Garwnant – Jewel in the Crown

Opening the new building on 8th July, The trails have been upgraded for 2010 WAG Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones and now include an all-ability walking trail. Forestry Commission ’ referred to the Centre as ‘a jewel in the There is also a bike park, an adventure refurbishment of the Visitor Centre at crown for Wales which would have an play area and an animal puzzle trail. Garwnant should mean it can expect a important role in promoting tourism busy year ahead. Set in the Taff Valley [which] is vital to economic prosperity and Interpretive panels line the entrance just 5 miles north of , and job creation’. path leading to the central courtyard within the Beacons National Park built around three monoliths of sandstone, and , the new-look Even though the Centre was closed for limestone and gritstone. The panels are complex includes an information most of 2009, more than 120,000 people packed with information about Garwnant centre, an education/conference hall were drawn to the walking and cycling and its geological setting – the facility is and a restaurant and cafe serving local trails last year - not surprising perhaps an important one for telling the stories of food run by local company, Just Perfect when nearly 2 million people live within an Fforest Fawr Geopark. Catering. hour's drive of Garwnant. For more information about Garwnant contact centre manager Sam Detheridge on 0300 068 0300, www.forestry.gov.uk

Fforest Fawr Geopark news autumn 2010 Wonderful Waterfalls

Breathing life into the past During summer 2010 hundreds of The event was supported by people enjoyed a weekend of walks, Carmarthenshire County Council, the stories, exhibitions and activities at Garn Welsh Assembly Government, the Goch hill-fort and the old school in Countryside Council for Wales and Garn A brand new pack of ten walks in nearby Bethlehem. The Garn Goch Goch Graziers Association with further Waterfall Country has just been Archaeology Festival was organised by support through the ‘Tywi - a River through published in partnership with Port the Archaeological Trust and the Time’ Project. Talbot County Borough Council. This National Park Authority in celebration of beautifully presented A5 pack comes the National Festival of British Did you know? complete with an area map pinpointing Archaeology. The massive stone burial on Garn the locations of the routes, an Goch dates from either the Bronze Age or introduction to the Fforest Fawr Geopark Toby Driver of the Royal Commission on possibly the late Stone Age. This and the and National Park, and the Ancient and Historical Monuments of massive Iron Age ramparts of Y Gaer Fawr individual laminated cards with a Wales teamed up with Geopark officer and Y Gaer Fach were built from the detailed local map for each route. Alan Bowring to give tours of the hill-fort plentiful stones of Ffairfach Grit which looking at its origins and how its decorate the summit of the hill. The semi-waterproof cards include routes occupants lived over the millennia. along the Four Falls Trail to Sgwd yr Eira, the Elidir Trail to Sgwd Gwladus and Pont Melin-fach, along with shorter walks to Henrhyd, and Melincourt Falls. A brand new walk starting at Pont Walby along the newly developed Cwm Gwrelych Geo Heritage Trail which explores 300 million years of local history has also been included.

At £3.50, this excellent pack provides waterfall lovers with a great value souvenir of their visit and it is hoped that it will encourage them to return and explore Myddfai Made in a Great Tradition the wider collection of falls found in the The Brecon Beacons National Park’s The “Myddfai Made in a Great Tradition” Vale of Neath. Sustainable Development Fund has project aims to create a brand that recently awarded Myddfai £33,000 captures the heritage and values of Pick up a copy of the pack from towards their project. This adds to the Myddfai and provides a social hub to Information Centres across the Brecon other funding raised so far, which make the village accessible and Beacons National Park and Neath Port includes £400,000 from the Big Lottery as welcoming to the immediate and wider Talbot area. And don’t forget that you part of their Village SoS programme. community. A new village hall and sales can download or listen to the audio Myddfai is a village with a remarkable hub will be the building blocks upon which trails relating to the area (pre- or post- heritage, where legend and history the long term success of the project will be visit) via the National Park’s website at combine in a unique blend of magic built. This is an inspiring community-based www.visitbreconbeacons.com and healing. project built on the past, in the present, for the future. More at www.myddfai.com .

Fforest Fawr Geopark news autumn 2010 Walking with Wallace

The Geopark Festival celebrated the life of the great Victorian field-biologist Alfred Russel Wallace with two walks retracing a route he took in 1846 from Neath to the Brecon Beacons. Wallace who was born near Usk was to become the co-founder with Darwin of the theory of evolution.

