Aberdare Park — Attraction in Aberdare West

Review mainly for the park cafe.

While the park is relatively nice to walk through (minus people throwing gum, sweets, wrappers and smashing bottles there), the cafe is disgusting.

All over those tables and on the floor there's frequently ice cream cones, ice cream, sauce packets, chips, chip packaging and other rubbish dumped. People seem to have such little respect for the local area that they just won't pick up after themselves. Even the staff make a mess of the area. I saw one staff member trying to empty a vacuum cleaner bag into a side entry bin. Needless to say most of the bags contents just ended up on the floor. I've also seen staff come running out with burnt chips that were just thrown next to the bin. Days later they were still there.

They seem to only open when it's extremely busy at the park and not only don't have enough bins around the cafe area but don't seem to have the staff to keep up with the tidying. Come closing time long after the staff have gone home, sauce packets and other plastic food waste ends up blowing into the lake.

I went a few times since the refurb and on one occasion as I sat down at a wooden bench, I put my hand in melted ice cream that wasn't cleaned up. Other times the tables have been too disgusting to sit at.

People should respect their local area more or the cafe staff should be doing more to get people to stop dropping litter everywhere, or even the cafe staff should take responsibility and clean...

Aberdare Park – A Peaceful Green Escape in the Valleys

Tucked away in the heart of the Cynon Valley, Aberdare Park is a lovely spot that’s perfect for a relaxing afternoon. Whether you’re local or just passing through, this Victorian park has a quiet charm that makes it feel like a little hidden gem.

The grounds are beautifully maintained, with wide open lawns, mature trees, and flowerbeds that burst with color in the warmer months. The lake at the centre is a highlight — calm, scenic, and often dotted with ducks and swans. There’s a path that loops around it, ideal for a peaceful stroll or a slow jog.

Families will appreciate the children’s play area and the old-school charm of the boating lake (when it’s open). There’s also a lovely café on site — great for grabbing a coffee or ice cream while you take in the surroundings.

History lovers might enjoy knowing the park dates back to the 19th century, and you can feel a real sense of heritage in the layout and architecture, including the ornate gates and bandstand.

It’s a great place to bring a book, walk the dog, or simply enjoy some quiet time outdoors. And if you’re lucky enough to visit during an event — like the vintage motorcycle road races — you’ll get a totally different, but just as memorable, experience.

🌳 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Peaceful, scenic, and full of character. Aberdare Park is a true...

This is a lovely park! For us the pedalo renting was the main attraction that was priced very reasonably altough the cash only payment is a bit of a let down - there are many payment processors aimed for small businesses at very low costs and businesses hiding behind the excuse of high fees is a very outdated thinking. Other than the boating lake, there is a bit of everything in this park. There are secluded spaces for nature lovers, neat gardens with benches, a café, public toilets (free to use), and parking was relatively easy in the neighbouring streets. There is a carpark too, but it was full when we visited. There is a good playground with lots of space and different slides, swings, etc. There is a splashpark, too, which was closed when we visited, but it looked promising. There are lots of big trees and green spaces. It's on a hilly area that could prove a bit challenging to some, but there are plenty of benches to sit down and catch your breath. Sadly, I did see some rubbish here and there, but docking a star for this would be unfair. It is evident that people work hard to keep this park tidy, but it's hard to keep up...