natural wonder
Cheddar Gorge
Britain's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, ancient caves containing the oldest complete human skeleton found in Britain.
33 km · about 40 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomWales
Penarth
Wales, United Kingdom · Europe
About Penarth
Penarth sits on the route: 10 minutes from Cardiff, 33km from Cheddar Gorge.
Penarth is in Wales, United Kingdom, with about 23,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Cardiff, about 5 km away.
Penarth ( pen-ARTH, Welsh: [pɛnˈarθ]) is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately three miles (five kilometres) south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay.
Penarth is a seaside resort in the Cardiff Urban Area, and the secondRead more
largest town in the Vale of Glamorgan, next only to the administrative centre of Barry.
During the Victorian era Penarth was a highly popular holiday destination, promoted nationally as "The Garden by the Sea", and was packed by visitors from the Midlands and the West Country as well as day trippers from the South Wales valleys, mostly arriving by train. Today, the town, with its traditional seafront, continues to be a regular summer holiday destination (predominantly for older visitors), but their numbers are much lower than was common from Victorian times until the 1960s, when cheap overseas package holidays were introduced.
Although the number of holiday visitors has greatly declined, the town retains a substantial retired population, representing over 24% of residents, but Penarth is now predominantly a dormitory town for Cardiff commuters. The town's population was recorded as 20,396 in the 2001 United Kingdom census. The built-up area had a population of 27,226, but this figure does not include nearby suburb Dinas Powys.
The town retains extensive surviving Victorian and Edwardian architecture in many traditional parts of the town.
Where to Stay in Penarth
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Penarth?
Within an hour or so of Penarth: Cheddar Gorge (33 km), Cheddar Gorge Viewpoint (33 km), Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135) (33 km), Cheddar Gorge and Gough's Cave (33 km).
Are there any good drives near Penarth?
The nearest famous roads are Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135), Porlock Hill and A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth).
Where is Penarth?
Penarth is in Wales, United Kingdom, about 5 km from Cardiff.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 23,437
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Wales
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 51.4386, -3.1734
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Penarth
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Cheddar Gorge Viewpoint
England's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
33 km · about 40 min drive
famous road
Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135)
The B3135 threads the floor of England's largest gorge beneath 137m limestone cliffs, tight and dramatic but often busy with visitors and goats.
33 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Cheddar Gorge and Gough's Cave
Britain's largest gorge, 137m deep, with show caves that yielded Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton.
33 km · about 40 min drive
bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
38 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
Porlock Hill
Britain's steepest A-road, where the A39 climbs out of Porlock onto Exmoor at gradients up to 1-in-4 with two severe hairpins. A scenic Victorian toll road offers a gentler coastal alternative.
40 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
Porlock Hill (A39)
One of England's steepest A-roads at 1-in-4 with hairpins out of Porlock onto Exmoor; a toll road offers a gentler alternative.
40 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Ebbor Gorge
A quiet wooded limestone gorge and national nature reserve on the Mendip scarp above Wookey, with views across the Somerset Levels.
41 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Penarth
- 33 kmCheddar Gorge ViewpointEngland's largest gorge with 450-foot limestone cliffs, offering jaw-dropping views from several pull-off points along the winding road.
- 33 kmCheddar Gorge Road (B3135)The B3135 threads the floor of England's largest gorge beneath 137m limestone cliffs, tight and dramatic but often busy with visitors and goats.
- 38 kmClifton Suspension BridgeIsambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic 1864 suspension bridge soaring 75m above the Avon Gorge at Bristol, still carrying traffic and glowing with lights after dark.
- 40 kmPorlock HillBritain's steepest A-road, where the A39 climbs out of Porlock onto Exmoor at gradients up to 1-in-4 with two severe hairpins. A scenic Victorian toll road offers a gentler coastal alternative.
- 40 kmPorlock Hill (A39)One of England's steepest A-roads at 1-in-4 with hairpins out of Porlock onto Exmoor; a toll road offers a gentler alternative.
- 42 kmDunkery BeaconThe highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset at 519 m, with views to the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor on clear days.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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