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Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons National Park is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in South Wales, full of grassy moorland, reservoirs, waterfalls and high mountain plateaus.
The name Brecon Beacons is said to come from the ancient practice of lighting signal fires (beacons) on the mountains to warn of enemy attacks
The Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957 and was the 10th National Park created in Britain.
There are four distinct regions within the National Park. Mynydd Du; the most westerly and most remote section of the park, Fforest Fawr; a series of isolated hills, the Brecon Beacons; home to the highest peak in South Wales 鈥� Pen y Fan and then the Black Mountains; a group of old red sandstone hills.
The Brecon Beacons National Park is the perfect location for the outdoorsy person, with an array of different trails for walkers, runners, mountain bikers and cyclists. It is the perfect location for the ultimate trekking challenge.
For all its beauty here are top 10 unbelievable facts about Brecon Beacons.
1. The Brecon Beacons National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve
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An IDA International Dark Sky Reserve is a public or private land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment.
Reserves consist of a core area meeting minimum criteria for sky quality and natural darkness and a peripheral area that supports dark sky preservation in the core.
It was only the fifth location in the world (and the first in Wales) to receive this accreditation, in 2013.
It is a highly prestigious status that indicates exceptional quality in terms of starry nights and grants it special protection to ensure this quality is maintained.
If lucky to be staying over on a clear night and you are able to see the Milky Way, major constellations and a nebula with the naked eye.
The aurora borealis (a.k.a. Northern Lights) can sometimes be seen here. 鈥�
2. Visit the Village of Bethlehem in Brecon Beacons
There is a little farming village on the edge of the National Park called Bethlehem.
Like its Palestinian namesake, this remote and peaceful village on the foothills of the Brecon Beacons is set in the foothills of a mountain range.
Sitting in the Tywi Valley, to the northeast of Llandeilo, the Welsh Bethlehem is a quiet and secluded spot just across the river from the main A40 road.
There is no permanent post office and it is instead visited by a mobile Post Office van once a week for an hour.
However, its name attracts thousands of visitors every Christmas who travel from far and wide to post their cards from here so that their envelopes will be stamped with a seasonal postmark from Bethlehem
3. The Brecon Beacons is home to Llyn Cwm Llwch
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It is the best preserved glacial lake in South Wales!
Tucked beneath the highest peaks of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales, the sparkling waters of Llyn Cwm Llwch will capture your imagination.
every hill, mountain and lake seems to have its own myth and folklore.
Llyn Cwm Llwch on the northwest face of Pen y Fan is a glacial lake with an invisible enchanted island of fairies.
The story goes… that a door in a rock would open each year on May Day, revealing a passageway that led to the island.
Welcoming and hospitable fairies inhabited this magical place and gladly entertained any visitors.
They played enchanting music, told stories of future events, and presented visitors with exquisite flowers and luscious fruit.
However, they warned everyone to take nothing from the island as it was sacred. One year, a selfish visitor stole a flower and since then the door to the island has never reopened.
4. Get Married in the Cathedral Caves
Hidden beneath this stunning scenery is a series of fascinating caves?
At the National 鈥楽howcaves Centre鈥�, people can get married! The Cathedral Cave is found 150 meters below ground level and civil ceremonies can take place there.
Walking through the entrance of Cathedral Cave is like going down Alice in Wonderland鈥檚 rabbit hole; this spectacular cavern has a truly magical quality to it that has made it popular as a Brecon Beacons wedding venue.
Thousands of pretty stalactites decorate enormous passageways, and the highlight of this huge cave is its series of natural waterfalls that cascade into underground lakes.
Majestic 40-foot drops surround you at Cathedral Cave鈥檚 Dome of St Pauls for a dramatic end to your walk through the cavern.
鈥� It is licensed for civil ceremonies.
5. the Brecon Beacons is home to the First European Geopark
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The Fforest Fawr UNESCO Global Geopark is located in South Wales, UK, and covers the western half of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015, it was the first in Wales and is one of around 150 worldwide.
Fforest Fawr Geopark was established in 2005 鈥� the first European Geopark in Wales, due to its geological significance.
The area is recognised for its spectacular landscapes demonstrating ancient climate change, mountain building and sea-level changes with the hills and valleys being marked by glaciers from the Ice Ages.
A Geopark is not a geological park it鈥檚 not just about rocks! It is however very much about making the connections between those rocks and the landscape and the people.
