Cefn-coed-y-cymmer (Welsh

Welsh language

Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...

: Cefncoedycymer) is a small community on the northwestern edge of Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil

Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...

 in south Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. It is situated in the neck of land between the rivers Taf Fawr and Taf Fechan

Taf Fechan

The Taf Fechan is a river in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. It rises just below Pen-y-Fan and joins the Taf Fawr at Cefn-coed-y-cymmer. The river feeds the Pontsticill Reservoir....

 at their confluence (Welsh: 'cymer'). The village lies within the community

Community

The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

 of Vaynor

Vaynor

Vaynor is a village, parish and community in the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough in Wales, United Kingdom.- Location :...

. Immediately to the north of the village is the hill of Cefn Cil Sanws

Cefn Cil Sanws

Cefn Cil Sanws is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park within the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales. The summit at 460m above sea level is crowned by a trig point. The steep cliffs of Darren Fawr and Darren Fach defend its western side which drops down into Cwm Taf. A major...

 on the southern slopes of which is Merthyr Tydfil Golf Club. The village is bounded both to the north and the west by the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Notable features of the village are the A465

A465 road

The A465 is a major road in south Wales. It is more commonly known as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it joins together the north ends of the South Wales Valleys...

 Heads of the Valleys Road and the impressive curving Cefn Coed Viaduct, an 1866 Grade II* listed building which formerly carried the Brecon and Merthyr railway over the River Taff

River Taff

The River Taff is a large river in Wales. It rises as two rivers in the Brecon Beacons — the Taf Fechan and the Taf Fawr — before joining to form the Taff north of Merthyr Tydfil...

 but which now carries the Taff Trail

Taff Trail

The Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is named so because it follows the course of the River Taff...

, route 8 of the National Cycleway

National Cycle Network

The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...

. It is the third largest viaduct in Wales and was designed by engineers Alexander Sutherland and Henry Conybeare

Henry Conybeare

Henry Conybeare was an English civil engineer and Gothic revival architect who designed two notable churches and greatly improved the supply of drinking water to Mumbai.-Early life in England and work in India:...

. Sutherland was a friend of Robert Thompson Crawshay

Robert Thompson Crawshay

Robert Thompson Crawshay was a British ironmaster.-Life:Crawshay, youngest son of William Crawshay by his second wife, Bella Thompson, was born at Cyfarthfa Ironworks. He was educated at Dr. Prichard's school at Llandaff, and from a very early age manifested interest in his father's ironworks, and...

 of the nearby Cyfarthfa Ironworks

Cyfarthfa Ironworks

The Cyfarthfa Ironworks was a major 18th century and 19th century ironworks located in Cyfarthfa, on the north-western edge of Merthyr Tydfil, in South Wales.-The beginning:...

, and the viaduct was built on a curve to satisfy conditions laid down by the Crawshay Estate.