by Wait – the Welsh word for summit – is found in the names of many of the rugged mountains in Beacon Breac. However the English meaning of fan accurately describes the topography of these highlands in South East Wales: the steep, flat peaks of the field of old red sandstone with varying slopes marked by diagonal ridges of rocks like unfurled fans.
The name of the Breac Beacons was changed from English to Welsh in spring 2023: the new title – Bannau Brycheiniog National Park – means ‘the peaks of the kingdom of Brychan’.
The area has the highest ground of anywhere in Southern Britain, a wild feel you won’t find south of Snowdonia or the Peak District and fewer visitors than either, according to Statista data.
The 1351-square kilometer national park stretches across almost half the width of Wales from the Wales-England border to the market town of Llandeilo.
But it’s not all high mountains and lonely moors. It is home to some of the Brycheiniog’s most attractive sights: in the patches of rugged oak woods, along the lazy winds of the River Usk, in the idyllic and unique villages, country estates, coaching inns and castles.
A former cattle driving and mining center, and awarded national park status in 1957, this is also a landscape that has inspired famous writers, from the metaphorical verse of Henry Vaughan to the contemporary poetry and prose of Owen Sheers.
And Bannau Brycheiniog gives holidaymakers the travel bug too. The hikers hit the moors and mountains while families and leisure strollers enjoy the more noble scenery of its woods, riverside and waterfalls.
Food lovers feast on cozy restaurants, fine produce and farm-to-fork food. And history buffs can clock everything from hill forts to fortresses.
Where is Banau Brycheiniog National Park?
Bannau Brycheiniog spans the counties of Mynwy, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Carmarthenshire, covering much of South East Wales.
The gateway towns are Fenni, in the south-east of the park, Brecon in the north and Hay-on-Wye, in the north-east.
What is Bannau Brycheiniog National Park known for?
Walking is the favorite activity of most visitors, and there is huge topographical variation. The great peaks – including the five summits over 800m elevation in Southern Britain – are the main attraction, but glacial lakes like Llyn y Fan Fach, ancient oak woods like Coed y Castell, some of the UK’s most beautiful cascades in what is affectionately known as ‘Waterfall Country’, and leisurely walks along the River Usk and the restored Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.
The southern part of the national park gained fame as a mining center in the Industrial Revolution and the legacy remains strong. The Unesco-listed Blaenafon Industrial Landscape on the south-eastern edge of the park near the Feynn was a booming coal and iron production in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Around 100 buildings and structures from this era have been preserved, including the outstanding Great Pit experience where visitors are lowered 90m down a mine shaft into the 19th century workings, covered in the mining equipment previously used and led by a former miner.
Bannau Brycheiniog also has history from earlier periods: such as the ruins of Carrag Cennen with its underground cave system, and the rare 14th century fortified Tret Túir Court. The Iron Age fortifications of Y Gaer Fawr and Y Gaer Fach at Y Garn Goch together form the largest hill fort in South Wales.
While still under the radar, the national park’s farm-to-fork cuisine would stand out anywhere in the country. The area has many Michelin stars over the years, but it’s the vivid connection between the product and the place – often just a park away – that makes the food scene so special.
This can be enjoyed at many highly regarded restaurants-with-rooms and culinary experiences from whiskey and gin distilleries, coffee roasters to foraging courses.
What to do in the National Park
Take Pen y Fan
The climb to the highest point in Southern Britain, Pen y Fan, is the most popular tour of the Brycheiniog Banns. There are several routes to the 886m summit, which commands some of the best panoramas in Wales – of rocky peaks, stark moors and the colors of turtles chips of undulating fields and foothills. The most followed path is the 4 mile out and back from the Storey Arms Field Centre.
Go sheep trekking
Perhaps the strangest experience of this is at Aberhyddnant Organic Farm, where you can appreciate sheep like you’ve probably never done before – by taking them for a walk. These woolly creatures will walk amicably alongside humans on a leash. Take a stroll around the pleasant countryside with them or indulge in other furry friends such as rusty goats, cows and pigs.
Visit Carreg Cennen Castle
Set around a rocky outcrop surrounded by ancient woodland near Llandeilo, Carreg Cennen is picturesquely situated. From the 13th century, there are golden-green scenes on the ruins down to the Tywi Valley and wilder ones rising up on the moors. The highlight, however, is the descent down a cliff-cut passageway into a cave beneath the castle’s foundations.
