Tor y Foel
Encyclopedia
Tor y Foel is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys
in Wales
. It is located on the eastern flank of Talybont Reservoir
, and the summit at 551m is marked by a small cairn. It gives excellent panoramic views over the valley of the River Usk
, across to the Black Mountains
and west to the Brecon Beacons
.
laid down during the lower Devonian period. Where they are exposed these rocks are seen to dip gently southeastwards. Small diggings near the top of the hill may have been for stone suitable for use as roof tiles.
and therefore available for walkers to roam at will. A minor public road from Talybont-on-Usk
skirts the western side of the hill and a bridleway from Llangynidr
gives access to the eastern corner of the hill.
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...
in 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 located on the eastern flank of Talybont Reservoir
Talybont Reservoir
The Talybont Reservoir is the largest stillwater reservoir in the central Brecon Beacons at .-References:*- External links :*...
, and the summit at 551m is marked by a small cairn. It gives excellent panoramic views over 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...
, across to the Black Mountains
Black Mountains
There are several mountain ranges named the Black Mountains:* Black Mountains * Black Mountains * Black Mountains * Black Mountains * Black Mountains * Black Mountains...
and west to the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
.
Geology
The hill is formed entirely from sandstones and mudstones of the Brownstones 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 lower Devonian period. Where they are exposed these rocks are seen to dip gently southeastwards. Small diggings near the top of the hill may have been for stone suitable for use as roof tiles.
Access
The upper reaches of the hill are mapped as open countryOpen 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...
and therefore available for walkers to roam at will. A minor public road from Talybont-on-Usk
Talybont-on-Usk
Talybont-on-Usk is a village and community in Powys, Wales. It lies on both the River Usk and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, and in 2003 won the title of 'Powys Village of the Year'...
skirts the western side of the hill and a bridleway from Llangynidr
Llangynidr
Llangynidr is a village in Powys, Wales, about west of Crickhowell and south-east of Brecon. The River Usk flows through the village as does the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal on which there are four locks....
gives access to the eastern corner of the hill.