The Brecon Beacons () is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park (''Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog''). The name is also commonly used to refer more broadly to the entire national park which includes ranges both to the east and the west of the central Beacons.

The Brecon Beacons[link]

The Brecon Beacons range, in its truest sense, is a series of mountains to the south of Brecon. There are six main peaks: from west to east these are: Corn Du (873 m or 2864 feet), Pen y Fan, the highest peak (886 m or 2907 feet), Cribyn (795 m or 2608 feet), Fan y Big (719 m or 2359 feet), Bwlch y Ddwyallt (754 m or 2474 ft) and Waun Rydd (769 m or 2523 ft). These summits form a long ridge, and the sections joining the first four form a horseshoe shape around the head of the Taf Fechan river, which flows away to the south-east. To the northeast of the ridge, interspersed with long parallel spurs, are four round-headed valleys or cwms; from west to east these are Cwm Sere, Cwm Cynwyn, Cwn Oergwm and Cwm Cwareli.

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

The round of the Taf Fechan skyline forms a popular ridge walk commonly known as the 'Beacons Horseshoe'. Many other fine walks exist in this part of the National Park.

The Brecon Beacons National Park[link]

The Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957, the third of the three Welsh parks after Snowdonia in 1951 and the Pembrokeshire Coast in 1952. It stretches from Llandeilo in the west to Hay-on-Wye in the east, covering 519 square miles (1344 km², 332 100 acres) and encompassing four main regions - the Black Mountain in the west, Fforest Fawr (''Great Forest'') and the Brecon Beacons in the centre, and the confusingly named Black Mountains in the east. The western half gained European and Global status in 2005 as Fforest Fawr Geopark. This includes the Black Mountain, the historic extent of Fforest Fawr, and much of the Brecon Beacons and surrounding lowlands.

Most of the National Park is bare, grassy moorland grazed by Welsh mountain ponies and Welsh mountain sheep, with scattered forestry plantations, and pasture in the valleys. It is known for its remote reservoirs, waterfalls including the 90 foot (or 27 metre) Henrhyd Waterfall and the falls at Ystradfellte, and its caves, such as Ogof Ffynnon Ddu. The Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre was opened in 1966 to help visitors understand and enjoy the area.

Activities in the Park include walking, cycling, mountain biking, horse riding, as well as sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and fishing, rock climbing, hang-gliding, caravanning, camping and caving. A long-distance cycling route, the Taff Trail, passes over the Beacons on its way from Brecon to Cardiff, and in 2005 the first walk to span the entire length of the Brecon Beacons National Park was opened. The route, called the Beacons Way, runs from the foot of Ysgyryd Fawr east of Abergavenny and ends in the village of Bethlehem in Carmarthenshire.

Due to its remoteness and harsh weather, the Park is used for military training. UK Special Forces, including the SAS and SBS hold demanding selection training exercises here, such as an exercise called the Fan dance. The infantry regiments of the British Army train at Sennybridge, where NCO selection also takes place.

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”.

Mountain Rescue[link]

Mountain rescue in south Wales is provided by five volunteer groups, with the Police having overall command. In serious situations they are aided by RAF helicopters from RAF Chivenor or RAF Valley. The five groups are:

BMRT - Brecon Mountain Rescue Team

CBMRT - Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team

LMRT - Longtown Mountain Rescue Team based in the east

WBMSART - Western Beacons Mountain Search and Rescue Team

SARDA South Wales - Search and Rescue Dog Association covering South and & Mid Wales

The groups are funded primarily by donations. Their work is not restricted to mountain rescue - they frequently assist the Police in their search for missing or vulnerable people in the community.

History[link]

Over twenty hill-forts were established in the area during the Iron Age. The largest, and indeed the largest in south Wales, were the pair of forts atop Y Garn Goch near Bethlehem - Y Gaer Fawr and Y Gaer Fach - literally 'the big fort' and 'the little fort'. The forts are thought to have once been trading and political centres.

