Fan Fawr
Encyclopedia
Fan Fawr is a mountain
in the Fforest Fawr
section of the Brecon Beacons
National Park
, South Wales
and over 734 m (2,408 ft) high.
The summit overlooks the steep eastern face and is marked by a cairn. Unusually, the trig point
on this hill does not sit at the summit but 600 m to the south-west on a subsidiary spur. The hill is drained to the west by streams flowing into the Afon Dringarth
and to the east by streams draining into the Taf Fawr. The Dringarth is dammed to the west to form Ystradfellte Reservoir
as is the Taf Fawr east of the hill to form Beacons Reservoir
. To the north-east water flows into the Afon Tarell, a tributary of the River Usk
whilst to the south the headwaters of the Afon y Waun conduct water to the Afon Hepste
and eventually to the River Neath
.
which were laid down during the Devonian period. On the southern slopes of the hill, sandstones of the overlying Plateau Beds Formation occur.
In common with other hills in the Brecon Beacons National Park Fan Fawr was subject to glacial action in the ice ages. The western cwm contains a fine late-glacial moraine known as Cefn Bach. The hill is within the Fforest Fawr Geopark
designated in 2005 in recognition of the area's geological heritage.
at Storey Arms and Pont ar Daf.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr
Fforest Fawr is the name given to an extensive upland area in the county of Powys, Wales. Formerly known as the 'Great Forest of Brecknock' in English, it was a royal hunting area for several centuries but is now used primarily for sheep grazing, forestry, water catchment and recreation...
section of the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and over 734 m (2,408 ft) high.
The summit overlooks the steep eastern face and is marked by a cairn. Unusually, the trig point
Triangulation station
A triangulation station, also known as a triangulation pillar, trigonometrical station, trigonometrical point, trig station, trig beacon or trig point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity...
on this hill does not sit at the summit but 600 m to the south-west on a subsidiary spur. The hill is drained to the west by streams flowing into the Afon Dringarth
Afon Dringarth
The Afon Dringarth is a river in Powys, Wales and wholly contained within the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its headwater streams drain the eastern slopes of Fan Dringarth, the southern slopes of Craig Cerrig-gleisiad and the western slopes of Fan Fawr...
and to the east by streams draining into the Taf Fawr. The Dringarth is dammed to the west to form Ystradfellte Reservoir
Ystradfellte Reservoir
Ystradfellte Reservoir is a water storage reservoir on the Afon Dringarth in the upland area of Fforest Fawr within the Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales. It lies just north of the village of Ystradfellte in the county of Powys at OS Grid ref SN 946178.The embankment is long by high...
as is the Taf Fawr east of the hill to form Beacons Reservoir
Beacons Reservoir
Beacons Reservoir is the northernmost of the three reservoirs in the Taff Fawr valley in South Wales. It is owned by Welsh Water. As its name suggests, it is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the Powys unitary authority area and within the historic county boundaries of...
. To the north-east water flows into the Afon Tarell, a tributary of the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
whilst to the south the headwaters of the Afon y Waun conduct water to the Afon Hepste
Afon Hepste
The Afon Hepste is a river in Powys, Wales and wholly within the Brecon Beacons National Park.Its headwaters, the Afon y Waun, Nant y Cwrier and Nant Hepste Fechan, rise on the Old Red Sandstone dip-slopes of Fforest Fawr and combine to form the Afon Hepste near the farmstead of Hepste Fechan...
and eventually to the River Neath
River Neath
River Neath is a river in south Wales running south west from its source in the Brecon Beacons National Park to its mouth at Baglan Bay below Briton Ferry on the east side of Swansea Bay.Several minor rivers rise on the southern slopes of Fforest Fawr...
.
Geology
The hill is largely formed from sandstones of the Brownstones Formation of the Old Red SandstoneOld Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
which were laid down during the Devonian period. On the southern slopes of the hill, sandstones of the overlying Plateau Beds Formation occur.
In common with other hills in the Brecon Beacons National Park Fan Fawr was subject to glacial action in the ice ages. The western cwm contains a fine late-glacial moraine known as Cefn Bach. The hill is within the Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark was the first Geopark to be designated in Wales having gained membership of both the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO-assisted Global Network of National Geoparks in October 2005. The Geopark aims to promote and support sustainable tourism and other opportunities to...
designated in 2005 in recognition of the area's geological heritage.
Access
The entire hill is open country, enabling walkers to wander at will, although most choose to take a line up from the car parks beside the A470A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
at Storey Arms and Pont ar Daf.