247:“Because I’m for justice to ould Ireland. Does your honour think that when I had the misfortune to take up with the rhumatis in this country, I’d go bothering my own saints to give me the cure? I’d scorn it ! hav’n’t they enough to do with their own blind and bochers, without bein’ put upon to do the work that belongs to St. Taff ? It was down in his mines I got it, and it's his duty to see me righted ; and so he will, with God's help someday. If the gorsoons would let me alone, I'd be a dale healthier meeself ; but aftermee dip in the well, when I come down here to go over mee bades, and say ‘God be wid ould times,’ and think of where mee heart lies bleedin,’ – of the pleasant places, the singing strames and singing birds, and one that is singing sweeter than either up there now !
295:
was to the effect that about seventy or eighty years ago the woman in grey beckoned a man who had just been getting some of the water. He put his pitcher down and asked what he could do for her. She asked him to hold her tight by both hands until she requested him to release her. The man did as he was bidden. He began to think it a long time before she bade him cease his grip, when a "stabbing pain" caught him in his side and with a sharp cry he loosed his hold. "Alas! I shall remain in bondage for another hundred years, and then I must get a woman with steady hands and better than yours to hold me." She vanished and was never seen again."
225:
in the bath inside, it is obvious that persons seeking relief must wait sometimes for hours before they obtain right of entrance. Yet it would be very easy to produce larger accommodation; for as we have observed there are several other springs at hand,. That might be at little cost fitted up for bathers. These bathers however are of the poorer classes and although we believe a fee is paid by them to the farmer who owns the ground, there is little prospect of any better accommodation until some practically minded benevolent person interferes to promote the comfort and restore the health of humble visitors to the Well.
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496:
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The Taffs Well sub-unit is bound to the south west by the
Tongwynlais or Taff's Well Fault, which runs north-south, crossing the River Taff, and passing very close to the Taff's Well Thermal Spring. The Taffs Well Fault is a continuation of the Daren-ddu fault which is a major NW-SE trending fault in
216:
19th century dictionaries mention the reported medicinal properties of the water, especially for the cure of rheumatism and the waters are said to possess medicinal properties of very high order. The spring reached its height of popularity during the mid to late 1800s, with visitors arriving in the
359:
During this period the maximum recorded temperature was 22.12 °C and the average temperature 21.6 °C. The temperature varies +/- 0.5 °C about the average temperature of 21.6 °C. The temperature can, on the whole be described as constant, with lower temperatures on occasion being
294:
A lady robed in grey frequently visited this well, and many people testified to having seen her in the twilight wandering along the banks of the river near the spring, or going on to the ferry under the Garth
Mountain. Stories about this mysterious lady were handed down from father to son. The last
269:
visited the well dedicating several pages of his 1932 book to the well. A large flood in the 1950s caused the pool, and well, to fall into disuse once again. In 1978 the well's waters were used to rescue the village bowling greens from drought. It was not until the 1990s that a redevelopment of the
224:
At all hours of the day and night there are ailing and decrepit persons, men, women, and children, waiting “a turn” to bathe. Women must bathe here as well as men, and when a bonnet is hung on the outside, it is a sign that the gentler sex have possession. As but two, or at most three can find room
250:
The growing popularity of Taff's Well spring as a tourist destination was again reported in 1877 by the chemist J. W. Thomas who said ‘the well waters have long since obtained some celebrity, especially the well water as a curative agent for rheumatism.’ Thomas sensibly concludes ‘we do not feel
176:
The spring is enclosed inside a well and stone building constructed in the 19th century. The well built to contain the spring waters is brick lined and approximately 4 m deep. The building has an internal dimension of 5.3 × 3.9 m, and water fills this area. A brick built spiral
336:
The water is hypothesised to flow largely within the
Carboniferous Limestone Group but partly within the Marros Group from sources on the north crop of the coalfield. At the lowest levels of the syncline within the Coal Measures it is heated geothermally before rising to the surface.
474:
Measurements of flow from the overflow pipe are rare. Slaters
Dictionary mentions the well is close to the river into which the waters are continually flowing. In 1877 the well was described as ‘very powerful, and appears from rough calculation to afford about 800
818:
Edmunds, W.M., Taylor, B.J. and
Downing, R.A. 1969. Mineral and thermal waters of the United Kingdom. Pp 138-158 in Mineral and thermal waters of the world. A Europe. Rep. 23rd sess. Int, Geol. Congr, Czechoslovakia 1968 : Proc. Symp. 2A, Vol
212:
but there is no evidence that the Romans knew about, or used the spring. An early writing states it was sometimes called ‘Ffynnon Dwym’ or ‘tepid well’. In 1799 flood waters are reported to have removed Roman masonry that once adjoined the well.
