Fan Brycheiniog: Difference between revisions

Fan Brycheiniog
Fan Brycheiniog
	Fan Brycheiniog from Picws Du
Highest point
Elevation	802.5 m (2,633 ft)
Prominence	425 m (1,394 ft)
Parent peak	Pen y Fan
Isolation	18.02 km (11.20 mi)
Listing	Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall
Naming
English translation	Brecknock beacon
Language of name	Welsh
Pronunciation	Welsh: [ˈvan brəˈxəiniɔɡ]
Geography
Location	Powys, Wales
Parent range	Brecon Beacons
OS grid	SN825217

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Listed summits of Fan Brycheiniog
Name	Grid ref	Height	Status
Fan Hir	SN969193	761 metres (2,497 ft)	Hewitt, Nuttall
Picws Du	SN969193	749 metres (2,457 ft)	Hewitt, Nuttall
Garreg Las	SN969193	635 metres (2,083 ft)	Hewitt, Nuttall
Garreg Lwyd	SN969193	616 metres (2,021 ft)	Hewitt, Nuttall
Foel Fraith	SN969193	602 metres (1,975 ft)	sub Hewitt

Fan Brycheiniog is the highest peak at 2633 feet (just over 800 m) in the Black Mountain region of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales. There is a trig point at the peak and on the edge of the escarpment, and nearby, a stone shelter with an inner seat. It is just inside the county of Powys, formerly Brecknockshire, the Welsh name of which gives the mountain its name. It is also within the Fforest Fawr Geopark designated in 2005 in recognition of the area's geological heritage.^[1] The views of the moorland and open country to the north are spectacular when the weather is clear, and reveals the isolation of the range, especially when compared with the more popular Pen y Fan range to the east.

Access

The Beacons Way, a waymarked long distance footpath heading southwest from Llanddeusant passes along the summit ridge before descending to the southern end of the lake Llyn y Fan Fawr to the east of the summit, en route to Abercrave in the south-east. The path crosses several peat bogs, but there are stone pavements in many places to protect the walker from the wet conditions. There is a stone staircase of regular downward gradient across the escarpment to the lake below. It is easily followed, and is dry underfoot when the weather is clear.

Geology

Fan Brycheiniog is formed from the sandstones and mudstones of the Brownstones Formation of the Old Red Sandstone laid down during the Devonian period. Its summit and southern slopes are formed from the hard-wearing sandstones of the overlying Plateau Beds Formation which are of upper/late Devonian age. The cwm below the summit drains into the River Usk to the north. The southern slopes drain into the Afon Twrch and the slopes to the east drain into the River Tawe.^[2]

The dip slope eventually merges with the Carboniferous limestone which outcrops in the karst landscape to the south.

Fan Foel

North-west of the main summit is a prominent peak called Fan Foel, which, at 2,562 feet above sea level, is the highest point in the county of Carmarthenshire. It occurs on a promontory which juts out from the escarpment to form the northernmost part of the cliffs in the range, and is a prominent landmark in the entire range. There are extensive views over the moorland below in the panoramic vista revealed at the apex of the escarpment, and more extensive than the views from the main peak owing to the exposure to both east and west. There is a footpath which drops down from the peak to the moorland below, and can be used for a circular route around the range.

Archaeology

There is a bronze age burial cairn at or near the summit of Fan Foel, and it was excavated in 2002-4 with the results published in 2014 in Archaeologia Cambrensis. The round barrow was badly eroded with stones from the structure removed to build a central cairn. Excavation showed that it contained two separate burials, the central one in a stone cist contained the burnt bones of an adult woman and two children. It was carbon dated to about 2000 BC, and also contained a collared urn decorated in the style of the Beaker people as well as a chert knife. The second burial was somewhat later. The remains of Meadowsweet flowers were found in the cist, and may represent a wreath left with the burnt bones. Pollen analysis of the buried soil under the barrow showed that a grass-heath vegetation community dominated the summit of Fan Foel immediately prior to construction of the barrow, with hazel scrub on the lower slopes and mixed woodland at lower levels.

The climate was warmer then than currently, judging by the evidence of extensive settlement and cultivation of the high land during the British Bronze Age. Most highlands in Britain have extensive evidence of Neolithic and Bronze age settlement, such as hut circles, stone circles, stone rows, strip lynchets, causewayed camps and henges. Remains have been found on Dartmoor, Exmoor, the Pennines, the Lake District as well as most high ground in Wales where present day settlement or even farming is rare if not absent. Any farming is pastoral, usually involving sheep rearing with hardy welsh sheep.

Also see

External links

Paper reporting Fan Foel excavations in 2002-4

References

^ Nuttall, John & Anne (1999). The Mountains of England & Wales - Volume 1: Wales (2nd edition ed.). Milnthorpe, Cumbria: Cicerone. ISBN 1-85284-304-7.
^ British Geological Survey 1:50,000 map sheet 213 'Brecon' & accompanying sheet explanation

51°52′53″N 3°42′31″W / 51.88144°N 3.70848°W / 51.88144; -3.70848

This Powys location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Nuttall, John & Anne (1999). The Mountains of England & Wales - Volume 1: Wales (2nd edition ed.). Milnthorpe, Cumbria: Cicerone. ISBN 1-85284-304-7.

[2] British Geological Survey 1:50,000 map sheet 213 'Brecon' & accompanying sheet explanation

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 There is a [[bronze age]] burial cairn at or near the summit of Fan Foel, and it was excavated in 2002-4 with the results published in 2014 in [[Archaeologia Cambrensis]]. The [[round barrow]] was badly eroded with stones from the structure removed to build a central cairn. Excavation showed that it contained two separate burials, the central one in a stone [[cist]] contained the burnt bones of an adult woman and two children. It was [[carbon dated]] to about 2000 BC, and also contained a collared urn decorated in the style of the [[Beaker people]] as well as a [[chert]] [[knife]]. The second burial was somewhat later. The remains of [[Meadowsweet]] flowers were found in the cist, and may represent a [[wreath]] left with the burnt bones. [[Pollen analysis]] of the buried soil under the barrow showed that a grass-heath vegetation community dominated the summit of Fan Foel immediately prior to construction of the barrow, with [[hazel]] scrub on the lower slopes and mixed [[woodland]] at lower levels.
-The climate was warmer then than currently, judging by the evidence of extensive settlement and cultivation of the high land during the [[British Bronze Age]]. Most highlands in Britain have extensive evidence of [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze age]] settlement, such as [[hut circle]]s, [[stone circle]]s, [[stone row]]s, [[strip lynchet]]s, [[causewayed camp]]s and [[henge]]s. Remains have been found on [[Dartmoor]], [[Exmoor]], the [[Pennines]], the [[Lake District]] as well as most high ground in [[Wales]] where present day settlement or even farming is rare if not  absent.
+The climate was warmer then than currently, judging by the evidence of extensive settlement and cultivation of the high land during the [[British Bronze Age]]. Most highlands in Britain have extensive evidence of [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze age]] settlement, such as [[hut circle]]s, [[stone circle]]s, [[stone row]]s, [[strip lynchet]]s, [[causewayed camp]]s and [[henge]]s. Remains have been found on [[Dartmoor]], [[Exmoor]], the [[Pennines]], the [[Lake District]] as well as most high ground in [[Wales]] where present day settlement or even farming is rare if not  absent. Any farming is [[pastoral]], usually involving [[sheep]] rearing with hardy welsh sheep.
 ==Also see==