About the Brecon Beacons

The National Park means many different things to the people who live, work in and visit the area.

The National Park has its own history and heritage, and its own cuisine, traditions, myths and culture. You can explore an assortment of these by using the navigation bar on the left.

A short introduction to local history

Neolithic - Standing stones over 4,000 years old are dotted around the Park. Most impressive at 3.7m (12ft) is Maen Llia, located at the head of the Llia Valley between Ystradfellte and Sennybridge. Standing at an altitude of 573m (1880 ft) it is also thought to be the highest standing stone in South Wales.

Iron Age - hill fort sites. Largest is Garn Goch just north of the Black Mountain near Llangadog. Thought once to have been political and trading centres, there are over twenty of these sites dotted around the National Park.

The Romans – came to the Park in around AD43. Their most important base in the area was Y Gaer near Brecon, and once used to accommodate over 600 soldiers.

Dark Ages – During his reign King Offa ordered the construction of the earth boundary that still bears his name, Offa's Dyke. It stretches the 150 mile length of the Welsh border. Climb to a ridge above the Vale of Ewyas in the National Park and you can follow a section of Offa’s Dyke.

The Norman Conquest - made its presence felt in the National Park with its castles, although none so dramatic as Carreg Cennen. Today, the castle is maintained by CADW. See the menu for more castles in the Park.

Industrial Age - As far back as the 16th Century the Welsh were laying the foundations for the industrial age. Evidence of the industrial age lies a few miles further south, at Blaenavon. Now part of a World Heritage Site, Blaenavon Ironworks was one of the largest ironworks in the world. With its exceptional range of surviving structures, it is the best-preserved blast furnace complex of its period and type in the world.