When the Romans came to Wales in 43AD, they stationed more than 600 soldiers in the area. Y Gaer, near the town of Brecon was their main base. During the Norman Conquest many castles were erected throughout the park. One of the most famous is Carreg Cennen Castle but there are many more.

Local government[link]

The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is a special purpose local authority which exercises planning functions across the designated area of the park. The park extends across the southern part of Powys, the northwestern part of Monmouthshire and parts of eastern Carmarthenshire. It also includes the northernmost portions of several of the unitary authority areas which are centred on the coalfield communities to the south and including the county boroughs of Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent together with very small parts of Caerphilly and Torfaen.

Numerous town and community councils operate within these areas and include those for Brecon and Hay on Wye (town councils) and Cefn Coed; Llanfihangel Cwmdu with Bwlch & Cathedine; Llangattock; Llangors; Llanthony; Llywel; Pontsticill, Pontsarn & Vaynor; Talybont-on-Usk; Trallong; Trecastle and Ystradfellte (all community councils).

Activities[link]

The Brecon Beacons attracts many visitors due to the range and quality of outdoor activities the park offers. These include hill walking, climbing, canyoning, caving and mountain biking.

See also[link]

Brecon Mountain Railway

References[link]

External links[link]

Official site of the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority

The Brecon Beacons Park Society, the 'Friends' organisation of the Park

Tourist Information Brecon Beacons Park, Official Brecon Beacons Tourism Association

Information About Brecon Beacons National Park

Category:Geography of Monmouthshire Category:Merthyr Tydfil Category:Mountains and hills of Powys Category:Mountains and hills of south Wales Category:Mountains and hills of mid Wales Category:Mountains and hills of Wales Category:Protected areas established in 1957 Category:National parks in Wales

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Brecon () is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre. Brecon is the third largest town in Powys.

History[link]

Early history[link]

In Roman Britain Y Gaer, Brecon (''Cicucium'') was established as a Roman cavalry base for the conquest of Roman Wales and Brecon was first established as a military base.

After the Dark Ages the original Welsh name of the kingdom in whose territory Brecon stands was (in modern orthography) "Brycheiniog", which later became Anglicised to Brecknockshire or Breconshire, and probably derives from the personal name of the Irish Brychan, the eponymous founder of the kingdom. The English name of Brecon town may also be derived from Brychan.

The Welsh name, Aberhonddu, means "mouth of the Honddu". It is derived from the River Honddu, which meets the River Usk near the town centre, a short distance away from the River Tarell which enters the Usk a few hundred metres upstream.

Before the building of the bridge over the Usk, Brecon was one of the few places where the river could be forded.

Coming of the Normans[link]

The confluence of the Honddu and the River Usk made for a valuable defensive position for the Norman castle which overlooks the town, built by Bernard de Neufmarche in the late 11th century.

Town walls[link]

Brecon's town walls were originally constructed by Humphrey de Bohun after 1240. The walls were built of stone, with four gatehouses and was protected by ten semi-circular bastions. In 1400 the Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr rose in rebellion against English rule, and in response in 1404 100 marks was spent by the royal government improving the fortifications to protect Brecon in the event of a Welsh attack. Brecon's walls were largely destroyed during the English Civil War. Today only fragments survive, including some earthworks and parts of one of the gatehouses; these are protected as scheduled monuments.

Priory and cathedral[link]

About 250 m north of the castle stands Brecon Cathedral, a fairly modest building compared to many cathedrals. The role of cathedral is a fairly recent one, and was bestowed upon the church in 1923 with the formation of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon from what was previously the archdeaconry of Brecon — a part of the Diocese of St David's.

St. Mary's Church[link]

Saint Mary's Church began as a chapel of ease to the priory but most of the building is dated to later medieval times. The West Tower, some high, was built in 1510 by Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham at a cost of two thousand pounds. The tower has eight bells which have been rung since 1750, the heaviest of which weighs 16 cwt (815 kg). In March 2007 the bells were removed from the church tower for refurbishment.