It鈥檚 about telling stories that explore the links between the different 鈥�-ologies鈥� so as to engage and delight the visitor.
6. The SAS use the Brecon Beacons as one of their Training Grounds
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Soldiers are a common sight on the Beacons. They have been for centuries. This is an area whose military history dates back to Roman times when it served as a cavalry base.
The SAS use the Brecon Beacons as one of their training grounds due to its remoteness and harsh, unpredictable weather conditions.
The SAS use the Brecon Beacons for training. Extremes and sudden changes in weather, plus some rugged demanding terrain present them with situations they train to overcome.
Brecon Barracks is the Headquarters for the Welsh Army, their administrative wing, anyway!
The Brecon Beacons is the chosen testing ground for one of the most revered fighting forces in the world – the Special Air Service.
A deceptive and gruelling environment, the deadly extent of its pitfalls was brought into sharp and shocking focus on Saturday 13 July 2013.
Early morning, three fit, experienced soldiers set off on a 16-mile timed march.
None of them made it back.
7. Brecon Beacons Coverage Area
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The National Park is around 42 miles wide. In total, it covers approximately 520 square miles of South and Mid Wales, just west of Herefordshire, and includes parts of Powys, Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire, Rhondda and Merthyr Tydfil.
It gets its name from the Central Beacons, which dominate the skyline south of Brecon.
A high proportion is upland; two-thirds of this area is comprised of Old Red Sandstone rocks. The sandstone forms four distinct blocks of hills which are cut through by major river valleys.
In the east of the Park, towards its Herefordshire border, are the Black Mountains with a high point of 811m at Waun Fach.
The Afon Honddu rises along the flanks of Darren Llwyd and then flows through the beautiful Vale of Ewyas to join the River Monnow near Pandy on the Park boundary
8. 70% of the Land in the Park is Privately Owned
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The National Park Authority owns about 13.5% of the land within the National Park 鈥� this amounts to approximately 19,000 hectares.
The land owned by other public bodies includes 7.7% by the Forestry Commission, 4.2% by Welsh Water, 3.7% by the National Trust and 0.8% by the Countryside Council for Wales. S
70% of the land within the Park is privately owned. Commons make up 35% of the National Park. It is a mistake to think that common land is either truly natural or an ownerless waste.
This might have been true many centuries ago but rights of ownership and use gradually became established.
Usually, these rights are attached to farms which surround the common, and the most important is for grazing sheep, ponies or cattle.
The public is free to wander over commons and other land mapped as 鈥瀉ccess land.
Occasionally the right of access may be restricted to allow for land management or for safety reasons
9. Brecon Beacons Wildflower Named after Sir David Attenborough
In 2015 a wildflower discovered in the Brecon Beacons was named after Sir David Attenborough. It鈥檚 called the Heiracium Attenboroughianum.
A species of wildflower which was found a decade ago in the Brecon Beacons has been named in honour of Sir David Attenborough.
The Attenborough Hawkweed is one of a group of closely related plants which belong to the daisy family and has probably evolved in the Brecon Beacons since the last ice age
The hawkweeds are close relatives of dandelions and have similar looking flowers.
Dr Tim Rich, the plant taxonomist who named the new species, said: “Finding a new species is a really exciting moment and something that you dream of as a naturalist.
“I decided to name this special little plant found in the mountains of the Brecon Beacons after David Attenborough as he inspired me to study ecology when I was 17.”
10. In Brecon Beacons you will find Top Gear鈥榮 Favourite Road
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The A5069 has been dubbed the 鈥楾op Gear Road鈥�, as Jeremy Clarkson drove along it for the hugely successful TV show of the same name. Described as a 鈥榡aw-dropping, spectacular road鈥�.
Black Mountain Road is a famous road that twists, dips and climbs in the western part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, in Wales, along the Black Mountains.
It features a combination of bends and there are lots of dips, twists and climbs.
This route has some of the best corners and just looking at the map below, you can see that this is one hell of a road to drive.
This challenging road across Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons is 14.8mi (23.81km) long and tops out at 495m (1,624ft) above sea level.
It exploded in popularity after it was featured in an episode of Top Gear in 2011. Now it has become a firm favourite with car magazine test drivers.
Wales is a fantastic place for family trips, romantic breaks and group holidays. No matter what time of year you visit, there is always an array of activities to thrill.
One of the most popular draws to this scenic region is the Brecon Beacons, National Park.
With a mass of natural beauty on offer, this spot is the getaway perfect place from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
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