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The Welsh Whisky Company’s blends of world class whisky Penderyn Distillery, the only and spirits. distillery in , is situated The steep-sided alluvial chan- in Geopark with- nel was probably eroded by a ACTIVITIES in the picturesque sub-glacial stream flowing at Beacons National Park. The the base of a glacier during distillery provides employ- the last Ice Age. The channel ment and, through its sediments consist of soil and Exhibition Centre with more gravel (3m), gravel and clay

PARKS than 20,000 visitors annually, with water (6m), sand gravel it contributes significantly to and silt (19m) clay and gravel tourism activities in Fforest (7m ) and limestone frag- Fawr Geopark. ments and sand with water which line the base (1m) and

european GEO walls of the channel. Partnership Groundwater is pumped from sediments below the water between Fforest table at a depth of approxi- provides localised recharge to Water seepage mately 15m below surface. the ground and surface through waters. The results of the a vertical Fawr Geopark and The 19m thick sand gravel joint in the and silt layer, probably the research project show that, main component of the based on calculations from a Limestone aquifer, stores and transmits well pumping test, the benefits a local water fast enough to supply groundwater flow rate of the pumping well. 166,400m3/day, 60, 745,000 The groundwater at Penderyn m3/year through the alluvium business Distillery has two potential channel aquifer is sufficient renewable sources of to sustain the distillery’s In July 2013 the distillery recharge. These are primary increased use of water doubled its use of water by water flow to the alluvial through expanding produc- adding a second still. To channel through bedding tion. ensure that the increased planes, joint planes and Penderyn Distillery has an extraction of water is sustain- features in the Carboniferous informative exhibition centre able, the distillery requested Limestone bedrock. Further which, with at least 20,000 a geo-environmental investi- study is required to assess visitors annually, contributes gation of the surrounding the groundwater contribution significantly to tourism activi- area which was undertaken of a karstic component. ties in Fforest Fawr Geopark. as a research project by Primary flow through the Through its Icons of Wales Cardiff University with sup- bedrock occurs through verti- Series consisting of individual port and participation by cal fractures and along malt whiskys each one cele- Fforest Fawr Geopark. inclined bedding planes. Field brating a person, milestone The distillery is sited on a nar- observations suggest that or event from Welsh history row, alluvium filled, approxi- recharge through the bedrock with international significance mately 40m deep steep-sided to the alluvium aquifer is min- the Distillery promotes Wales channel incised into the imal. It has been established through its world class prod- that the groundwater is ucts. Geology of the floor of a glacial valley. The recharged primarily through David Hull Penderyn area distillery draws groundwater surface waters percolating [email protected] and the alluvium from a 39m deep well drilled into the groundwater along Tony Ramsay aquifer into the alluvium to create is the length of the alluvium [email protected] Tim Jones channel associated with the [email protected] Nant Cadlan stream. Rainfall Peter Brabham in the 12km2 catchment area [email protected] The sediment sequence in Penderyn Distillery borehole

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