Present-day Brecon[link]

Today Brecon is a thriving community and is popular as a holiday destination, being on the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, affording among the best views of the Brecon Beacons themselves, a range of hills, including Pen-y-Fan, the highest point in southern Britain at . The latest Powys County Council (2011) estimate of the population of the town is 8,020.

Military town[link]

The east end of town also has two military establishments: Dering Lines, home to the Infantry Battle School (formerly Infantry Training Centre Wales), where infantry officers and Other Ranks are trained, and

The Barracks, home to 160th (Wales) Brigade.

Gurkha Company (Mandalay) is also based here.

Approximately to the west of Brecon is Sennybridge Training Area, an important training facility for the British Army.

Cattle market[link]

The west end of Brecon has a small industrial area, and recent years have seen the cattle market moved from the centre of the town to this area, with markets held several times a week.

Education[link]

Brecon has many primary schools, with a secondary school and further education college (Coleg Powys) on the northern edge of the town. Due to Brecon being a rural area, bus trips of over an hour are not uncommon for pupils making their way to school. The town is also home to Christ College, the oldest school in Wales, a private boarding and day school with a strong academic, sporting and musical tradition.

Transport[link]

Brecon is located near where the east-west A40 (Monmouth-Carmarthen-Fishguard) meets the north-south A470 (Cardiff-Merthyr Tydfil-Llandudno). The nearest airport is Cardiff Airport.

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal[link]

The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal runs for between Brecon and Pontnewydd, Cwmbran. It then continues to Newport, the towing path being the line of communication and the canal being disjointed by obstructions and road crossings. The canal was built between 1797 and 1812 to link Brecon with Newport and the Severn Estuary.

The canal in Brecon was redeveloped in the 1990s and is now the site of two mooring basins and the Theatr Brycheiniog.

Former railways[link]

The Neath and Brecon Railway reached Brecon in 1867, terminating at Free Street. By this point, Brecon already had two other railway stations:

Watton – from 1 May 1863 when the Brecon and Merthyr Railway to Merthyr Tydfil was opened for traffic

Mount Street – in September 1864, with Llanidloes by the Mid Wales Railway which linked to the Midland Railway at Talyllyn Junction. The three companies consolidated their stations at a newly rebuilt Free Street Joint Station from 1871.

Through services from the Midlands ceased in 1930, while services to Merthyr ended in 1958, Neath in October, 1962 and Newport in December 1962. Therefore, Brecon lost all its train services prior to the notorious "Beeching Axe".

Town twinning[link]

Saline, Michigan, USA Blaubeuren, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (Blaubeuren is twinned with Brecknockshire, which is an area of Powys, rather than with the town of Brecon.) Gouesnou, Brittany, France

Points of interest[link]

Brecon Beacons and National Park Visitor Centre (also known as the Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre)

Brecon Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon

St. Mary's Church, Brecon

Brecon Jazz Festival

Brecknock Museum

South Wales Borderers Museum

Theatr Brycheiniog (Brecon Theatre)

Christ College, Brecon

Notable people[link]

:''See :Category:People from Brecon''

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham – born at Brecon Castle in 1478

Sarah Siddons – best-known tragedienne actress of the 18th century, born 1755

Andy Powell – Welsh rugby union international number eight

Roger Glover – bassist and songwriter with the band Deep Purple

Thomas Coke – the first Methodist bishop, who previously had served as mayor of Brecon in 1772

Medicine Head's Peter Hope-Evans

Reginald Talbot, 8th Baron Talbot, MC (1897–1975), buried in Brecon cemetery

Sam Hobbs – rugby union player with Cardiff Blues

Nia Roberts – actress

Culture[link]

Brecon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1889.

August sees the annual Brecon Jazz Festival. Concerts are held in both open air and indoor venues, including the town's market hall and the 400-seat Theatr Brycheiniog, which opened in 1997.

Bibliography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Brecon Town Council website

Category:Towns in Powys Category:Welsh county towns Category:Market towns in Wales Category:Brecon Category:Towns with cathedrals in the United Kingdom Category:River Usk

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