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The Brecon Beacons National Park – Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog – was designated such in 1957, making it the third National Park in Wales after Snowdonia and the Pembrokeshire Coast. Its name, however, is somewhat misleading; the Brecon Beacons describes just one of the mountain ranges in the region. The other ranges are: The Black Mountains – a high ridge of rounded peaks in the east of the region that abut the Welsh-English border; Fforest Fawr – a range of mountains to the west of the Brecon Beacons; and The Black Mountain (not to be confused with The Black Mountains!) – a wilderness of chiselled peaks and dramatic escarpments in the far west of the National Park; each of the four mountain ranges has its own unique character and presents its own unique challenges and conquests for walkers, climbers, cavers and cyclists.

The highest peaks can be found in the Brecon Beacons – Pen-Y-Fan and Corn Du are the two highest mountains in Southern Britain, at 886m and 873m respectively. The Brecon Beacons National Park also defines a physical border between the largely agricultural Mid Wales and the heavily industrialised Welsh Valleys and South Wales. Much of the National Park is still involved with agriculture, and many of the dramatic mountain sides are grazed by sheep. Many of the reservoirs that stored the vast quantities of water required by the Welsh iron and steel industries are to be found in the National Park, as are the sources of most of South Wales’ principal rivers, including the Tawe, Usk and Taff (which flow to Swansea, Newport and Cardiff respectively). Sailing, canoeing and watersports are popular pastimes in the Brecon Beacons National Park, and there are also dramatic waterfalls and beautiful caves to be discovered.

In addition to the spectacular scenery, carved out by giant glacial activity during the last Ice Age, the Brecon Beacons National Park also holds treasures from past inhabitants. The region is liberally peppered with Iron Age hill forts and burial cairns, as well as a considerable number of Roman roads and sites. The abundance of castles and fortifications alludes to the contest between the English and Welsh to hold this important border region, while industrial relics such as the Blaenavon World Heritage Site to the south of the National Park tell the unique contribution made during the Industrial Revolution. The Brecon Beacons are also home to rare species of birds and other wildlife, as well as rare plants.

Contact: 0118 971 4700