| Issue 31 | |
November 2005 |
   |
|
Brecon is an unpretentious market town situated in the valley of the river Usk on the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. While it does possess a few modest tourist attractions in its own right, its appeal to a lover of the great outdoors is its proximity to the highest and most spectacular mountains in the national park. On a clear day the elegantly sculptured peaks of Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du can be seen on the skyline, inviting the walker to seek out one of the many possible routes to the top.
One word of caution: the mountains can look deceptively benign when viewed from Brecon. While they present a generally rounded aspect it should be bourne in mind that they do rise to a height of 886m (2907'). It follows that the weather can be very different on the mountain to that in the valley below, as we found one Saturday in late October.
We had driven along narrow lanes to the popular National Trust car park at Cwm Gwdi. Here at 300m the weather was a little harsher than down in the valley bottom, with the occasional gust of wind strong enough to make it difficult to keep a cap on. We began the ascent on the well worn path up the valley side towards the ridge of Cefn Cwm Llwch, hoping that the low cloud on the top would lift before we got there. We were in the company of many other walkers, with some fairly large parties, some including quite small children.
Unfortunately the cloud base stayed where it was and worse still by the time we reached it the one-time blustery wind had changed into one of gale force proportions, making it difficult to make headway, or even to stand up. We persevered for a while before deciding discretion was the better part of valour and reluctantly aborting the mission. It was no surprise to see several of the other groups of walkers, particularly those with children, had done the same thing. It's always disappointing to turn back before reaching the top, and because of the low cloud we couldn't tell how near to our objective we had reached, but we were sure we had made the right decision, and at least we could sit in the shelter of the car and eat our sandwiches.
The Brecknock Museum. A modest local museum hiding behind a grand facade.
The cathedral and heritage centre. The one-time Benedictine Priory became a cathedral in 1923.
Military museum. Brecon has long been a garrison town. The museum of the South Wales Borderers depicts its 300 year history.
The canal - boat trips are available in summer on the Monmouth and Brecon Canal.
Llangorse Lake. Many water sports are available on this lake, 4 miles from the hostel.
Brecon Youth Hostel, originally known as Ty'n-y-Caeau, lies two miles to the east of the town. It would once have been in a very tranquil rural setting and while still surrounded by fields, the nearby A470 road, part of the Brecon bypass, now detracts slightly from the peace and quiet. But one of the joys of this Victorian country house still remains, its wonderful view of the mountains.
The hostel is approached along the narrow byway that runs alongside the A470. There is parking available at the rear of the building. There is a traditional youth hostel layout to the building with separate lounge, dining room and self-catering kitchen. The lounge is somewhat eccentrically decorated with a large collection of old radios while the dining room takes for its theme the Brecon Jazz Festival, a longstanding event in the town, held annually in August.
Public Transport
Approaching from the north the nearest rail station is Abergavenny. From here there is a bus service to Brecon ( in 2005 service X43 every 2 hours Mon - Sat, journey time 50 mins, operator Sixty Sixty Coaches).
From the south there is a bus running directly from Cardiff to Brecon ( the X43 as above, journey time 1 hr 40 mins).
There is no bus direct to the hostel and it is necessary to walk or take a taxi from the town. The best walking route is probably along the canal to the B4558, then on the road through Groesffordd.
Text: David Pearson; Photos: Rita Pearson