FOREST  FARM
Forest Farm received designation as a Country Park from the Countryside Commission for  Wales in the autumn of 1992 – recognising the importance of the area as a tourist and recreational resource. Since 1992 The County of Cardiff working with the Friends of Forest farm has been developing the Country Park by improving access and increasing the biodiversity.

GENERAL HISTORY
The Taff valley has always served as important communications link between Cardiff, Llandaff and the South Wales valleys. Trade was originally localised and consisted of agricultural traffic to and from Llandaff Market. Most of this was directed through the Taff Gorge via the old parish road, which avoided the inaccessible marshy areas of the Taff valley.

At the outset of the industrial revolution in the 17^th Century goods were transported via pack horse and mule. This cumbersome process was improved by the construction of a horse drawn light railway between the Pentyrch iron works and the Melingriffiths works, remains of this track still remain near Radyr Weir.
The Mellingriffiths feeder, a water link between the River Taff and the Melingriffiths works provided water power for the works and was used for transporting goods around Radyr Weir.

As trade increased it was given additional impetus by the construction of the Glamorganshire Canal in 1798. the opening of this canal has a dramatic effect on Cardiff as a port and the iron and steel making activities of the Valley communities of Merthyr, Pontypridd and  Rhondda
.The canal was a major engineering feat, covering 25 miles and rising to a height of 568ft  above sea level through the construction of 52 locks. Remnants of two locks still exist on the Glamorganshire Local Nature Reserve.

The Melingriffith Water wheel, now restored to its original state on  Ty Mawr Road, was used to replenish the Glamorganshire Canal following a dispute between the Canal Company and the Mellingriffiths works.
The influence of the canal declined with increased competition from the Taff Vale Railway, by 1890 it ceased to run at a profit and the slow decline continued until its closure in 1942.