Pen y Fan
Pen y Fan | |
---|---|
Nuttall | |
Coordinates | 51°53′00″N 3°26′13″W / 51.88328°N 3.43684°W |
Naming | |
English translation | Top of the peak |
Language of name | Welsh |
Pronunciation | Welsh: [ˌpɛnəˈvan] |
Geography | |
Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons National Park (green area) | |
Location | Powys, Wales |
Parent range | Brecon Beacons |
OS grid | SO012215 |
Topo map | OS Landranger 160, Explorer OL12 |
Pen y Fan (Welsh pronunciation: [ˌpɛn ə ˈvan]) is the highest peak in South Wales, situated in Brecon Beacons National Park (Bannau Brycheiniog). At 886 metres (2,907 ft) above sea-level, it is also the highest British peak south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia. It is the highest point (county top) of the historic county of Brecknockshire (though in modern administrative terms, it now lies within the unitary council area of Powys). The twin summits of Pen y Fan and Corn Du at 873 metres (2,864 ft) were formerly referred to as Cadair Arthur or 'Arthur's Seat'.[1]
The mountain and surrounding area are owned by the
Name
The name Pen y Fan consists of the Welsh words pen ('top, head, peak, summit', etc.), y ('the') and fan, a mutated form of ban ('summit, crest, peak, beacon, hill, mountain', etc.). 'The mountain's peak' or 'the top of the summit' are both possible translations.[4] The noun ban, in its plural form bannau, is found in the Welsh name for the Brecon Beacons: Bannau Brycheiniog.
In earlier times, Pen y Fan itself was sometimes called the '(Brecknock) Beacon'. In the General View of the Agriculture of the County of Brecknock (1794), John Clark of Builth (steward to Viscount Hereford) refers to 'the VANN, or Brecknock Beacon, the undisputed sovereign of all the mountains in South Wales'.[5] On the tithe map for Cantref parish (1839), the peak of Pen y Fan is called 'Beacon'.[6] This usage is no longer current.
Access
The peak is a major objective in the
Storey Arms
The Storey Arms is an outdoor education centre beside the
Buses stop on either side of the A470 outside the centre.[14]
The car park at Pont ar Daf, 200 metres (656 ft) from the Storey Arms centre, is the most popular access point for tourists and walkers to Pen y Fan.[14][18] The car park, which has space for around 200 cars following a recent expansion and upgrade, is owned by the Welsh Government and run by the National Trust, which now charges for parking.[14] Composting toilet facilities are available at the site.[9]
A footpath connects the Storey Arms centre, bus stops and the Pont ar Daf car park to the path leading to Corn Du and Pen y Fan.[9][18]
Summit
The summit is on a ridge stretching from
Climate
In winter, Pen y Fan occasionally has a covering of snow. The amount of snow varies significantly from year to year. After a heavy snowfall, the mountain is a popular destination with local skiing enthusiasts.[19]
Archaeology
The summit is marked by a well preserved and structured
Name | Grid ref | Height | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Corn Du | SJ066318 | 873 metres (2,864 ft) | sub Nuttall
|
Cribyn |
SJ066318 | 795 metres (2,608 ft) | Nuttall
|
Y Gyrn | SJ066318 | 619 metres (2,031 ft) | sub Nuttall
|
Geology
Pen y Fan is formed from various units of the
The Brecon Beacons nurtured their own glaciers during the last ice age and both Cwm Llwch and Cwm Sere were excavated by glaciers which grew in the lee of the high ground. Llyn Cwm Llwch occupies a glacially excavated rock hollow and the lake is partly dammed by a late-glacial moraine.[20] The mountain is the highest point within the Fforest Fawr Geopark which was established in 2005 to promote economic development, particularly sustainable tourism, based on the area's geological heritage.
Tommy Jones' Obelisk
Near the route from the Storey Arms (once a coaching inn on the Brecon to Merthyr road)[21] to the summit is a memorial granite obelisk, with an inscription which reads: "This obelisk marks the spot where the body of Tommy Jones aged 5 was found. He lost his way between Cwm Llwch Farm and the Login on the night of August 4, 1900. After an anxious search of 29 days his remains were discovered Sept [2nd]. Erected by voluntary subscriptions. W Powell Price Mayor of Brecon 1901."
Tommy was the son of a
The obelisk, a useful landmark in misty conditions, was paid for by the proceeds of a memorial fund started when the jurors at the boy’s inquest waived their fees.[22]
The search was used as the theme of the 1980 film Tommy Jones.[23]
Panorama
From the summit on a clear day the
See also
References
- ISBN 1-85284-304-7.
- ^ "Cpl James Dunsby suffered organ failure after SAS Brecon Beacons training". BBC News. 8 August 2013.
- ^ "Brecon Beacons deaths: relatives attack failure to prosecute senior officers". The Guardian. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ On the elements pen and ban, see the standard historical dictionary of the Welsh language, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru.
- ^ Clark, John (1794). General View of the Agriculture of the County of Brecknock. London. p. 9.
- ^ "Plan of the parish of Cantref in the County of Brecon". People's Collection Wales. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ "Footpath work on the Brecon Beacons". National Trust. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Upper Tarell Valley walk". National Trust. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ a b c "Car Park at Pont ar Daf, Brecon Beacons" (PDF). Design & Access Statement. National Trust. December 2016. p. 11. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ City of Cardiff Council. 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- City of Cardiff Council. 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- City of Cardiff Council. 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- City of Cardiff Council. 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Car Park at Pont ar Daf, Brecon Beacons" (PDF). Design & Access Statement. National Trust. December 2016. p. 14. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ "Storey Arms Inn, Libanus". Coflein. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. 7 March 2005. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ "Storey Arms to the Visitor Centre". Brecon Beacons National Park. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ "Car Park at Pont ar Daf, Brecon Beacons" (PDF). Design & Access Statement. National Trust. December 2016. p. 18. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
- ^ WalesOnline. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- TheGuardian.com. 11 December 2008.
- ^ British Geological Survey 1:50,000 map sheet 213 'Brecon' & accompanying sheet explanation
- ^ "Storey Arms - Brecon Beacons Activity Centre". Storey Arms.
- ^ "Stories and legends". Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales.
- ^ "Tommy Jones (1980)". BFI. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020.
External links
- Computer generated summit panoramas North South Index
- BBC Wales feature on the Beacons
- National Trust walking route
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Pen y Fan and surrounding area
- Victim of the Beacons : The Tommy Jones Story from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
- Walk up Pen y Fan from Storey Arms
- Traffig Cymru - Traffic Wales CCTV camera at A470 Storey Arms