Y Garn Goch
Encyclopedia
Y Garn Goch, is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the east of Carmarthenshire
, Wales
. It lies near the village of Bethlehem
, three miles southwest of Llangadog
and four miles east of Llandeilo
on the southern side of the broad Towy Valley. It is also commonly known as either Garn Goch or Carn Goch. Current landowners are the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority.
(the Garn Goch Anticline) which runs through Y Garn Goch can be seen to fold these rocks. The sandstone
s and mudstone
s of the Abergwili and Llandeilo Flags Formations form the lower slopes of the hill to north and south. A fault runs northeast-southwest through the col
between the two tops and is considered a part of the Welsh Borderland Fault System
.
The lower ground is mantled by glacial till, a legacy of the last ice age when the valley was filled by the Towy Valley glacier. The hill lies within Fforest Fawr Geopark
designated in respect of the outstanding geological heritage of the region.
hill forts of Y Gaer Fawr, (the big fort) and Y Gaer Fach, (the little fort), together the largest in south Wales
. There is evidence on site of occupation possibly from Neolithic
times through to the Mediaeval period though not necessarily of a continuous nature. Bronze Age
burial mounds are a significant feature of the site.
runs west-east over the hill en route for the Black Mountain
and eventually Ysgyryd Fawr
near Abergavenny
.
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, 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 lies near the village of Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Carmarthenshire
Bethlehem is a tiny farming village in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying in the Tywi Valley northeast of Llandeilo and southwest of Llangadog but on the opposite side of the river from the busy London to Haverfordwest road, the A40....
, three miles southwest of Llangadog
Llangadog
Llangadog is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales, which includes the villages of Llangadog, Bethlehem and Capel Gwynfe. A notable local landscape feature is Y Garn Goch with two Iron Age hill forts....
and four miles east of Llandeilo
Llandeilo
Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th century stone bridge. Its population is 1,731.The town is served by Llandeilo railway station on the Heart of Wales Line.- Early history :...
on the southern side of the broad Towy Valley. It is also commonly known as either Garn Goch or Carn Goch. Current landowners are the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority.
Geology
Y Garn Goch is formed from the coarse sandstones of the Ffairfach Grit Formation of the early Ordovician period. A northeast-southwest oriented anticlineAnticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. The term is not to be confused with antiform, which is a purely descriptive term for any fold that is convex up. Therefore if age relationships In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is...
(the Garn Goch Anticline) which runs through Y Garn Goch can be seen to fold these rocks. The sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s and mudstone
Mudstone
Mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to 0.0625 mm with individual grains too small to be distinguished without a microscope. With increased pressure over time the platey clay minerals may become aligned, with the...
s of the Abergwili and Llandeilo Flags Formations form the lower slopes of the hill to north and south. A fault runs northeast-southwest through the col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
between the two tops and is considered a part of the Welsh Borderland Fault System
Welsh Borderland Fault System
The Welsh Borderland Fault System is a zone of faulting and associated folding which runs northeastwards through Wales from Pembrokeshire through Carmarthenshire and Powys into Shropshire in England...
.
The lower ground is mantled by glacial till, a legacy of the last ice age when the valley was filled by the Towy Valley glacier. The hill lies within Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark
Fforest Fawr Geopark was the first Geopark to be designated in Wales having gained membership of both the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO-assisted Global Network of National Geoparks in October 2005. The Geopark aims to promote and support sustainable tourism and other opportunities to...
designated in respect of the outstanding geological heritage of the region.
Archaeology
Y Garn Goch is notable for the two impressive Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill forts of Y Gaer Fawr, (the big fort) and Y Gaer Fach, (the little fort), together the largest in south Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. There is evidence on site of occupation possibly from Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times through to the Mediaeval period though not necessarily of a continuous nature. Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
burial mounds are a significant feature of the site.
Access
The entire hill is registered common land and hence freely available to walkers as access land. It is approached by minor cul-de-sac roads from east and west and a public footpath runs north-south across it. The Beacons Way which starts at the nearby village of BethlehemBethlehem, Carmarthenshire
Bethlehem is a tiny farming village in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying in the Tywi Valley northeast of Llandeilo and southwest of Llangadog but on the opposite side of the river from the busy London to Haverfordwest road, the A40....
runs west-east over the hill en route for the Black Mountain
Black Mountain (range)
The Black Mountain is a mountain range in Mid and West Wales, straddling the county boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys and forming the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its highest point is Fan Brycheiniog at 802 metres or 2,631 ft. The Black Mountain also forms a part...
and eventually Ysgyryd Fawr
Ysgyryd Fawr
Ysgyryd Fawr is the most easterly of the Black Mountains in Wales, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name is often anglicised to The Skirrid or Skirrid Fawr, and the mountain is also known as Holy Mountain or Sacred Hill. The spelling Skyrrid is also encountered in older literature...
near Abergavenny
Abergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
.