Brecon Beacons

The name Bannau Brycheiniog is first attested in the sixteenth century, and 'Brecon Beacons' first occurs in the eighteenth century as "Brecknock Beacons".{{Cite book |last1=Owen |first1=Hywel Wyn |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/191731809 |title=Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales |last2=Morgan |first2=Richard |year=2007 |publisher=Gomer |isbn=978-1-84323-901-7 |location=Llandysul |publication-date=2007 |pages=45 |oclc=191731809}} Bannau Brycheiniog derives from the Welsh bannau, "peaks", and Brycheiniog, the name of an early medieval kingdom which covered the area.{{Cite book |last1=Owen |first1=Hywel Wyn |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/191731809 |title=Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales |last2=Morgan |first2=Richard |publisher=Gomer |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84323-901-7 |location=Llandysul |pages=45 |oclc=191731809}} The English name is derived from the Welsh one; in the eleventh century the town of Brecon is recorded as 'Brecheniauc', which became "Brecknock" and "Brecon".{{Citation |last=Mills |first=A. D. |title=Brecon |date=2011-01-01 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199609086.001.0001/acref-9780199609086-e-2171 |work=A Dictionary of British Place Names |access-date=2023-06-09 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199609086.001.0001 |isbn=978-0-19-960908-6|url-access=subscription }}

In a paragraph on Brecknockshire, John Leland's 1536–1539 Itinerary notes that:

{{Blockquote|text=Blak Montayne is most famose, for he strecchith, as I have lerned, his rootes on one side within a iiii. or v. myles of Monemuth, and on the other side as nere to Cairmerdin (Carmarthen). Though this be al one montayne, yet many partes of him have sundry names.}}

Leland ascribes the name "Banne Brekeniauc" to the hills surrounding "Artures Hille" (Pen y Fan), also calling the range the "Banne Hilles".{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft/page/104 |title=The Itinerary in Wales of John Leland in or about the years 1536–9 |publisher=George Bell and Sons |year=1906 |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Lucy Toulmin |location=London |pages=104, 106, 110}}

The term "Brecknock Beacons" was used in the eighteenth century and referred to the area around Pen y Fan, which was itself sometimes called 'the (Brecknock) Beacon'. For instance, Emanuel Bowen's A New and accurate map of South Wales (1729) labels the peak as 'The Vann or Brecknock Beacon', John Clark's 1794 General View of the Agriculture of the County of Brecknock refers to 'the Vann, or Brecknock Beacon, the undisputed sovereign of all the mountains in South Wales', and an 1839 tithe map of Cantref parish labels the mountain simply 'Beacon'.{{Cite web |last=Bowen |first=Emanuel |date=1729 |title=A New and accurate map of South Wales containing the counties of Pembroke, Glamorgan, Carmarthen, Brecknock, Cardigan and Radnor wherein are exactly laid down and delineated from an actual survey and admeasurement all the towns, villages, churches, chaples, gentlemen's seats |url=https://viewer.library.wales/4997624 |url-status=live |access-date=17 April 2023 |website=National Library of Wales |archive-date=15 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615083859/https://viewer.library.wales/4997624 }}{{Cite book |last=Clark |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-qsQAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22The+Vann+or+Brecknock+Beacon%22&pg=RA4-PA9 |title=General View of the Agriculture of the County of Brecknock |year=1794 |location=London |pages=9 |access-date=18 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418105933/https://books.google.com/books?id=-qsQAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22The+Vann+or+Brecknock+Beacon%22&pg=RA4-PA9 |archive-date=18 April 2023 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Plan of the parish of Cantref in the County of Brecon |url=https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/767251 |url-status=live |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=People's Collection Wales |archive-date=16 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216172656/https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/767251 }} A slightly wider definition was used in 1809 by the Breconshire historian Theophilus Jones, who wrote that 'of the lofty summits of the Brecknock Beacons, that most southwards is the lowest, and the other two nearly of a height, they are sometimes called Cader Arthur or Arthur's chair'.{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Theophilus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QZDnAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22brecon+beacons%22&pg=PA388 |title=A History of the County of Brecknock |year=1809 |volume=II.I |location=Brecknock |pages=388 |access-date=17 April 2023 |archive-date=18 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418105927/https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_History_of_the_County_of_Brecknock/QZDnAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22brecon+beacons%22&pg=PA388&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live }} This implies that "Brecknock Beacons" referred to only three summits, including Pen y Fan and Corn Du.

To distinguish the Brecons Beacons range from the national park, the range is sometimes called the "Central Beacons".{{Cite web |date=2020-03-03 |title=Central Beacons |url=https://geotourismroute.eu/interests/central-beacons/ |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=European Atlantic Geoparks Route |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Five great places to walk in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park |url=https://www.visitwales.com/things-do/adventure-and-activities/walking/five-great-places-walk-brecon-beacons |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=VisitWales |language=en}}

File:Brecon Beacons National Park UK relief location map.png (bordered), with the Brecon Beacons located in the central area of the national park.]]

