# Brecon Beacons



## jannerboyuk (Feb 12, 2010)

I might be working in the brecon beacons in a YHA hostel near Talybont reservoir for six months, soon so i was wondering what peoples fave walks/pubs/parts/fishing/outdoor activities are. Photos would be cool. Bet its still bloody cold right now though. Im up there tomorrow morning so i will soon know that at least.


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 12, 2010)

Talybont on usk. Two cracking real ale pubs next to each other. Just down the hill from you


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## AnnO'Neemus (Feb 12, 2010)

I think Brecon Jazz Festival has been a bit touch and go in terms of whether it's going to take place or not, because of precarious funding, but it has been happening.

I've only been once, but I've wanted to go again ever since, but just not got round to it.  I hope it happens this year, I might just make it.

http://www.breconjazz.org/


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 12, 2010)

if you drive down from the resevoir towards talybont itself, you come to a bridge over a stream. Park up and walk back up the side of the stream.... some lovely little waterfalls await you. Will try to dig out some photopix


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 12, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> Talybont on usk. Two cracking real ale pubs next to each other. Just down the hill from you



Lord Jebus we thank you for your bounty


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 12, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> if you drive down from the resevoir towards talybont itself, you come to a bridge over a stream. Park up and walk back up the side of the stream.... some lovely little waterfalls await you. Will try to dig out some photopix



Sounds nice. I wanna do a bit of sketching as well so that sounds great. I'll be walking of course, propelled mainly by my sense of self satisfaction


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## AnnO'Neemus (Feb 12, 2010)

And while I haven't been for years, the Nant Ddu on the road between Brecon and Merthyr used to serve lovely food.

http://www.nant-ddu-lodge.co.uk/


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## mattie (Feb 12, 2010)

Avoid Merthyr.  The rest is lovely.

Llanthony Priory (north of Abergavenny by about 6 or 7 miles) is lovely, and a few good hikes start from there.


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## Infidel Castro (Feb 12, 2010)

Will you catch the Green Man festival as well?  That's got to be worth it.


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 12, 2010)

mattie said:


> Avoid Merthyr.  The rest is lovely.
> 
> Llanthony Priory (north of Abergavenny by about 6 or 7 miles) is lovely, and a few good hikes start from there.




yes, cracking little place to visit and ideal for trecking offa's dyke.

BUT.... its not in the brecon beacons


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## mattie (Feb 12, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> yes, cracking little place to visit and ideal for trecking offa's dyke.
> 
> BUT.... its not in the brecon beacons



hmm.  Google maps disagrees.  Feckin' yanks.

(Google maps shows it being in Brecon Beacons National Park)


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 12, 2010)

mattie said:


> hmm.  Google maps disagrees.  Feckin' yanks.
> 
> (Google maps shows it being in Brecon Beacons National Park)



Its in the black mountains


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## mattie (Feb 12, 2010)

I stand corrected.

(it is part of the BB national park though?)


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 12, 2010)

mattie said:


> I stand corrected.
> 
> (it is part of the BB national park though?)


 

well...... 

looking at this map from the national park website .... it looks as if it is right smack on the boundary.

that map is a bit surprising, it looks as if pontypool is in the national park


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## kage (Feb 12, 2010)

The walk up to Pen-y-fan from Storey Arms is lovely and you get a great view of the beacons down to the reservoir on one side and you can see over Brecon on the other.


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## Gavin Bl (Feb 13, 2010)

Aye, aye - Merthyr is the glittering jewel in the heart of the Valleys.

Agree with all the above - an alternative Pen Y Fan route is the 'horseshoe' from the little scrape of a car park above the Neuadd reservoir. This takes the 3 summits in reverse order to the also excellent Storey arms ascent mentioned before. Its on the 'other side' from the A470.

There's also an ascent from the north, passing the tarn - forget the details, but its pretty obv on the map, I think.

The waterfalls mentioned above are excellent - know locally as the Glyn. 

At the top of that same steep hill on to Torpantau, there is another parking place (just to the right, at the very steep twist at the top). There's a very good short sharp ascent up Craig Yr Allt Du or Craig Y Fan Du or something - quickly up onto the dissected plateau here - with an excellent huge rock fringed cwm to your right. 

Slight further afield...
The falls in Ystradfellte are great - and also try Ysgyryd Yr Eira near Penderyn, a waterfall which you can go round the back of.

Picws Du or Camarthen Fan is an excellent ascent onto a really striking ridge, off the A4067 south of Llandovery IIRC. Theres a thread on it here I think.

Sugar Loaf mountain near Abergavenny is easy and good - get some really nice ham shoulder from the butchers near the market for your sarnies!
I'd do some reading, there's plenty of mainstream stuff - and despite its (often deserved) reputation, Merthyr also has a long tradition of really good local publications on history and geography. If you can get hold of, for example, the "Historic Taf Valleys" - vol2 on the Beacons are really good.