Remembering Aircraft Crash Sites He and an older brother worked for some A new and revised version of a popular between 1939 and 1945. What little years in the Vale of Neath. He was to write booklet detailing the 30 crash sites wreckage remains now attracts those later: ‘I cannot call to mind a single valley within Fforest Fawr Geopark and the wanting to pay homage – these are that in the same extent of country wider National Park has just been poignant sites more often than not set in comprises so much beautiful scenery and published by the Royal Air Force wild and beautiful country. In its 36 pages so many interesting features as the Vale of Association with assistance from the you’ll find detail which sheds a little more Neath.’ In June 1846 they walked to National Park Authority. light on these planes, their crew and their , Sgwd Gwladus, Sgwd fate - now written into the history of these Einion Gam and the Rocking Stone where Over the years, author Len Roberts, has hills. he found Tricius fasciatus (the Bee beetle) spent a considerable amount of time ‘one of the most beautiful British beetles.’ walking these hills to locate the sites and The money raised for the RAF Association build a photographic record of them. His by the sale of this booklet will go to their Our celebratory walk followed the Neath efforts then focussed on researching the Battle of Britain Wings Appeal to help Canal from Aberdulais. After visiting the stories of the aircraft and crews who flew and support those serving and former Waterfalls Centre at Pontneddfechan we them to commemorate those who died. members of the Royal Air Force. You can walked beside the rivers to Porth yr Ogof Accordingly, Len is delighted that this new purchase copies of the booklet from local and , where Wallace had spent version contains ten additional sites information centres and a variety of shops the night. He wrote ‘The next morning we across mid Wales. Sadly many airmen in the area. proceeded up the valley to the highest lost their lives in this area, not least farm on the Dringarth, then struck across the mountain to the road from Hirwaun to Brecon, which we followed to the bridge over the Taff and then turned off towards the Beacons, the weather being perfect … Putting us on the Map delightful walk, beetles very scarce.’ The An exhibition on ‘Mapping farm is now a ruin and the Ystradfellte ’ was staged through reservoir has since been constructed, but May, June and July at Brecknock we did our best to follow him over Fan Museum and Art Gallery. Curator Nigel Fawr, down to the Taff and up Pen y Fan, Blackamore said that ‘the maps really wondering what the tracks were like in his seem to have caught visitors’ attention – day. I’m very pleased with the response we’ve had.’ On Pen y Fan they ‘peeped with nervous dread over the almost perpendicular On display were everything from C16th precipice towards Brecon’ and then ‘lay on county maps by Morden and Speed to a the soft mountain turf beside the highest Red Army map of Brecon dating from the source of the Taff.’ They visited the ‘west Cold War! There was also a glimpse into the triangular summit’ () before future with yet-to-be-published Fforest Fawr returning to Ystradfellte for tea. Unlike Geopark geology maps on display in draft slips from the geological mapping of the Wallace, we completed our walk via form. Thanks must go to the British area and also to Brecon Library for the loan Cwm Llwch with its beautiful glacial lake. Geological Survey for loan of original field of a six inch map of the town from 1905. Read a fuller version of this text at www.fforestfawrgeopark.org.uk/ celebrating-wallace

Fforest Fawr Geopark news autumn 2010 Easier Access What is a to the Geopark Geopark? The National Park Authority has just A Geopark has a rich geological launched its latest version of a guide to heritage, a local community lovely places to visit within the National which values that heritage and a Park and Geopark which are easily strategy to make the most of it, accessible. Ideal for those who have for example through developing any mobility difficulties or young sustainable tourism. children in pushchairs - pick up your free copy at any of our visitor centres at Fforest Fawr met all those criteria in Llandovery, Pontneddfechan or Libanus. 2005 and so was accepted into both the European and Global Geoparks Networks five years ago. Tipple, tread and tour Comprising the western half of the Brecon Beacons National Park, it is one of two Fortified from a trip around the Whisky Another opportunity arose at the Storey Geoparks in Wales and one of eight in the UK. Distillery at Penderyn, visitors are now Arms, the popular starting point for walkers There are currently 37 Geoparks in Europe provided with some helpful orientation treading the path to Pen y Fan. Thanks to and numerous others across the world from to continue their exploration of the local the National Trust, owners of the Central China to Brazil. Fforest Fawr is truly world-class! area. The National Park Authority worked Beacons, the Authority has been able to with the Welsh Whisky Company to put in place a panel telling walkers about www.europeangeoparks.org install a new panel on the company’s the wider attractions and special features www.fforestfawrgeopark.org.uk land telling visitors about the natural in the area including the history of the wonders of nearby Waterfall Country former inn at this location. and the wider Fforest Fawr Geopark. Ruth Nicholson, Visitor Services Manager said Managing the “Our aim is to help visitors and residents to discover Geopark more about the The Geopark Management Group opportunities to enjoy the brings the various partner bodies area and increase together on a quarterly basis to discuss understanding of what matters of policy and development of makes the Geopark and the Geopark. Brecon Beacons so special. We are very It recently welcomed on board three new grateful to our partners for representatives. Punch Maughan of Brecon allowing us to help tell this Beacons Tourism, Julie Hurst of the story to those visiting their Association of Bunkhouse Operators and attractions”. Louise Austin of Dyfed Archaeological Trust. With their combined knowledge and enthusiasm they bring invaluable expertise and energy to the Group and will provide renewed impetus to the Geopark’s mission to use the area’s unsurpassed natural and Rocks Explorer cultural heritage to bring economic benefit to the area. Catch a child’s interest, tap into their Like others in CCW’s ‘Countryside Explorer’ natural curiosity about the world around series, ‘Rocks’ aims to entertain, engage them - this is the aim of the Countryside and educate. An “I-Spy” guide to the Council for Wales (CCW) in publishing rocks, minerals, fossils and other features ‘Rocks’ - a new 40 page introduction to of Wales’ geodiversity rewards the reader the earth sciences. with points for each item they can tick off. A number of fun – and sometimes messy! - activities are offered up - everything from making your own erupting volcano to baking a breccia biscuit cake. Something in there for any child - including those big kids amongst us! Collect enough points and you can send off for a free prize!

Countryside Explorer: Rocks is available

for free direct from CCW. Contact their Plas y Ffynnon, Cambrian Way, Brecon, LD3 7HP enquiry line on 0845 1306 229 for more Telephone: 01874 624437 Fax: 01874 622574 details. Email: [email protected] www.breconbeacons.org

Fforest Fawr Geopark news autumn 2010