is a motorcycle road race held on the 0.9-mile (1.4 km) circuit of public roads within the park. The road races are usually held over a weekend in July and is run on one of only four anti-clockwise motor racing layouts in the UK, the others being Oliver's Mount, Blyton Raceway and Rockingham Speedway. It is said to be one of the best and hardest to master despite its relatively short length. It is also one of only two street circuits in regular use on the UK Mainland (the other being Oliver's Mount).

Sculptures and Features

Visitors to the park are greeted by the prominent sculpture of Sir William T. Lewis (Lord Merthyr). Unveiled in 1913, the sculptor was Thomas Brock.

Trees

The park contains a mixture of native and exotic trees most of which date back to the Victorian era, the following trees can be found at the park.

• Araucariaceae; Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree)
• Birch; Betula pendula
• Beech; Fagus sylvatica
• Cedars; Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus libani
• Hawthorn; Crataegus monogyna
• Maples; Acer palmatum, Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus
• Pines; Pinus nigra, Pinus wallichiana
• Poplar; Populus nigra 'Italica'
• Oaks; Quercus robur, Quercus ilex
• Cherries; Prunus serrulata
• Chestnuts; Castanea sativa
• Redwoods; Sequoiadendron giganteum, Sequoia sempervirens, Metasequoia
• Spruce; Picea sitchensis
• Willows; Salix 'Chrysocoma'
• Yew; Taxus baccata

Gallery

• 
  Gorsedd stones as used for the National Eisteddfod
• 
  An inquisitive Canada goose
• 
  Having fun at Aberdare Carnival
• 
  Lord Merthyr sculpture by Thomas Brock
• 
  The Spirit of Industry statue which replaced the original fountain.

See also

• Dare Valley Country Park

External links

• Aberdare Road Races
• Aberdare Park Photos on Flickr