| Pen y Fan | |
|---|---|
 Pen y Fan from Cribyn | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 886 m (2,907 ft) |
| Prominence | 672 m (2,205 ft) |
| Listing | Marilyn,Hewitt,Council top,Nuttall |
| Coordinates | 51°53′00″N3°26′13″W / 51.88328°N 3.43684°W /51.88328; -3.43684 |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Top of the peak |
| Language of name | Welsh |
| Pronunciation | Welsh:[ˌpɛnəˈvan] |
| Geography | |
  Pen y Fan Pen y Fan in theBrecon Beacons National Park (green area) | |
| Location | Powys,Wales |
| Parent range | Brecon Beacons |
| OS grid | SO012215 |
| Topo map | OSLandranger 160,Explorer OL12 |
Pen y Fan (Welsh pronunciation:[ˌpɛnəˈvan]) is the highest peak inSouth Wales, situated inBrecon Beacons National Park (Bannau Brycheiniog). At 886 metres (2,907 ft) above sea-level, it is also the highest British peak south ofCadair Idris inSnowdonia. It is the highest point (county top) of the historic county ofBrecknockshire (though in modern administrative terms, it now lies within the unitary council area ofPowys). The twin summits of Pen y Fan andCorn 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 theNational Trust whose work parties attempt to combat the erosion caused by the popularity of this peak with walkers. The mountain is used by themilitary as part of theselection process of theUK'sSpecial Forces personnel. Three soldiers who died after collapsing in the field in July 2013 were taking part in a test march called Point-to-Point while undergoingSpecial Air Service selection.[2][3]
The namePen y Fan consists of theWelsh wordspen ('top, head, peak, summit', etc.),y ('the') andfan, amutated form ofban ('summit, crest, peak, beacon, hill, mountain', etc.). 'The mountain's peak' or 'the top of the summit' are both possible translations.[4] The nounban, in its plural formbannau, 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' and the early modern English cartographer,John Speed, designated it as Monuchdenny.[5] In theGeneral View of the Agriculture of the County of Brecknock (1794), John Clark ofBuilth (steward toViscount Hereford) refers to 'the VANN, or Brecknock Beacon, the undisputed sovereign of all the mountains in South Wales'.[6] On thetithe map for Cantref parish (1839), the peak of Pen y Fan is called 'Beacon'.[7] This usage is no longer current.[citation needed]
The peak is a major objective in theBeacons Way, along distance footpath which passes from east to west across the massif, and is open to all walkers. There are well-made, evenly graded footpaths from the Storey Arms and Pont ar Daf on theA470, which is 1,500 feet (460 m) below. This and other paths on the mountain are the subject of ongoing repair and maintenance by the National Trust to limit the erosion caused by the passage of hundreds of thousands of walkers each year.[8] There is also a major path fromCribyn, a close-by peak to the east.
The summit is on an undulating ridge stretching fromTalybont Reservoir in the east, to theA470. About 0.5 km (0.3 mi) to the south-west lies the subsidiary top ofCorn Du, beyond which the terrain drops at a moderate angle to the subsidiary top ofY Gyrn, then more steeply to the Storey Arms on the A470. To the east, the ridge drops steeply to thecol connecting it toCribyn, the next mountain along the ridge. From Corn Du, a ridge with an east-facing escarpment descends gently south towardsMerthyr Tydfil.
Like much of upland Wales, Pen y Fan has a Subpolar Oceanic climate, with snowfall possible between November and May. The amount of snow and duration varies significantly from year to year. After a heavy snowfall, the mountain is a popular destination with local skiing enthusiasts.[9]
The summit is marked by a reconstructedBronze Agecairn with a central stonecist, similar to that on the nearby summit ofCorn Du. The grave is fitted with a series of concentric stonekerbs to protect the central mound from slippage. Thecist is a box formed by vertical stone slabs near the centre of the barrow, and it is currently occupied by the National Trust sign, but will have originally held the ashes or other remnants of a dead person or persons since multiple burials together are common in theBritish Bronze Age. It also heldgrave goods left with the human remains, such asflint tools,cinerary urns, or flower tributes. The similarround barrow onFan Foel was excavated in 2002-4 and revealed such items in the central cist, the flowers being those ofmeadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria).[10]
| Name | Grid ref | Height | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn Du | SJ066318 | 873 metres (2,864 ft) | subHewitt,Nuttall |
| Cribyn | SJ066318 | 795 metres (2,608 ft) | Hewitt,Nuttall |
| Y Gyrn | SJ066318 | 619 metres (2,031 ft) | subHewitt,Nuttall |
Pen y Fan is formed from various units of theOld Red Sandstone which were laid down during theDevonian period. The lower slopes of the mountain are formed from the sandstones and mudstones of the Senni Formation whilst the upper slopes are formed from those of the Brownstones Formation. The very summit, like that of neighbouring Corn Du, is composed of hard-wearing sandstones of the Pen y Fan Formation (formerly known as the Plateau Beds).[11] The beds of sandstone dip gently southwards towards theSouth Wales Coalfield basin.
The Brecon Beacons nurtured their own glaciers during the last ice age and bothCwm Llwch andCwm 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-glacialmoraine.[12]The mountain is the highest point within theFforest Fawr Geopark which was established in 2005 to promote economic development, particularlysustainable tourism, based on the area's geological heritage.
Above Cwm Llwch on the northwest spur of Corn Du is a memorial graniteobelisk, 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 aRhonddacoal miner, and had been visiting his grandparents at the time. He died from exhaustion andhypothermia or exposure. How a small boy managed to climb so high remains a mystery.
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.[13]
The search was used as the theme of the 1980 filmTommy Jones.[14]
From the summit on a clear day theBristol Channel (including the islands ofFlat Holm andSteep Holm),Carmarthen Bay,Swansea Bay, theGower Peninsula, theBlack Mountains, theCambrian Mountains,Exmoor, the town ofBrecon and much ofMid Wales and theSouth Wales Valleys, and in a north-easterly direction theClee Hills in south Shropshire, can be seen.
The mountain has aSummits On The Air (SOTA) reference of GW/SW-001[15]
The Storey Arms is an outdoor education centre beside theA470, the main trunk road between the north and south of Wales, in Brecon Beacons National Park nearLibanus, Powys, Wales.[16][17][18] Run byCardiff City Council since 1971, the residential centre can accommodate up to 58 people.[19][20] Its activities include kayaking and canoeing, caving, hill walking, rock climbing and white water rafting.[21] The centre is at 440 metres (1,444 ft) above sea-level, along the pass between Pen y Fan andFan Fawr, at the foot of Corn Du.[18][22] It takes its name from a large coaching inn with a pitched slate roof (named after a local landowner, Storey Maskelyne), which was demolished in 1924.[23][24] The site of the original inn is east of the centre, on the northeastern edge of the Pont ar Daf car park.[25]
Buses stop on either side of the A470 outside the centre.[22]
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.[22][26] The car park, which has space for around 200 cars following a recent expansion and upgrade, is owned by theWelsh Government and run by the National Trust, which now charges for parking.[22] Composting toilet facilities are available at the site.[17]
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.[17][26]
| Northern Highlands (20) |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Highlands (20) | ||
| Central and Eastern Highlands (13) | ||
| Southern Highlands (15) | ||
| Islands (13) | ||
| Scottish Lowlands, England and Wales (13) | ||
| Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland (25) | ||
