On a weekend when many of the group’s regular walkers were away in Ceredigion tramping the coastal path and after what had been a disappointing weather forecast just two walkers turned up to join Robin and his spaniel Pepper for a walk in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Beginning in overcast conditions they set off from the village church in Llangorse, the anglicised version of Llangors which literally means the church of the marsh or bog. Tramping east, then south they passed through a couple of fields and a rather muddy overgrown track which was doing its utmost to resemble a stream to emerge in a field at the base of Mynydd Llangorse which stands on the western fringe of the Black Mountains. They stopped for morning coffee fairly near to the zip wires at the Outdoor Centre at Gilfach which did not tempt them to join in the slightest!
Continuing through woodland around the base of Mynydd Llangorse they eventually began the gradual climb on lovely grassy paths to the point where the long distance Beacon’s Way crosses over the mountain from the direction of Bwlch. Continuing along the ridgeway they reached the trig point which stands at 515 metres and could see a large grass fire had claimed a lot of the mountain top but the path remained untouched.
The hill is crossed by bridleways, green lanes and restricted byways giving access not only to walkers but horse riders and mountain bikers and contains a number of chambered burial cairns dating from the Neolithic era the largest of which lies just north of the road in the valley at the base of Mynydd Troed. Reaching the northwest end of the ridge they found a place out of the breeze and stopped for a pleasant lunch overlooking the small village of Pengenffordd.
Descending from Mynydd Llangorse they reached the valley floor before gazing up at Mynydd Troed where the trig point stands at 609 metres and having crossed the road began the long haul up the southwest face of the mountain which was the hardest part of the walk.
Having reached the top there was time to stop and catch their breath whilst gazing at the splendid views of the surrounding countryside especially across Llangorse Lake. Known in Welsh as Llyn Syfaddan, it lies 505 feet above sea level with a circumference of five miles and one mile in length covering in total 327-acres. Surrounded by reed beds and rich grassland with mostly willow and alder woodland it is the second largest natural lake in Wales and was created by the movement of a glacier which scooped out the bowl in which the lake sits.
At the time of Prehistoric Man the land was covered by dense woodland, but there is no doubt that in the clearing where the lake stands settlements began because of the two things that sustain life, food and water as the lake was always inhabited by a huge variety of fish and no doubt wildfowl.
In the 12th century Giraldus Cambrensis, or Gerald of Wales commented that Llangorse Lake which he called Brecknock Mere ‘was a broad expanse of water that supplies pike, perch, excellent trout, tench and mud loving eels for the local inhabitants.’
Legend states that a city lies beneath the water of the lake and in 1925 a well preserved dug-out canoe dating back to 800AD was found and is now on show at Brecon Museum.
Water drains into the lake from several sources, the main one being the Cui River which runs through Llangorse village and the main river leaving the lake is the Llynfi which passes the sailing club and runs around four miles to Talgarth on it journey to join the River Wye above Glasbury.
In 1868 an Iron Age crannog was discovered on a small man-made island by the north shore called Bwlc Island that would have supported several buildings or shelters. The island was possibly built between 889 and 893 by piling stones and earth onto brushwood and reeds that were layered with sand and peat and then an oak palisade was placed around the edge with a stone causeway leading to the shoreline.
Having drunk in their fill of the magnificent views the trio descended back to Llangorse village via paths, tracks, lanes and roads and despite the poor weather forecast only a few spots of rain fell.
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