Sounds like a great opportunity, you'll be spoiled for choice - there just loads of good walking - if it doesn't rain the entire time.


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## mattie (Feb 13, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> well......
> 
> looking at this map from the national park website .... it looks as if it is right smack on the boundary.
> 
> that map is a bit surprising, it looks as if pontypool is in the national park



Google Maps:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_en-GBGB342GB339&q=llanthony%20priory&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

All a bit odd.  The Priory hotel homepage describes it as black mountains.


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 13, 2010)

Thanks for all your info guys. Some very interesting stuff and i look forward to taking those walks on. Well i went for my interview this morning and got offered the job this evening so im heading up to the beacons for six months or so! If you find yourself in the area come and say hello at http://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/wales/hostels/Danywenallt/index.aspx
Jeff


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## editor (Feb 14, 2010)

There's some stunning scenery around there. Here's a few trips worth making:
Hay On Wye: http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/hay-on-wye-wales.html
Crickhowell: http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/crickhowell-powys-wales.html
Abergavenny walks: http://www.urban75.org/walks/abergavenny.html
Brecon Mountain Railway: http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/brecon-mountain-railway.html
And the *fabulous* Big Pit: http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/blaenavon-big-pit-wales.html


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 14, 2010)

mattie said:


> Google Maps:
> 
> http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_en-GBGB342GB339&q=llanthony%20priory&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
> 
> All a bit odd.  The Priory hotel homepage describes it as black mountains.



Clearly the national park extends beyond the actual brecon beacons and takes in other mountain ranges as well. I had not even thought about the boundary before now.


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## likesfish (Feb 14, 2010)

kage said:


> The walk up to Pen-y-fan from Storey Arms is lovely and you get a great view of the beacons down to the reservoir on one side and you can see over Brecon on the other.



bwhahahahaaahaaahhaahah


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 14, 2010)

editor said:


> There's some stunning scenery around there. Here's a few trips worth making:
> Hay On Wye: http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/hay-on-wye-wales.html
> Crickhowell: http://www.urban75.org/photos/wales/crickhowell-powys-wales.html
> Abergavenny walks: http://www.urban75.org/walks/abergavenny.html
> ...



some very nice pics there ed. I was sorry to hear that the 2nd book town idea didn't take off for blaenavon. Do you know what the problems they faced were?


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 14, 2010)

jannerboyuk said:


> some very nice pics there ed. I was sorry to hear that the 2nd book town idea didn't take off for blaenavon. Do you know what the problems they faced were?



Have you been to Blaenavon ?


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 14, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> Have you been to Blaenavon ?



Yeah i've been and its a post-industrial mess but that doesn't make the task impossible. My understanding was the the guy who did the do in hay had bought several shops and stock based on different themes and was looking for people to take on leases. The place has a certain amount of footfall cuz of big pit and im sure the local authority was 1000% behind. the transport links seemed ok so personally i was relatively optimistic. It aint no newport after all


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 14, 2010)

jannerboyuk said:


> Yeah i've been and its a post-industrial mess but that doesn't make the task impossible. My understanding was the the guy who did the do in hay had bought several shops and stock based on different themes and was looking for people to take on leases. The place has a certain amount of footfall cuz of big pit and im sure the local authority was 1000% behind. the transport links seemed ok so personally i was relatively optimistic. It aint no newport after all



I stopped off there when they were having a 'book festival'. The shops that were participating were empty and no-one in the street seemed to know what i was talking about, they did not know there was any book event going on. Whilst the task was not impossible, support from the natives would have been handy. 

I think these things have to be organic, not engineered.


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## editor (Feb 14, 2010)

Hay on Wye has has had an entirely different past to Blaenavon too, and I'm not surprised that the legions of unemployed there aren't rushing to embrace an arty books project.


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 14, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> I stopped off there when they were having a 'book festival'. The shops that were participating were empty and no-one in the street seemed to know what i was talking about, they did not know there was any book event going on. Whilst the task was not impossible, support from the natives would have been handy.
> 
> I think these things have to be organic, not engineered.



Thing is i would agree with your last point but wasn't hay engineered? Being interesting to know how long hay took to gel, although no doubt the town itself was a good start.


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 14, 2010)

Here is an interesting viewpoint on the issue
http://www.inprint.co.uk/thebookguide/shops/wales/blaenafon_booktown_fails.shtml


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 14, 2010)

More recently, even less optimistically
http://www.inprint.co.uk/thebookguide/shops/wales/blaenafon_at_two.shtml


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 14, 2010)

I consider the area my natural homeland 

Rhayader has a great Jazz festival. The countryside is stunning in a very undulating, understated sort of way. If you're happy in provincial social circles you'll like it. It is a bit 'narrow lanes - narrow minds' though. Very Conservative!

Hay on Why(?) festival is a bit intellectually ellitist IMO (did I do the spelling right?).

