Garn Goch © Crown Copyright: RCAHMW. Copyright: Crown © Goch Garn Dipper Sundew Dipper Cup Elf Scarlet P204838 British Geological Survey. © NERC 2010. NERC © Survey. Geological British P204838 Philip Veale, Nigel Forster, Nick Jenkins. Nick Forster, Nigel Veale, Philip © Laurie Campbell Laurie © Photographs © BBNPA, Nick Turner, Gareth Ellis, Ellis, Gareth Turner, Nick BBNPA, © Photographs expanded with a growing population. growing a with expanded are evidence of flourishing agricultural activity. Towns and villages and Towns activity. agricultural flourishing of evidence are E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: bounded by dry stone walls and pillow mounds for breeding rabbits breeding for mounds pillow and walls stone dry by bounded Brecon. LD3 7HP. Tel: 01874 624437 01874 Tel: 7HP. LD3 Brecon. witness to industrial activity on a large scale. Hill farms, fields farms, Hill scale. large a on activity industrial to witness Plas y Ffynnon, Cambrian Way, Cambrian Ffynnon, y Plas tramways and railways for transporting these resources, bears resources, these transporting for railways and tramways Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Park National Beacons Brecon For more information contact the Geopark Development Officer at: Officer Development Geopark the contact information more For presence of quarries, mines and limekilns together with canals, with together limekilns and mines quarries, of presence • www.visitbreconbeacons.com • silica rock, rottenstone and limestone found in the Geopark. The Geopark. the in found limestone and rottenstone rock, silica • www.globalgeopark.org • coming of the Industrial Revolution led man to exploit the coal, the exploit to man led Revolution Industrial the of coming • www.europeangeoparks.org www.europeangeoparks.org • Iron Age hill forts and from Roman roads to Norman castles. The castles. Norman to roads Roman from and forts hill Age Iron • www.fforestfawrgeopark.org.uk • Spectacular Caves, Glorious Wildlife...) Glorious Caves, Spectacular foundation for the landscape in all its diversity. its all in landscape the for foundation Visit these web sites: sites: web these Visit - from the mysterious standing stones of our distant ancestors to ancestors distant our of stones standing mysterious the from - (Enjoy Magnificent Mountains, Wonderful Waterfalls, Waterfalls, Wonderful Mountains, Magnificent (Enjoy are also a part of the Geopark story. However, geology remains the remains geology However, story. Geopark the of part a also are the foot of the Black Mountain. Tel: 01269 823400 01269 Tel: Mountain. Black the of foot the People have been making use of rocks here for thousands of years of thousands for here rocks of use making been have People provided by watersides and woodland, moorland, scree and crag and scree moorland, woodland, and watersides by provided , Brynaman - café and community centre at centre community and café - Brynaman , Centre Mountain Black • Bywyd Gwyllt Gogoneddus… Gwyllt Bywyd & café set in the Cwm Taf woodlands. Tel: 0300 068 0300 068 0300 Tel: woodlands. Taf Cwm the in set café & years. The plants and animals occupying the diverse habitats diverse the occupying animals and plants The years. The Geopark is also about people and their stories. stories. their and people about also is Geopark The – Forestry Commission Wales’ visitor centre visitor Wales’ Commission Forestry – Centre Visitor Garwnant • Rhaeadrau Rhyfeddol, Ogofau Gwych, Gwych, Ogofau Rhyfeddol, Rhaeadrau lived alongside each other in the Geopark for more than 7,000 than more for Geopark the in other each alongside lived Swansea Valley. Swansea integral part of the Geopark’s landscape. Man and wildlife have wildlife and Man landscape. Geopark’s the of part integral and riverside walks in historic landscaped grounds in the upper the in grounds landscaped historic in walks riverside and Mwynhewch Fynyddoedd Godidog, Godidog, Fynyddoedd Mwynhewch It’s more than just rocks! just than more It’s The archaeological, industrial and agricultural monuments are an are monuments agricultural and industrial archaeological, The - enjoy 40 acres of woodland, meadows woodland, of acres 40 enjoy - Park Country Craig-y-nos • Geopark and are worth a visit in their own right: own their in visit a worth are and Geopark The following locations can also provide some information about the about information some provide also can locations following The Quarrying silica sand at Pwll Byfre in 1929 Garn Goch - Iron Age hill-fort Maen Llia - ancient standing stone Rock detectives Rock stone standing ancient - Llia Maen hill-fort Age Iron - Goch Garn 1929 in Byfre Pwll at sand silica Quarrying to stay and what to do in the Geopark. Tel: 01550 720693. 