Explore the Munmouth & Brecon Canal
This beautiful waterway creates a 56km corridor of fine verdure along the eastern flanks of the Extra Beacons. You can walk or cycle along the towpath through the timber-fringed farmland below the peaks or – even better – cruise its length in a narrowboat. Brethney Park Boats near Langatock hire vessels.
Hike to Llyn y Fan Fach
This trip takes you to one of the most majestic natural sights in the area: the mythical glacier-formed lake of Llyn y Fan Fach, dominated by a cirque with a strong side scored with ridged rocky veins. This spot has a place in local folklore for its lady of the lake legend. From the car park it is a 3.75km out and back walk up to Llyn y Fan Fach or a 14.8 km circuit around this lake and another, Llyn y Fan Fach, and returning to the top of the ridge.
Eat at The Walnut Tree
Michelin-starred The Walnut Tree is everything you could want in a gourmet escape. Chef Shaun Hill – who once served Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath – believes in food that is simple in presentation and yet complex in preparation: a a group (bouillabaisse) a handful of sea bream, monkfish and turbard, perhaps, or cutlet with potato purée and stuffed morel. All this is under the shadow of one of the most impressive peaks of the Brycheiniog Ranges, the Skirt. There are even three cute cottages on site, all stocked with an exciting make-your-own-breakfast fee.
How to get there
Public transport
The gate town of the park has the best access to public transport. You can be out on the trails within an easy walk of the train station. Get here by train from London (two hours more, changing at Newport), Cardiff (45 minutes) or Manchester (under three hours). Services are hourly on all routes.
Bus X3 connects the Fenni with Cardiff (south-west) and Hereford (north-east). Llandeilo on the western edge of the park has train services via the Heart of Wales Line to Swansea (one hour) and Shrewsbury (three hours) several times a day.
Driving
Driving from London, it is a 3 hour journey to the Fenni via the M4, A449 and A40. From Cardiff, the driving time is one hour and from Birmingham it is less than two hours.
Where to stay
St Peter’s Court
This stately 18th century country house in Llanhamlach near Brecon has extensive grounds pouring down over several terraces to the River Usca, spa, outdoor pool and restaurant. The eight main house bedrooms have a capacity of 35 square metres; four others are staying in a block of converted stables. Doubles from £220 (01874 665 387; peterstone-court.com)
Felin Fach Griffin
Accommodation at this renowned restaurant with rooms is an attractive option. After dining on dishes featuring beef and lamb from the nearby hills, game from the park’s Venice Center of Wales, cheese from Carmarthenshire and vegetables grown in the impressive on-site garden, there’s no reason to leave. The eight rooms in the red-tinted former coaching inn from the 17th century have homemade biscuits and rolling countryside views towards the mountains. Doubles from £182.50. (01874 620 111; eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk)
Aber Glamping
Sleep ensconced in secluded countryside life at Aberhyddnant Organic Farm in one of three geodes, equipped with wood burning stoves, kitchens and fireplaces. Sheep trekking and farm animal petting sessions take place on the property, and there are various ways to spice up your visit, such as renting a pizza oven or buying a BBQ hamper with homemade burgers and sausages grilled on the open flames. Geodomes sleep up to 6 from £140. (01874 636797; aberglamping.co.uk)
On a budget
Bannau Brycheiniog has a great selection of campsites and hostels for the budget conscious. One of the most beautiful campsites, Llanthony Court Camping, near the magnificent ruins of Llanthony Priory in the Black Mountains, costs just £5 per person per night, while YHA Brecon Beacons, within walking distance of Pen y Fan , dorm beds available for £20. and private rooms for up to four people for £75.
Meanwhile, all the walks, including up Pen y Fan, are free: only parking costs. The other is the Great Pit free attractions and many of the ancient historical sites such as Y Garn Goch hill are free of charge.
When to visit
For outdoor activities, the driest, sunniest and least marshy weather is from April to September. This is Wales though, and the Brycheiniog Isles are among the sunniest parts of Wales with an average annual rainfall of between 1500mm and 2600mm depending on the area, according to the national park authority: so be prepared for rain at any time.
Major events include May’s Hay Festival, a literary themed procession in the Welsh town of books, Hay-on-Wye, August’s Green Man Festival (near Cruick Council) and the Finnish Food Festival in September. In general, April, May and September offer conditions that can be as pleasant for walking as those in the July-August high season, but with fewer crowds. Come midweek even at peak times and you’ll find the countryside – away from tourist spots like Pen y Fan – relatively quiet.
