Brecon Beacons

The Beacons’ name originates from the warning beacons lit on high ground forming a chain of inland lights using fire signals to provide warnings of raids or invasions. The highest mountain is Pen y Fan which rises 886m (2907’) into a flat-topped summit beside its slightly lower neighbour, Corn Du.

The Brecon Beacons National Park takes its name from the Brecon Beacons mountain range and three other mountain ranges – the rugged Black Mountains of the England/Wales borderlands, the massive expanse of grassy treeless hills forming Fforest Fawr and the Black Mountain to the west of Fforest Fawr. Together these blend together as a series of windswept panoramas ranging from rugged border landscapes to gently undulating hills rising into craggy limestone outcrops or falling to meet tranquil reservoirs over an area of 1347km or 520 square miles.

Outside the boundaries of the Brecon Beacons National Park and on its outskirts, some towns and villages boundaries have been successful highly industrial areas. Blaenavon and the Blorenge near Abergavenny were key areas during the industrial revolution with a network of tramroads linking Big Pit mine, Blaenavon Ironworks which utilised the cutting edge technology of the day and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal which provided today’s equivalent of courier transport systems. Today Big Pit Mine is open to visitors and, via tours led by ex-miners, offers a real insight into life working in a pit while both Big Pit and Blaenavon Ironworks are World Heritage Sites.

However, most visitors simply come to enjoy the stunning scenery, breathtaking landscapes and panoramic views which can be enjoyed all year round, on foot, horseback, bicycle, barge, canoe or by road. Enjoy the rich golden shades in autumn, spectacular winter sunsets reflecting orange on the snow-capped mountain peaks, bouncy lambs and blooming daffodils in springtime or bask in the long warm days of summer in an unbeatable setting with space to breathe.

The Brecon Beacons