01550 Tel: Geopark. the in do to what and stay to This welcoming centre has all the information you need about where about need you information the all has centre welcoming This © Crown Copyright: RCAHMW Copyright: Crown © Llandovery Information Centre Information Llandovery Tel: 01874 623366 or e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] e-mail: or 623366 01874 Tel: enjoy the fantastic views and popular tea rooms. rooms. tea popular and views fantastic the enjoy Displays and friendly staff will help you explore the area, or relax and relax or area, the explore you help will staff friendly and Displays The National Park Visitor Centre, Libanus Libanus Centre, Visitor Park National The introduction to the area. Tel: 01639 721795. 01639 Tel: area. the to introduction Waterfalls area. With its Geopark exhibition this centre is your best your is centre this exhibition Geopark its With area. Waterfalls Located at the head of the Vale of Neath and gateway to the to gateway and Neath of Vale the of head the at Located The Waterfalls Centre, Pontneddfechan Centre, Waterfalls The National Park. For more information visit one of these centres: these of one visit information more For Park. National Fforest Fawr Geopark is set within the Brecon Beacons Beacons Brecon the within set is Geopark Fawr Fforest Find out more out Find What is a Geopark? Your visit What’s the story? You can enjoy the Geopark in many different ways The rocks and landscapes of Fforest Fawr Geopark record significant events in the Each one of the growing international family of – on foot or by bike, in spring, summer, autumn or Earth’s history and help us to understand the geological evolution of Wales, the Geoparks is an area with an important and often winter. Remember - much of Fforest Fawr is hill British Isles and Europe. Here you will find evidence of ancient seas which came extraordinary geological heritage. Geoparks are country - whatever time of year you visit, go and went, and of mountains that were raised up as continents collided. not just about rocks, however, they are also about prepared for changeable weather. Take care on people. Fascinating human stories emerge from wet and slippery ground beside rivers which can Limekilns, Henllys Vale Climate change is a constant theme, most run cold and deep. their unique landscapes. Geoparks celebrate dramatically recorded in the legacy of ice sheets local legends and culture, archaeology and our What are Geoparks for ? Waterfalls Centre and glaciers which shaped this landscape in the wider relationship with the land. They are also first- last two million years. Some of the great names of class outdoor classrooms and places for scientific Each of Europe’s Geoparks is a protected landscape. 19th Century science, such as Sir Roderick Impey Fforest Fawr Geopark seeks to: study. Fforest Fawr Geopark became a member Murchison, spent time here. They mapped the • promote local attractions to a wider audience rocks and pioneered new ideas in the study of of the European Geoparks Network and the and plays an active role in the economy of the geology. The names they derived from working in UNESCO Global Network in 2005. area through the development of geotourism. this area are now in use worldwide to define • work with local communities to help visitors and intervals of geological time. The mineral riches of residents appreciate its diverse qualities and the Geopark area played a vital role in the understand the need for its conservation. Be safe! – take a look at Industrial Revolution in South Wales, a region whose • conserve and enhance the geology, www.fforestfawrgeopark.org.uk/enjoying/be-safe Where is Fforest Fawr? manufacturing output led the world. geomorphology and landscape of the area. The area is well served by public paths and access Fan Hir The extraordinary The Geopark covers the western half of Brecon • develop the area’s potential as a superb outdoor land. The Geopark is here to be enjoyed but classroom and as a place for learning and story of Wales’ 19th Beacons National Park – some 763 square please treat these hills with respect and follow the research in the Earth Sciences. and 20th Century kilometres (300 square miles) in all. It takes its Countryside Code. • contribute to the development of the European industrial name from the upland area at its core which has Visit www.ccw.gov.uk for more information about and Global Geoparks Networks through working development is been known for centuries as Fforest Fawr - the with other Geoparks. access to the Welsh countryside. celebrated only a ‘Great Forest’. This is not in fact a large area few miles away at covered in trees but an extensive tract of Guided walk on Cribarth Pen y Fan BGS©NERC, Graham Bell Carreg Cennen Castle Blaenavon moorland which was once a royal hunting ground. Industrial You will, however, find plenty of attractive Landscape World GeoMôn – Anglesey’s Geopark woodland in the valleys of the Geopark which Fforest Fawr is now one of two Welsh Geoparks since Heritage Site – surround the uplands of Fforest Fawr, the Black Anglesey joined the European Geoparks Network in 2009. another UNESCO A walk around the island's coastal path reveals its amazing Mountain and the central Brecon Beacons. protected area.