Mynydd Epynt
Encyclopedia
Mynydd Epynt is an upland area of Mid Wales
within the county of Powys
, Wales
. It is bounded to the south by the upper section of the valley of the River Usk
, to the north by that of the Afon Irfon
and to the east by the valley of the River Wye
. Its western boundary is less distinct but lies eastward of the A483 Llandovery
to Llanwrtyd Wells
road. Its character is that of an extensive though dissected moorland plateau lying between 400 and 450m above sea level and whose highest point of 478m (1,568 ft)is reached at an un-named rise at OS grid ref SN 961464.
The south-western part of Mynydd Epynt is known as Mynydd Bwlch-y-groes. The area is drained by several southward-flowing rivers which empty into the River Usk
. These include (from west to east) the Cilieni, Nant Bran
, Afon Ysgir
(with its two headwaters the Ysgir Fechan and Ysgir Fawr) and Afon Honddu
. The Duhonw drains north-eastward into the River Wye
.
The Welsh language
name means 'mountain (crossed by a) horse-path'. It is often mis-spelt as Mynydd Eppynt. In earlier times it was known simply as 'Epynt' and is commonly referred to today as 'Yr Epynt (The Epynt)'.
laid down during the latest part of the Silurian period and the succeeding Devonian period though there is little in the way of rock exposures at the surface. The northern and western escarpment of Mynydd Epynt is formed from a suite of rocks assigned to the Ludlow stage of the late Silurian and which include the Temeside Mudstone, the Tilestones, the Cae'r Mynach, Fibua, Aberedw, Cwm Craig Ddu and Irfon Formations. These consist variously of sandstones, mudstones and siltstones.
There is a broken spread of glacial till across the area resulting from its inundation by ice from the mid Wales ice sheet to the north during the ice ages and hill peat
has accumulated in some areas in post-glacial times.
acquired several thousand acres of Mynydd Epynt in 1939. This now forms the core of the Sennybridge Training Area (SENTA)
. Unsurprisingly this move was a controversial one, not least for those people who were required to vacate their land. The decision to set up military drills here resulted in the border of Welsh-speaking Wales being effectively shifted approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west
as a military training area and artillery range. There is therefore little access across this land. Outlying areas are mapped as Open Country
or open access land and therefore available to hill-walkers to wander at will. The MOD have however established a trail, the Epynt Way
, around the perimeter of the range which caters for walkers, horse riders and mountain-bikers. A visitor centre has been established by Defence Estates
at Disgwylfa, north of Upper Chapel beside the B4519 road from Brecon
to Garth.
Originally established as an interpretive facility in the 1990s, this one-time farmhouse has been refurbished and re-opened in 2009 as 'Canolfan Epynt' (the 'Epynt Centre').
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
within the county of Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is bounded to the south by the upper section of the valley of the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
, to the north by that of the Afon Irfon
Afon Irfon
Afon Irfon is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Brecknock, Powys, Wales....
and to the east by the valley of the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
. Its western boundary is less distinct but lies eastward of the A483 Llandovery
Llandovery
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...
to Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells is a small town in the parish of Llanwrtyd in Powys, mid Wales, lying on the River Irfon.With a population of 601 people , it claims to be the smallest town in Britain, although Fordwich in Kent has a smaller population...
road. Its character is that of an extensive though dissected moorland plateau lying between 400 and 450m above sea level and whose highest point of 478m (1,568 ft)is reached at an un-named rise at OS grid ref SN 961464.
The south-western part of Mynydd Epynt is known as Mynydd Bwlch-y-groes. The area is drained by several southward-flowing rivers which empty into the River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
. These include (from west to east) the Cilieni, Nant Bran
Nant Bran
*Not to be confused with the Afon Brân in Carmarthenshire.The Nant Brân is a short river which rises on the southern slopes of Mynydd Epynt in Powys, Wales. The word 'brân' means 'crow' in Welsh: the name may therefore allude to the dark colour of its waters.Its upper reaches are within the...
, Afon Ysgir
Afon Ysgir
The Afon Ysgir is a short river which rises on the southern slopes of Mynydd Epynt in Powys, Wales. The tributaries known as Ysgir Fawr and Ysgir Fechan flow past the hamlets of Pont Rhyd-y-berry and Merthyr Cynog to combine at Pont-faen and continue past the village of Battle to join the River Usk...
(with its two headwaters the Ysgir Fechan and Ysgir Fawr) and Afon Honddu
Afon Honddu (Powys)
The Afon Honddu is a river in the county of Powys, mid Wales.It rises on Mynydd Epynt and flows southwards to join the River Usk at Brecon . The river has no major tributaries but acquires numerous streams during its 11-mile course. The valley of the Honddu is followed by the B4520 road which runs...
. The Duhonw drains north-eastward into the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
.
The Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
name means 'mountain (crossed by a) horse-path'. It is often mis-spelt as Mynydd Eppynt. In earlier times it was known simply as 'Epynt' and is commonly referred to today as 'Yr Epynt (The Epynt)'.
Geology
Mynydd Epynt is largely formed from the Raglan Mudstone Formation and the St Maughans Formation of the Old Red SandstoneOld Red Sandstone
The Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
laid down during the latest part of the Silurian period and the succeeding Devonian period though there is little in the way of rock exposures at the surface. The northern and western escarpment of Mynydd Epynt is formed from a suite of rocks assigned to the Ludlow stage of the late Silurian and which include the Temeside Mudstone, the Tilestones, the Cae'r Mynach, Fibua, Aberedw, Cwm Craig Ddu and Irfon Formations. These consist variously of sandstones, mudstones and siltstones.
There is a broken spread of glacial till across the area resulting from its inundation by ice from the mid Wales ice sheet to the north during the ice ages and hill peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
has accumulated in some areas in post-glacial times.
Military Presence
The Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
acquired several thousand acres of Mynydd Epynt in 1939. This now forms the core of the Sennybridge Training Area (SENTA)
Sennybridge Training Area (SENTA)
The Sennybridge Training Area consists of approximately 31,000 acres of Ministry of Defence freehold land and 6,000 acres of land leased from Forest Enterprise....
. Unsurprisingly this move was a controversial one, not least for those people who were required to vacate their land. The decision to set up military drills here resulted in the border of Welsh-speaking Wales being effectively shifted approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west
Access
The core area of Mynydd Epynt is used by the MODMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
as a military training area and artillery range. There is therefore little access across this land. Outlying areas are mapped as Open Country
Open Country
Open Country is a designation used for some UK access land.It was first defined under the 1949 National Parks Act , and was land over which an appropriate access agreement had been made...
or open access land and therefore available to hill-walkers to wander at will. The MOD have however established a trail, the Epynt Way
Epynt Way
The Epynt Way is a long-distance path created by the Ministry of Defence in 2004 around the perimeter of its 'Sennybridge Training Area ' and artillery range on Mynydd Epynt in Powys, Wales. There is, understandably, virtually no public access across the land used by the MoD, pre-existing public...
, around the perimeter of the range which caters for walkers, horse riders and mountain-bikers. A visitor centre has been established by Defence Estates
Defence Estates
Defence Infrastructure Organisation is an operating arm of the Ministry of Defence , in the United Kingdom, which is responsible for the built and rural estate. The organisation formed on 1 April 2011 after a reorganisation of the Ministry of Defence's bodies in charge of infrastructure. It...
at Disgwylfa, north of Upper Chapel beside the B4519 road from Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
to Garth.
Originally established as an interpretive facility in the 1990s, this one-time farmhouse has been refurbished and re-opened in 2009 as 'Canolfan Epynt' (the 'Epynt Centre').