Brecon Beacons National Park

Brecon Beacons National Park
Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog (Welsh)
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Craig Cwm-Oergwm in Brecon Beacons National Park
Map showing the location of Brecon Beacons National Park Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
Map showing the location of Brecon Beacons National Park Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
Map of the national park in Wales
LocationWales
Coordinates51°50′N 3°30′W / 51.833°N 3.500°W / 51.833; -3.500
Area1,344 km2 (519 sq mi)
Established1957
WebsiteOfficial website

Brecon Beacons National Park, officially named Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Welsh pronunciationⓘ),[1] is a national park in Wales. It is named after the Brecon Beacons (Welsh: Bannau Brycheiniog), the mountain range at its centre. The national park includes the highest mountain in South Wales, Pen y Fan, which has an elevation of 886 metres (2,907 ft).[2]

The national park has a total area of 1,344 square kilometres (519 sq mi).[3] The Brecon Beacons and Fforest Fawr uplands form the central section of the park. To the east are the Black Mountains, which extend beyond the national park boundary into England, and to the west is the similarly named but distinct Black Mountain range. These ranges share much of the same basic geology, the southerly dip of the rock strata leading to north-facing escarpments. The highest peak of the Black Mountains is Waun Fach (811 metres (2,661 ft)),[4] and Fan Brycheiniog (802.5 metres (2,633 ft))[5] is the highest of the Black Mountain.

The park was founded in 1957 and is the third and most recently designated national park in Wales, after Snowdonia (Eryri) and the Pembrokeshire Coast. It is visited by approximately 4.4 million people each year.[6]

  1. ^ "Brecon Beacons National Park Reclaims Its Welsh Name | Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority". Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Hills and mountains". Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Brecon Beacons National Park | VisitWales". www.visitwales.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  4. ^ "The Black Mountains Magic". Black Mountains Walking. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Fan Brycheiniog | Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales | Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Information for Tourism Businesses". Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority. Retrieved 10 June 2023.