The town in the Brecon Beacons is tiny and well worth visiting.
You’ll eat well, meet kind people, and when the clouds drift away, you’ll see startling views.
We heard many remarks about the Brecon (Breck-In) Beacons before our trip: beautiful mountains, strenuous hiking, great place to stargaze.
We didn’t hear that the ratio of sheep to people is 30:1, but we saw all manner of sheep. Ovines range from white and wooly to newborn and black-faced. Sheep ate near the road or scattered far across the empty landscape. We marveled at what roundup time must be like.
Within the Park boundaries, there are five castles, three waterfalls and thirty standing stones.
Few cities and few roads dot the Park, but there are multiple trails encompassing a variety of fitness levels.
The Quaint Town of Brecon
We arrived in the Brecon Beacons around three o’clock in the afternoon. Our welcome check-in at the Flag & Castle Inn, from the sweet-mannered Lauren made us feel at home. The Inn is cozy, old, with foot-thick walls, and a perfect location over the bridge from the main part of town. We’d stay again anytime.
Having only one night here between Merthyr Tydfil (Murtha Tid-vale) and Saundersfoot, proved problematic as we discovered more and more that we wanted to explore. We walked The Promenade along the Usk River and took cloud-encased pictures of the hills across the way. We strolled around the former castle, now hotel, and wished we could pop in for a look around–but guests only.
On the grounds of the Brecon Cathedral, we drank refreshing lattes and nibbled pastries (a Welsh Cake and Bara Brith) at the Pilgrim’s Cafe, sitting outside and watching the restoration work on the church. Inside the Cathedral, we marveled at the number of tombs resting in the church floor, many inscriptions lost under the tread of too many feet. The National Churches Trust site, states that the term “stinkin’ rich” comes from the wealthy being buried inside the churches and the accompanying smell of decay.
The Brecon Beacons Park
Within the park are five notable peaks with wonderful names such as (east to west): Waun Rydd, Pen Y Fan, Fan Fawr, Fan Gyhirych, and Cribarth. Pen Y Fan, which was visible for us from a few angles, is the highest peak in South Wales at 2,907 feet above sea level. If you plan a hike here, be prepared, the weather makes frequent changes.
The staff members (two young fellows) we interacted with at the Brecon Tourist Information Centre were informational and helpful. They even assisted us with bus information to connect us to the train station in Swansea.
There are no trains within the Park boundaries, but buses are plentiful. Ride once and your admiration for the skill of drivers will be a lifetime memory!
Brecon should be repeated and lingered upon. Thoroughly route your hike, ensure you have appropriate all-weather gear and hit the trails. We’ll hope you have a cloudless day so those peaks are viewable from all angles!
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Read: Exploring South Wales
Thx for this introduction to Brecon! I’d never heard of it before, but it does look like it’s filled with intrigue and history.
Brecon was a lovely town, Doreen. And I’m totally sure there was a chocolate shop there. 🙂
I never heard of Brecon Beacons. It looks beautiful, though, especially The Military Chapel. Glad you had a great time. Thanks for sharing, Rose Mary!
Sabrina, as often happens with me, I’m not sure how Brecon crossed my path as we were planning this trip. Since Jackie lives in a state with BIG mountains (MT), we thought it would be great to see Brecon. It was well worth the journey. We even liked the very long bus ride from Brecon to Swansea because we got to see so much of the park along the way!
The Brecon Beacons had not been on our Wales agenda for our visit last fall until we stayed with friends in Hampshire before heading to Wales. They recommended it and we changed our loose itinerary. We’re glad we did. We loved the area. We stayed in a small village outside of Brecon and actually did not explore the town much at all. But I can also vouch for the helpfulness of the people at the Tourist Information Centre.
I’m glad your friends suggested the side trip, Donna. It is a lovely area and I’m looking forward to going back. Isn’t it great to have such helpful folks at the Tourist places? They were a treat. I was happy to post a review on TripAdvisor about them, but felt badly that I didn’t have their names.
Hi Rose. You know you’ve hit on a gem of a place when you feel you haven’t had enough time to fully explore it. Love your photos! Looking forward to your next post on Wales.
You’re right, Doreen. Jackie could have gotten sick of me saying, “I love it here,” except that when I wasn’t saying it, she was.
You can add any of my photos that you like! Yes, would like to spend more time there!
We will get back there…and keep conquering the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Seester!
Hello Rose,
The photos say a lot about this place. I love cloudy days and thus I found the photos very soothing. Brecon seems to be an ideal place to spend a few relaxing days.
Soothing is a good word to describe the Brecons, Tuhin. I hope to get back and spend more time there.
Brecon sounds like a great spot with much to see. I was just sorting through my Germany pics this morning and thinking about how fun it is to explore castles.
You’re right, Jeri, Germany has great castles to explore. It’s reason enough to go back there!
Hi Rose, well you taught me something new. I had no idea where the term stinkng rich came from. Can’t even imagine what the churches used to smell like. Yuck.
I’m figuring that’s why so much incense was used in the churches, Susan. What do you think?
Sounds like a pretty relaxing and peaceful place to visit. I guess you could of used a oouple more days..
A week is more like it, Ken. I think it’s a place where I would like a guided hike. Very desolate and empty. Except for all those crazy sheep!
Wow! I’ve not heard of Brecon Beacons but I surely appreciate the tour. What charm! And it’s beautiful!
Definitely not a place for high heels, Jacquie! 🙂
Have it on my bucket list! Thanks for the mini vacation.
Definitely worth a long stay, Joy.