776:
Gayer, R.A., Allen, K.C., Bassett, M.G and
Edwards, D. 1973. The structure of the Taff Gorge area, Glamorgan, and the stratigraphy of the Old Red Sandstone-Carboniferous Limestone transition. Geological Journal, Vol. 8, part
273:
Taff's Well spring is not currently used for water supply or recreational use. Rhondda Cynon Taff
Council had plans to reinstate the spring and to utilise it as a tourist attraction but these have not been fully realised.
237:
Hall concluded that the waters relieved and occasionally cured chronic disorders, citing a young man who came as a cripple and left after a fortnights bathing able "to run about the green meadow and enjoy life."
766:
Thomas, L.P, Evans, R.B and
Downing, R.A with contributions by Holliday, D. W and Smith, K.1983. The Geothermal potential of the Devonian and Carboniferous rocks of South Wales. London Institute of Geological
184:
A recent conceptual model considers that the water has journeyed from the limestone outcrops on the north crop of the coalfield over a period of at least five thousand years, but possibly ten thousand.
828:
Burgess, W.G., Edmunds, W.M., Andrews, J.N., Kay, R.L.F and Lee, D. J. 1980. The hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the thermal water in the Bath-Bristol Basin. Institute of
Geological Sciences"
800:
Squirrell H C and
Downing R A. 1969. Geology of the South Wales Coalfield. Part 1 the country around Newport (Mon.) NERC Institute of Geological Sciences. Memoirs of Great Britain (3rd Edition)
265:, and in 1929 the Taffs Well villagers decided to repair the well and it re-opened in 1930 complete with a small swimming pool. It was around this time that the famous travel writer
333:
The Tongwynlais Fault is a normal fault and affects both the Carboniferous Limestone and underlying Devonian Upper Old Red Sandstone. The fault has a downthrow of 85m to the west
503:
Ecological data from thermal waters is limited in the UK however an Irish Survey has been undertaken which looks at both flora and fauna associated with thermal and warm waters.
887:
165:, UK (National Grid Reference ST 11925 83639) and an elevation of about 30 m. It is the only thermal spring in Wales. The spring emerges on the eastern bank of the
563:
Environment Agency Wales. Publicly held water quality and temperature data from WIMS system and assorted compilation of references on Taffs Well - unpublished data
177:
staircase is incorporated in the inside of the well. There is one visible overflow pipe which emerges several meters to the west of the spring, on the bank of the
837:
Buckley, D.K., Perkins, M.A and Cripps, A.C. 1988. Groundwater Temperatures in the Cardiff area. Report on a short visit. British geological Survey Report WK/88/5
809:
Farr, G. 2011. Poster abstract: The hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of Taff’s Well thermal spring. Cave and Karst Science Vol 38, No 2. August 2011. Forum page 99
251:
encouraged by this story (which, by the way, we rather fancy we have heard before) to insist very much upon the curative properties of the Water of Taff's Well.’
125:
897:
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The following excerpt is from Hall 1861. It is a description of people's beliefs in the healing powers of holy wells in the nineteenth century.
786:
Aldous, P. 1988. Groundwater Transport and Pollutant Pathways in Carboniferous Limestone Aquifers. The Cardiff – Cowbridge Block: Final Report
244:”But how” we inquired, “how is it that with such a number of holy wells in your own country you leave them and come to St. Taff to be cured?”
326:
The superficial geology in the area of the Taff's Well spring comprises an unknown thickness of river alluvium and river terrace deposits.
189:
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and has been contained within a brick well structure and building. Access is via Taff's Well park, a public park, owned and maintained by
311:
Coalfield, Carboniferous "Millstone Grit" (Marros Group) occurs in the immediate area of the Taff's Well thermal spring. The underlying
652:
846:
Ecoserve, 2003. Development of a baseline ecological data set for selected warm springs in Ireland. Report for the Heritage Council
258:. This caused the widening of the River Taff which moved eastwards towards the spring with floodwaters often covering the spring.
513:
During periods where the well floods, water flows out onto the park forming a shallow pond area adjacent to the well building.
290:. The best-known myth or legend associated with the spring (apart from its healing properties) is that of the "Grey Lady":
892:
108:
867:
170:
72:
204:
spring is not documented, in fact the first recorded visit to the spring was in 1760 by the chemist D. W. Linden.
47:
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spring, 21.6 °C is over 10 °C warmer than the average groundwater temperature of 11.3 °C in Wales
495:
353:
345:
855:
Pentecost, Allan. 1995. British Thermophillic cyanobacteria. Arch Hydrobiology Vol 132 Issue 4 Pages 407-414.
312:
629:
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have both been identified and are very abundant in the flooded pool area outside of the well building.
487:
735:
J.W. Thomas, 1877. On the waters of Taff's Well. Transactions of the Cardiff Nature Society, 1877. p48
466:
611:
538:
710:
241:
Another patient was described, an Irishman who was unable to move without the aid of crutches.
