Brecknockshire
- Eleanor Conlon
- Feb 2
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Where is Brecknockshire?
In our episode about the historic Welsh county of Brecknockshire we talked about lots of interesting places and things, so here are some pictures and links if you'd like to find out more.
Brychan
Brychan ap Anlach of Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales.
According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach Goronog mac Cormach, son of King Cormach mac Urb, and his wife, Marchel verch Tewdrig ap Teithfal, heiress of the Welsh kingdom of Garthmadrun (Brycheiniog), which the couple later inherited. Upon his father's death, he returned to Garthmadrun and changed its name to Brycheiniog.
Bannau Brycheiniog
The Brecon Beacons are a mountain range in Wales. The range includes South Wales's highest mountain, Pen y Fan (886 metres (2,907 ft)), its twin summit Corn Du (873 metres (2,864 ft)),and Craig Gwaun Taf (826 metres (2,710 ft)), which are the three highest peaks in the range.
Waterfall Country
Waterfall Country (or sometimes Waterfalls Country) (Welsh: Bro'r Sgydau) is a name often given to the upper reaches of the Vale of Neath in South Wales. The tourist area around the head of the valley has an unusually large number of publicly accessible waterfalls. The area is not officially defined but generally includes the group of falls on the Nedd Fechan, Pyrddin, Hepste and Mellte rivers, all of which lie between the villages of Pontneddfechan and Ystradfellte in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Each of these falls lies within or on the boundary of the county of Powys. A few miles further west are Henrhyd Falls on the Nant Llech, a tributary of the Tawe and to the south-west are Melin Court Falls on the Melin Court Brook, a tributary of the River Neath. These, along with Aberdulais Falls on the Dulais, a further tributary of the Neath are also encompassed by the term 'Waterfall/s Country' by some writers.
Dan yr Ogof
The river Llynfell emerges from the mountain as you approach the entrance to Dan-yr-Ogof, returning to the surface after an underground journey of more than 6km. It was by way of this entrance that the Morgan Brothers made their dramatic discovery in 1912.
Tommy and Jeff Morgan had only candles to light their way, a coracle to cross the lakes they encountered, rope to help with the dangerous climbs they undertook, but of course no map to help guide them! Today, you can enjoy this natural wonder without any of the difficulties they experienced over 100 years ago.
Be amazed by the famous “Rasher of Bacon”, the heavenly “Angel” and the “Alabaster Pillar” - just some of the beautiful formations discovered by the Morgan Brothers during their adventures.
These incredibly brave acts of discovery were not surpassed until 1963, when a relatively inexperienced caver, Eileen Davies, made a significant breakthrough in the exploration of Dan-yr-Ogof. The “Long Crawl” was finally conquered; so far this has led to the discovery of an incredible cave system with over 16km of explored passageways.
Brecon Castle
Brecon Castle (Welsh: Castell Aberhonddu) is a castle in the town Brecon, Wales. It was built by the Norman Lord Bernard de Neufmarché in 1093, and was frequently assaulted by the Welsh in the 13th and 15th centuries.
The castle's ownership changed numerous times. It began falling into ruin when Henry VIII executed the last dukes of Buckingham, who at the time controlled the castle. It was renovated and made into a hotel in the early 19th century. It is a Grade I listed building
Brecon Cathedral
Brecon Cathedral started life in 1093 as the Benedictine Priory of St John the Evangelist, built by the Normans on the site of an earlier Celtic church. At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1537 it became Brecon's Parish Church. It became a Cathedral only in 1923, on the establishment of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
Y Gaer Roman Fort
Looking at its tranquil location in farmland near Brecon today, you’d never guess that Gaer was once one of the Romans’ largest inland forts and a vital link in the occupiers’ defensive network in Wales.
Founded around AD 75, it was situated in a strategic position at the meeting point of two major roads and manned by highly trained legionaries of the Vettonian Spanish Cavalry Regiment.
In Roman times this was a busy site, with a large guardhouse, granary and heated bathhouse. Today you can see remains of a number of defensive towers, alongside two large gateways with walls standing 8ft/2.4m high in places.
Llywel Stone
An Ogham stone named the Llywel Stone—because it was brought to the attention of the British Museum by the local vicar—, Lewis Price, was found at Pentre Poeth Farm. (Pentre Poeth farm no longer exists. It was in the region close to Cwm-cynwal and Pant y cadno just off the road from Bwysfa fawr near Trecastle on the way to Belfont farm Crai.
There now is a large water tank on the place where the farm stood, which now is on Tircapel (Ty'r capel) farm ground. Tirchapel farm is believed to be named after an ancient chapel, Capel Illud, and it may be that the Llywel stone originally stood at the chapel site. The site is along the Roman road from Caerleon to Carmarthen, the Via Julia Montana). In 1878, the Llywel stone was acquired by the British Museum and it is on display there. The inscription on the stone is 'MACCVTRENI + SALICIDVNI'.
Maen Llia
Situated in the beautiful wilderness between the Breacon Beacons and the Black Mountain overlooked by the hills of Fan Fawr and Fan Gihirych, Maen Llia is a truly massive sliver of rock. While it is over 3.5 metres tall and nearly 3 metres wide, it is only 75 centimetres thick and bears a striking resemblance to a giant Neolithic hand axe. Although it is aligned north to south, the sides of the rock become surprisingly warm to the touch on a sunny day.
This must have been an important pass between the hills, both to the local prehistoric population and to the Romans who came this way some 3000 years later - they built the road 'Sarn Helen' right by the stone and the current road still follows part of its course.
According to legend, Maen Llia climbs the mountain to drink from the river Nedd every morning as the cock crows.
Llyn Cwn Llwych
Llyn Cwm Llwch is a small lake or pool in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, Wales. It is between 1 and 2 acres: much smaller than the two glacial lakes in the west of the Black Mountain (range): Llyn y Fan Fawr and Llyn y Fan Fach, and one of the few natural bodies of water in the park.
It is of glacial origin, occupying a rock hollow beneath the peaks of Pen y Fan and Corn Du in the central Brecon Beacons. It is drained by the Nant Cwm Llwch which empties into the Afon Tarell, which itself enters the River Usk at Brecon. Tommy Jones' obelisk, a memorial in granite to a young boy who died near this spot in 1900, overlooks the lake.
Adelina Patti
Adelina Patti (19 February 1843 – 27 September 1919)was a Spanish-Italian opera singer. At the height of her career, she was earning huge fees performing in the music capitals of Europe and America. She first sang in public as a child in 1851, and gave her last performance before an audience in 1914. Along with her near contemporaries Jenny Lind and Christina Nilsson, Patti remains one of the most famous sopranos in history, owing to the purity and beauty of her lyrical voice and the unmatched quality of her bel canto technique.
In her retirement, Patti, now officially Baroness Cederström, settled in the Swansea Valley in Wales, where she purchased Craig-y-Nos Castle.There she had a $2000 billiard table installed, and her own private theatre, a miniature version of the one at Bayreuth, and made her gramophone recordings.
Patti also funded Craig-y-nos railway station on the Neath and Brecon Railway. In 1918, she presented the Winter Garden building from her Craig-y-Nos estate to the city of Swansea. It was re-erected and renamed the Patti Pavilion. She died at Craig-y-Nos and eight months later was buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris to be close to her father and favourite composer, Rossini, in accordance with the wishes in her will.
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