Brecon Beacons

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For other uses, see Brecon Beacons (disambiguation).
Brecon Beacons
Protected Area
Part of the Brecon Beacons, looking from the highest point Pen y Fan, 886 m (2907 ft), to Cribyn, 795 m (2608 ft)
Country Wales
Council Blaenau Gwent, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Monmouthshire
Highest point Pen y Fan
 - elevation 886 m (2,907 ft)
Area 1,344 km2 (519 sq mi)
National Park of Wales 1957
IUCN category V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Website: breconbeacons.org

The Brecon Beacons (Welsh: Bannau Brycheiniog) is a mountain range in South Wales. It forms the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog), one of Wales's three National Parks.

Contents

[edit] Range

The Brecon Beacons, seen from the south

The Brecon Beacons range consists of the mountains to the south of Brecon. The highest of these is Pen y Fan (886 m); other notable summits include Corn Du (873 m), Cribyn (795 m), and Fan y Bîg (719 m). These summits form a long ridge which forms a horseshoe around the head of the Taf Fechan river to the south-east, with long parallel spurs extending to the north-east. The round of the Taf Fechan skyline forms a popular ridge walk known as the 'Beacons Horseshoe'. Many other fine walks exist in this part of the National Park but the mountains are known for swift changes in weather conditions, even in summer. In winter they can be dangerous.

The Brecon Beacons are named after the ancient practice of lighting signal fires (beacons) on mountains to warn of attacks by the English, or more recently to commemorate public and national events such as coronations or the Millennium.

[edit] National Park

Llyn y Fan Fawr in the Black Mountain, one of the less frequented parts of the National Park
Pen y Fan, Corn Du and Fan Gyhirych from Fan Hir

The National Park was established in 1957, the last of the three Welsh parks; Snowdonia was first in 1951 with the Pembrokeshire Coast being the other. It covers 519 square miles (1344 km²), 332 100 acres stretching from Llandeilo in the west to Hay-on-Wye in the east. It encompasses the ranges confusingly named the Black Mountains (in the east of the park, on the border with England) and the Black Mountain (in the west). The area to the west of the Brecon Beacons range is known as Fforest Fawr (Great Forest).

The western half of the National Park gained European and Global Geopark status in 2005[1]. Fforest Fawr Geopark includes not only the historic extent of Fforest Fawr but also the Black Mountain and much of the central Brecon Beacons together with surrounding lowlands.

Most of the national park is moorland, with some forestry plantations, and pasture in the valleys. In 1966 the Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre was opened to better enable visitors and tourists to interpret the area.

On 22 May 2005, the first walk to span the entire length of the Brecon Beacons National Park was opened. The 100-mile (160 km) route, called The Beacons Way, runs from Abergavenny, through Crickhowell and ends in the village of Bethlehem, Carmarthenshire.

Activities in the park include walking, cycling, mountain biking, horse riding, as well as sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and fishing its rivers and reservoirs, rock climbing, hang-gliding, caravanning, camping and caving. The Taff Trail also passes through the Beacons on its way from Brecon to Cardiff.

Sgŵd yr Eira, on the Afon Hepste near Ystradfellte

The park is known for its waterfalls, including the 27-metre Henrhyd Waterfall and the falls at Ystradfellte, and its caves, such as Ogof Ffynnon Ddu.

A Welsh mountain pony

Welsh mountain ponies graze wild within the Park, as do many Welsh mountain sheep.

Due to its remoteness and the weather, the park is used for military training. The Special Air Service (SAS) is known for holding especially demanding selection training exercises here such as the Fan dance (exercise). The infantry regiments of the British Army all train at Sennybridge, where NCO selection also takes place.

The Beacons in winter

In 2006 and 2007 controversy surrounded the government decision to build the South Wales Gas Pipeline through the park, the national park authority calling the decision a “huge blow”.[2] To many, this contradicted everything that the declaration of a National Park stood for. However, the scheme was completed.

[edit] Mountain rescue

Mountain rescue in Wales is provided by eight groups, with assistance from local police forces, and in serious situations an RAF helicopter from RAF Valley. These are:

  • BMRT - Brecon Mountain Rescue Team [1]
  • SARDA South Wales - Search and Rescue Dog Association covering Southern & Mid Wales[2]
  • SARDA Wales - Search and Rescue Dog Association covering Northern Wales
  • C/Beacons - Central Beacons
  • W/Beacons - Western Beacons
  • LMRT - Longtown Mountain Rescue Team based in the east
  • NEWSAR - North East Wales Search and Rescue [3]
  • SARA - Severn Area Rescue Association

Most are staffed by local volunteers and funded primarily by donations. Their work is not restricted to mountain and wilderness rescue; teams sometimes assist the local police to search for missing or vulnerable persons in the community.

[edit] History

During the iron age Brecon Beacons was the location for many hill fort sites. There's more than twenty of them throughout the park, the largest of which is Gam Goch. The forts were once thought to be trading and political centres. When The Romans came to Wales in 43AD, they used bases in the Brecon Beacons to accommodate more than 600 soldiers. Y Gaer, near the town of Brecon was their main base. During the Normal Conquest many castles were erected throughout the park. One of the most famous is Carreg Cennen but there are many more.

[edit] Towns and villages

[edit] Local councils

View north into Cwm Llwch from Corn Du, in the Brecon Beacons range

[edit] See also

Wales portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ www.breconbeacons.org.uk
  2. ^ Controversial National Grid Pipeline given the go ahead! Brecon Beacons National Park Authority

[edit] External links

v • d • e
National parks of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Wales : Brecon Beacons • Pembrokeshire Coast • Snowdonia
An area with ‡ has similar status to a UK National Park. Areas marked † are proposed.

Coordinates: 51°53′N 3°26′W / 51.883°N 3.433°W / 51.883; -3.433

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brecon_Beacons"