521:, of which there is little in the thermal waters inside the well building. Filamentous algae
714:
580:"The hydrogeology and hydrochemistry of the thermal waters at Taffs Well, South Wales, UK"
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304:
201:
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37:
881:
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GOM which formed conophyton like pinnacles up to 40 cm high in the still water.
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The site is not protected by any statutory legislation; it is however, a registered "
356:
have monitored the temperature of the well since 2008, using a Solinst LTC logger.
266:
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flourishes in the overflow water which stand stationary exposed to light and
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81:
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Ecology : Spirogyra aglae in Taffs Well Thermal spring flooded area
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A survey of thermophillic cyanobacteria identified abundant growths of
476:
319:
Old Red Sandstone outcrops over 2 km southeast, just north of the
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attributed to mixing with Taff water or groundwater after heavy rain.
518:
872:
514:
494:
491:
Water Flow : Taffs Well Thermal Spring overflow to River Taff
486:
465:
371:"Environment Agency Groundwater Quality Review / Baseline Reports"
344:
315:
can be seen outcropping just south of Taff's Well. The underlying
287:
228:
65:
633:
757:
Trevelyan, M. 1909. Folklaw and Folk stories of Wales, p. 195.
615:
796:
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792:
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The well building fell into disrepair at the beginning of
254:
During the 19th century a weir was constructed across the
685:
Slaters Dictionary of North and South Wales 1868 pgSW245
217:
village in large numbers hoping to cure their ailments.
132:
330:
the Coal Measure rocks of the South Wales Coalfield.
681:
679:
677:
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Water Level : Taffs Well Thermal Spring Flooded
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area was undertaken by Rhondda Cynnon Taff Council.
349:
Gas : Taffs Well Thermal spring view into well
71:
61:
23:
653:"Waters From The Deep: Taff's Well thermal spring"
721:. Published by Arthur Hall, Virtue and Co London
192:" or RIGS and a Grade II listed building site
719:The Book of South Wales the Wye and the Coast
694:Worrals Dictionary of South Wales 1875 pg 408
307:spring emerges from the southern limb of the
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208:settlements and roads occur throughout the
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233:History: Taff's Well Etching prior to 1861
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888:Tourist attractions in Rhondda Cynon Taf
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578:Farr, Gareth; Bottrell, Simon H (2013).
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286:, although there are many of these in
282:Taff's Well is not considered to be a
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898:Bodies of water of Rhondda Cynon Taf
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190:Regionally Important Geological Site
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479:per hour.’ (or about 0.001m/s).
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124:
157:(Welsh: Ffynnon Taf) north of
1:
662:. Summer 2014. pp. 30–33
278:The Grey Lady of Taff's Well
868:Rhondda Cynnon Taff Council
363:The average temperature at
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171:Rhondda Cynon Taff Council
151:Taff's Well thermal spring
52:Taff's Well Thermal Spring
24:Taff's Well Thermal Spring
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354:Environment Agency Wales
313:Carboniferous Limestone
16:Thermal spring in Wales
587:Cave and Karst Science
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95:51.544748°N 3.271488°W
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618:on 29 September 2001.
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200:The early history of
893:Hot springs of Wales
744:H. V. Morton. 1932
612:"The home of UKRIGS"
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100:51.544748; -3.271488
593:(1). Archived from
539:List of hot springs
508:Phormidium ambiguum
91: /
873:Environment Agency
746:In Search of Wales
711:Samuel Carter Hall
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748:Chapter 12 part 5
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140:Location in Wales
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379:Temperature °C
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113:ST1192583639
18:
660:Natur Cymru
365:Taff's Well
341:Temperature
321:M4 motorway
309:south Wales
305:Taff's Well
263:World War I
210:Taff Valley
202:Taff's Well
163:South Wales
155:Taff's Well
98: /
73:Coordinates
31:Ffynnon Taf
882:Categories
666:10 January
545:References
462:Water flow
385:Reference
256:River Taff
179:River Taff
167:River Taff
83:51°32′41″N
767:Sciences.
527:Spirogyra
284:Holy Well
86:3°16′17″W
717:, 1861.
533:See also
523:Melosira
317:Devonian
62:Location
483:Ecology
477:gallons
300:Geology
196:History
159:Cardiff
630:"home"
519:oxygen
450:22.12
390:18.61
34:
656:(PDF)
598:(PDF)
583:(PDF)
515:Algae
453:2008
443:1988
440:20.6
433:1980
430:19.6
423:1969
420:18.5
413:1969
403:1969
393:1877
382:Date
288:Wales
206:Roman
66:Wales
38:Welsh
713:and
668:2016
410:22
400:13
884::
819:18
791:^
726:^
699:^
676:^
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642:^
591:40
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585:.
568:^
552:^
373:.
323:.
181:.
173:.
161:,
777:2
670:.
40:)
36:(
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