Ascent/Descent:
455m or 299m on the short walk
Net
Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours or 3 ½ hours
Toughness:
6 out of 10 or 3 out of 10
Meet
at 15.15
in the south east corner of the Morrison’s car park in Brecon’s town
centre, next to the Markets Tavern and near the four-way road junction by the
Bus Interchange.
Meet
at 19.00 for the very short woodland gorge loop (4.3 km), make your way up to the
Cathedral (signposted) and wait at the lychgate for the main group to arrive (no
later than 19.30, I would think).
Walkers doing the short walk with a 15.15 start would have enough time for dinner before the woodland gorge loop...
Walkers doing the short walk with a 15.15 start would have enough time for dinner before the woodland gorge loop...
From
the pdf: “This short excursion from the heart of the busy market town of Brecon
leads out along the Promenade along the Usk River and then through fields and
woods to the remains of Y Gaer (CICVCIVM Roman Fort), built around AD 75
and established as a Roman cavalry base for the conquest of Wales. Rebuilt in
stone during the 2nd half of the 2nd century AD, it still
features interesting remains of walls, gatehouses and turrets. Follow the Ysgir
River north up the valley and onto Battle Hill, a modest grassy ridge
from where you nevertheless have extensive views of all the spectacular mountain
areas around Brecon. A descent through woods and across pastures leads to
the remains of Pen-y-crug Iron Age hillfort, with its up to five
surviving ramparts, located on The Crug (pronounced cree-g), a hill
overlooking Brecon. Despite its modest height, it has extensive views of the
central Brecon Beacons, and also views to a number of neighbouring hillforts.
En route back down to Brecon and past the cathedral and Norman castle
remains, you pass the covered well of Ffynnon Maen-du, one of several springs
on the slopes of Pen-y-crug.
A
shortcut cuts the long ascent to Battle Hill and the remaining short
walk still provides an interesting introduction to the area with its rivers,
woods and views from the Pen-y-crug hillfort site.
An
extension through the Priory Groves Woodland Gorge, starting from the
cathedral, and going up the Honddu valley, is a fascinating excursion up this
lovely gorge, which – in parts – is almost alpine in character, despite being
only a stone’s throw from the town centre. This can also be done as a (very
short but rewarding) standalone walk.”
Tea: several options in
town, hours not researched.
For
walk directions, map, photos, height profile, and gpx/kml
files click here.
T=3.306
1 comment:
6 walkers for the afternoon start in w=muggy weather, with the initial cloud cover increasingly giving way to blue skies though.
Some paths were a wee bit overgrown, with bracken mainly, sign that the locals really had stayed in during lockdown. And the site of the Roman Camp is closed due to Covid at the moment. Having started a bit later than scheduled and needing to still stock up on food and drinks for the days ahead, we only walked the 13km version and were back in Brecon at 6.
2 walked back to the Cathedral at 7 to also walk the woodland gorge loop and there met a 7th walker. The scenery had been very nice all day (especially of course from Pen y Crug, with all the hills of the next three days of walking in panoramic view), but the steep wooded gorge, with the late sunshine breaking through the leaves, the steep pastures, the cascading river... very special indeed. Pizza for takeaway and a bottle of wine from the Brecon Tap: dinner sorted. N=7
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