Cwm Cynwyn and Bryn Teg
9 Cwm Cynwyn and Cefn Cyff
10 Cwm Cynwyn Ridge
11 Cwm Cynwyn Valley
12 Cwm Oergwm and Cefn Cyff
13 Cwm Oergwm and Gist Wen
14 Cwm Oergwm Ridge
15 Cwm Oergwm Valley
16 Bryn
17 Cwm Tarthwynni Circuit
18 Blaen-y-glyn and Allt Forgan
19 Blaen-y-glyn and Craig y Fan Ddu
20 Torpantau Circuit
3 SOUTH-WESTERN VALLEYS AND RIDGES
21 Neuadd Horseshoe
22 Cwm Llysiog and Waun Wen
23 Cwm Crew and Cefn Crew
24 Craig Cerrig-gleisiad
25 Fan Fawr
26 Craig Cwm-du and Fan Frynych
27 Craig Cwm-du, Fan Dringarth and Fan Llia
28 Fan Gyhirych and Fan Nedd
29 Pontneddfechan Waterfalls
30 Waterfall Walk
31 Sgwd yr Eira
32 Ystradfellte Falls
33 Afon Nedd and Afon Mellte
6 THE BLACK MOUNTAIN (MYNYDD DU)
34 Carmarthen Fans and Glacial Cwms
35 Nant Pedol and Drysgol
36 Sinc Giedd and Bannau Sir Gaer
37 Afon Twrch
38 Henrhyd Falls and River Tawe
39 Cwm Sawdde and Garreg Las
7 THE BLACK MOUNTAINS (Y MYNYDDOEDD DUON)
40 Pen Cerrig-calch and Table Mountain
41 Craig y Cilau and Cwm Onneu Fach
42 Crug Mawr and Sugar Loaf
43 Llanthony Priory, Offa’s Dyke and Bal Mawr
44 Lord Hereford’s Knob and Nant Bwch
45 Castell Dinas and Waun Fach
APPENDIX 1 Routes by Difficulty
APPENDIX 2 Routes by Interest
APPENDIX 3 Index of Information Boxes
APPENDIX 4 Brief Welsh–English Glossary
APPENDIX 5 Useful Contacts
Western end of Craig y Cilau
INTRODUCTION
The Brecon Beacons from Cefn-Cantref farm
Situated in an unspoilt area of South Wales, just north of the former coal mining valleys, the Brecon Beacons National Park is a place of beautiful and diverse landscapes. One of three national parks in Wales, more than half of its 519 square miles are over 1000ft above sea level and it boasts a rich mixture of majestic valleys, dramatic waterfalls and high mountain peaks and ridges.
The routes in this guide avoid the less interesting, more popular routes that most people frequent, and take you to wooded gorges and upland valleys that even the locals may be unaware of. All the 45 routes are circular and avoid using stretches of road wherever possible. A striking feature of the park is the number of rich and varied walks that can be found in a relatively small area, so great distances do not have to be travelled by car to sample the multitude of different landscapes and varied terrain on offer.
The park falls naturally into four geographic areas. These are (from west to east): Mynydd Du (The Black Mountain), Fforest Fawr, Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains (Y Mynyddoedd Duon). These all have different characters making the park unique in offering such varied walking experiences.
Mynydd Du really lives up to its name, having some of the remotest upland wilderness in England and Wales. This is the area to choose when you really want to get away from it all. In contrast, Fforest Fawr (the Great Forest), a former royal hunting ground, has both friendly upland walks and deeply incised river gorges and waterfalls to rival any in the UK. The Brecon Beacons are the highest summits in the park, with Pen y Fan not quite making ‘Munro’ status, being just short of 3000ft. Although this area lacks the challenges of the narrow rocky ridges of the Lake District and Snowdonia, it does provide opportunities for a real mountain expedition in exciting winter conditions. Finally, the Black Mountains, on the English border, have a softer feel to them, without the coarse and rugged Welshness of Mynydd Du.
There is also a plethora of things to see and activities for visitors of all ages and tastes, making the park a great place for families to visit. Favourite attractions for children include Dan-yr-Ogof Show Caves in the Swansea Valley, Brecon Mountain Railway at Penderyn and Big Pit National Coal Museum near Blaenavon. Picturesque market towns on the edges of the park, such as Llandovery, Brecon, Crickhowell and Abergavenny, are also great places to explore.
Geology of the Brecon Beacons
The rocks that shape the park belong to the Old Red Sandstone and were deposited some 395–345 million years ago in the Devonian period of geological time. Old Red Sandstone is a generic term which refers to a group of sedimentary rocks laid down by rivers flowing across coastal plains. Three distinct rock types, conglomerates, sands and muds, were formed from river gravels, sands and muds respectively.
South Wales lay south of the equator in latitudes which are typically occupied by deserts. Prior to this, much of Britain was affected by strong earth movements which caused uplift and sharp folding, resulting in a tract of upland (St George’s Land) which probably extended from the Midlands through central and northern Wales and into Ireland.
Flash floods washed down red muds, sands and grits along ephemeral river channels, building an extensive river flood plain. To the south was the Devonian shoreline, approximately where the Bristol Channel is now, and the warm Devonian Sea where the first fish swam. Europe at this time was drifting northward and, when it crossed