View source for Brecon Beacons

{{Short description|Mountain range in Wales}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{redirect|Bannau Brycheiniog|the national park, now also known as "Bannau Brycheiniog"|Brecon Beacons National Park}}
{{other uses}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox mountain
| fetchwikidata = NONE
| name = Brecon Beacons
| other_name = {{native name|cy|Bannau Brycheiniog}}
| photo = View from Cribyn to Pen Y Fan - geograph.org.uk - 3447271 (cropped).jpg
| photo_caption = Part of the Brecon Beacons range, looking from [[Cribyn (mountain)|Cribyn]] to [[Pen y Fan]] and [[Corn Du]]
| country = [[Wales]], [[United Kingdom]]
| geology = [[Sedimentary rock|Sedimentary]]
| age = [[Devonian]]
| highest = [[Pen y Fan]]
| elevation = 886 m (2,907 ft)
| coordinates = {{coord|51.88328|-3.43684|region:GB-POW_type:mountain|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Powys]]
}}

The '''Brecon Beacons''' (<!-- This is about the range, the name change applies to the national park -->{{langx|cy|Bannau Brycheiniog}}; {{IPA|cy|ˈbanai̯ brəˈχei̯njɔɡ||Bannau_Brycheiniog.wav|IPA}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-pronounce-bannau-brycheiniog-eryri-26713083 | title=How to pronounce Bannau Brycheiniog and Eryri | date=17 April 2023 }}</ref>) are a mountain range in Wales. The range includes South Wales's highest mountain, [[Pen y Fan]] ({{Convert|886|m|ft}}),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hills and mountains |url=https://www.breconbeacons.org/things-to-do/attractions/natural/hills-mountains |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales |language=en-US}}</ref> its twin summit [[Corn Du]] ({{Convert|873|m|ft}}),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-17 |title=A Guide to Climbing Corn DU and Pen y Fan Mountains - ViewBritain.com |url=https://viewbritain.com/wales/a-guide-to-climbing-corn-du-and-pen-y-fan-mountains/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[Craig Gwaun Taf]] ({{Convert|826|m|ft}}),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ltd |first=Copyright The mountain Guide-A.-Connect |title=Craig Gwaun Taf (Duwynt) {{!}} Wales |url=https://www.themountainguide.co.uk/wales/craig-gwaun-taf.htm |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=UK mountain Guide |language=en}}</ref> which are the three highest peaks in the range. The Brecon Beacons have given their name to the larger [[Brecon Beacons National Park]], and the range itself is therefore sometimes known as the '''Central Beacons''' to differentiate the two.

==Toponymy==
The name ''Bannau Brycheiniog'' is first attested in the sixteenth century, and 'Brecon Beacons' first occurs in the eighteenth century as "Brecknock Beacons".<ref name=":0">{{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}}</ref> ''Bannau Brycheiniog'' derives from the Welsh ''bannau'', "peaks", and ''[[Brycheiniog]]'', the name of an early medieval kingdom which covered the area.<ref name="Gomer">{{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}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

In a paragraph on Brecknockshire, [[John Leland (antiquary)|John Leland]]'s 1536–1539 ''Itinerary'' notes that:

{{Blockquote|text=<nowiki>Blak Montayne is most famose, for he strecchith, as I have lerned, his rootes on one side within a iiii. or v. myles of </nowiki>[[Monmouth|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".<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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'.<ref>{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref> A slightly wider definition was used in 1809 by the Breconshire historian [[Theophilus Jones (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'.<ref name=":1">{{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 }}</ref> 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".<ref name="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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Brecon Beacons National Park UK relief location map.png|thumb|Relief map of the [[Brecon Beacons National Park]] (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 (mountain)|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 [[River Taff#Taf Fechan|Taf Fechan]], which flows away to the southeast. To the northeast of the ridge, interspersed with long parallel spurs, are four [[cirque]]s (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.

==National park==
{{Main articles|Brecon Beacons National Park}}
The Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957,<ref>{{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}}</ref> the third of the three Welsh parks after [[Snowdonia]] in 1951<ref>{{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}}</ref> and the [[Pembrokeshire Coast National Park]] in 1952.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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]].

==Brecon Mountain Railway==
{{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 railway|narrow-gauge]] [[tourist railway]] on the south side of the Brecon Beacons range. It climbs northwards from [[Pant railway station (Brecon Mountain Railway)|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.

==Military training==
[[File:Brecon Beacons UKSF.jpg|thumb|A soldier training in the Brecon Beacons above Llyn y Fan Fawr.]]

The Brecon Beacons are used for training members of the UK armed forces and [[Reservist|military reservists]]. The [[British Army|Army]]'s [[Infantry Battle School]] is located at Brecon,<ref name=telegraphheatdeaths>{{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 }}</ref> and the [[Special Air Service]] (SAS) and [[Special Boat Service]] use the area to test the fitness of applicants.<ref name=telegraphnocharge>{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=SBS - Selection |url=https://www.eliteukforces.info/special-boat-service/selection/ |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=www.eliteukforces.info}}</ref> An exercise unique to the area is the '[[Fan dance (exercise)|Fan dance]]', which takes place on Pen y Fan.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name=telegraphheatdeaths />

==See also==
{{Portal|Wales}}
*[[Brecon Mountain Railway]]
*[[Brecon Beacons Food Festival]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Brecon Beacons}}
{{Wikivoyage|Brecon Beacons}}
<!-- Please bear in mind that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and not a directory. It may be that one or two links will add something to a page however they must only be placed on the relevant page and will always be subject to review by wikipedians.-->
*[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]]