Beautiful weekend walk from Rhayader to Devils Bridge and Aber.

If I ever decide to retire to the UK, it will be the Powys/Herefordshire borders. But, by then, I will be the most grumpy, insular, perverted, old man the World has ever known.

Fun free parties if you get in. Many 'retired' 70's and 80's rock stars seeking annonymity in the area. Some of them still have big cash to blow on big does. Honestly


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 14, 2010)

Stanley Edwards said:


> I consider the area my natural homeland
> 
> Rhayader has a great Jazz festival. The countryside is stunning in a very undulating, understated sort of way. If you're happy in provincial social circles you'll like it. It is a bit 'narrow lanes - narrow minds' though. Very Conservative!
> 
> ...


its funny you mention the narrow minds. at my interview I mentioned the two pubs in talybont on usk recommended on this very thread and i got told that one is " a bit funny, they even have a LGB meeting". I tried not to laugh. But i tend to keep to myself to be honest and will be happy with the isolation. Couldnt be any worse then bloody pembrokeshire anyway 
I found the hay festival ok but liked the town much more.


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 14, 2010)

Great read, if, or if you're not really interested in the area...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Hill-Vintage-classics/dp/0099769719


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## jannerboyuk (Feb 14, 2010)

Stanley Edwards said:


> Great read, if, or if you're not really interested in the area...
> 
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Hill-Vintage-classics/dp/0099769719


looks interesting. enjoyed reading this when i was at cardiff uni studying welsh history
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Border-Coun...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266182039&sr=1-3


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 14, 2010)

jannerboyuk said:


> looks interesting. enjoyed reading this when i was at cardiff uni studying welsh history
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Border-Coun...=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266182039&sr=1-3



Nice. Ordered (sort of).

Thanks for that. Never knew.


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 15, 2010)

Stanley Edwards said:


> I consider the area my natural homeland
> 
> Rhayader has a great Jazz festival. The countryside is stunning in a very undulating, understated sort of way. If you're happy in provincial social circles you'll like it. It is a bit 'narrow lanes - narrow minds' though. Very Conservative!
> 
> ...



Rhayader, devils bridge, aberystwyth ...... now we are definitley talking not in the brecon beacons.


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 15, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> Rhayader, devils bridge, aberystwyth ...... now we are definitley talking not in the brecon beacons.



It's a walk *from* the Brecon Beacons 

A very beautiful one at that. Or, possibly a drive via Builth and Llandrindod. There isn't actually much to mention about the park itself other than the hills.


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## editor (Feb 15, 2010)

Stanley Edwards said:


> It's a walk *from* the Brecon Beacons
> 
> A very beautiful one at that. Or, possibly a drive via Builth and Llandrindod. There isn't actually much to mention about the park itself other than the hills.


Your version of Wales seems to be strangely compact. It's a four day walk from Brecon to Devils Bridge.

http://www.aylmer.family.name/trails/wales/xw2.html


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 15, 2010)

editor said:


> Your version of Wales seems to be strangely compact. It's a four day walk from Brecon to Devils Bridge.
> 
> http://www.aylmer.family.name/trails/wales/xw2.html



I do it in 2 no problem. Can't be much more than 70 Miles? A very easy 2 day hike.


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 15, 2010)

Stanley Edwards said:


> It's a walk *from* the Brecon Beacons
> 
> A very beautiful one at that. Or, possibly a drive via Builth and Llandrindod. *There isn't actually much to mention about the park itself other than the hills*.



Thats like saying; 'there isn't actually much to mention about the lake district, appart from the lakes'


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## Stanley Edwards (Feb 15, 2010)

Clint Iguana said:


> Thats like saying; 'there isn't actually much to mention about the lake district, appart from the lakes'



TBF The Lake District does have mint cake, Wordsworth, Withnail and I and pubs full of tossers with carbon fibre hiking rods as well as lakes and mountains.

I prefer the Brecon Beacons simply because they're so baron. Not a lot to write about other than that. Perhaps a waterfall, or Two


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 15, 2010)

Stanley Edwards said:


> TBF The Lake District does have mint cake, Wordsworth, Withnail and I and pubs full of tossers with carbon fibre hiking rods as well as lakes and mountains.
> 
> I prefer the Brecon Beacons simply because they're so baron. Not a lot to write about other than that. Perhaps a waterfall, or Two





welsh cakes, alexander cordell, top gear test drives, gurkahs and pubs full of tossers with  para gliding gear in their rucksack

ETA.... MAGIC MUSHROOMS


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## Clint Iguana (Feb 17, 2010)

mattie said:


> Avoid Merthyr.  The rest is lovely.
> 
> Llanthony Priory (north of Abergavenny by about 6 or 7 miles) is lovely, and a few good hikes start from there.



Derick is on the telly NOW walking from the priory along offa's dyke

ETA... well you have missed it now, but it is on i player here innit like (epispde four)


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