The Brecon Beacons comprises six main peaks, which from west to east are: Corn Du, {{convert|873|m}}; Pen y Fan, the highest peak, {{convert|886|m}}; Cribyn, {{convert|795|m}}; Fan y Bîg, {{convert|719|m}}; Bwlch y Ddwyallt, {{convert|754|m}}; and Waun Rydd, {{convert|769|m}}. These summits form a long ridge, and the sections joining the first four form a horseshoe shape around the head of the Taf Fechan, which flows away to the southeast. To the northeast of the ridge, interspersed with long parallel spurs, are four cirques (Welsh: cymoedd, sing. cwm) or round-headed valleys; from west to east these are Cwm Sere, Cwm Cynwyn, Cwm Oergwm and Cwm Cwareli.

The Brecon Beacons range, Fforest Fawr, and Black Mountain form a continuous massif of high ground above 300 metres (1000 feet). The A470 road forms an approximate boundary between the central Beacons and Fforest Fawr.

{{Main articles|Brecon Beacons National Park}}

The Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957,{{Cite web |title=A short history |url=https://www.breconbeacons.org/discover/about/a-short-history |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales |language=en-US}} the third of the three Welsh parks after Snowdonia in 1951{{Cite web |title=The Authority's History |url=https://authority.snowdonia.gov.wales/the-authority/the-authoritys-history/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=Park Authority |language=en-US}} and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in 1952.{{Cite web |title=Coastal Features |url=https://www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/about-the-national-park/geography/coastal-features/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=Pembrokeshire Coast National Park |language=en-US}} It covers an area of {{Convert|519|sqmi|km2}}, which is much larger than the Brecon Beacons range. Over half of the park is in the south of Powys; the remainder of the park is split between northwestern Monmouthshire, eastern Carmarthenshire, northern Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil, and very small areas of Blaenau Gwent, and Torfaen.

{{Main articles|Brecon Mountain Railway}}

A railway with narrow gauge trains is run by the Brecon Mountain Railway. The railway is a {{Track gauge|23.75in|lk=on}} narrow-gauge tourist railway on the south side of the Brecon Beacons range. It climbs northwards from Pant along the full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir (also called 'Taf Fechan' reservoir by Welsh Water) and continues past the adjoining Pentwyn Reservoir to Torpantau railway station. The railway's starting point at Pant is located {{convert|2|mile|0|spell=in}} north of Merthyr Tydfil town centre.

File:Brecon Beacons UKSF.jpg

The Brecon Beacons are used for training members of the UK armed forces and military reservists. The Army's Infantry Battle School is located at Brecon,{{cite news |author=Farmer, Ben |title=Two soldiers die in heat while training in Brecon Beacons |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10178631/Two-soldiers-die-in-heat-while-training-in-Brecon-Beacons.html |work=The Telegraph |date=14 July 2013 |access-date=14 January 2015 |archive-date=14 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114142753/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10178631/Two-soldiers-die-in-heat-while-training-in-Brecon-Beacons.html |url-status=live }} and the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service use the area to test the fitness of applicants.{{cite news |author=Farmer, Ben |title=No SAS manslaughter charges over Brecon Beacons deaths |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10940508/No-SAS-manslaughter-charges-over-Brecon-Beacons-deaths.html |work=The Telegraph |date=2 July 2014 |access-date=14 January 2015 |archive-date=14 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114141242/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10940508/No-SAS-manslaughter-charges-over-Brecon-Beacons-deaths.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=SBS - Selection |url=https://www.eliteukforces.info/special-boat-service/selection/ |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=www.eliteukforces.info}} An exercise unique to the area is the 'Fan dance', which takes place on Pen y Fan.{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 Extra - Gone to Earth, 1. The Fan Dance |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048n3fb |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} In July 2013 three soldiers died from overheating or heatstroke on an SAS selection exercise. An army captain had been found dead on Corn Du earlier in the year after training in freezing weather for the SAS.

{{Portal|Wales}}

• Brecon Mountain Railway
• Brecon Beacons Food Festival

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Brecon Beacons}}

{{Wikivoyage|Brecon Beacons}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20171101212438/http://breconbeaconstourism.co.uk/ Tourist Information Brecon Beacons Park], Official Brecon Beacons Tourism Association

{{Settlements of Brecon Beacons National Park}}

{{Protected areas of Wales}}

{{National parks in the UK}}

{{Regions of Wales}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Brecon Beacons National Park

Category:Brecon Beacons

Category:Dark sky preserves in Wales

Category:Geography of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough

Category:Geography of Monmouthshire

Category:Landforms of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough

Category:Landforms of Powys

Category:Mountain ranges of the Brecon Beacons National Park

Category:Mountain ranges of Wales

Category:National parks in Wales

Category:Protected areas established in 1957

de:Brecon-Beacons-Nationalpark