Ysgyryd Fawr
Encyclopedia
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. The lower hill of Ysgyryd Fach
or 'Little Skirrid' (270m) lies about 4.5 km / 2.5 mi to the south.
It is 486 m high and lies just outside Abergavenny
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/84047, Monmouthshire
, about 10 miles from the English
border. The Beacons Way passes along the ridge .
landslips . The upper slopes of the hill are composed of Devonian
age sandstone
s assigned to the Brownstones Formation. These overlie weaker mudstone
s of the St Maughans Formation - a situation which has contributed to the instability of the hill's steep flanks.
attached to the mountain , including a distinctive stone known as the Devil's Table. According to legend, part of the mountain is said to have been broken off at the moment of the crucifixion
of Jesus
. There was a local tradition that earth from the Skirrid was holy and especially fertile, and it was taken away to be scattered on fields elsewhere, on coffins, and in the foundations of churches. Pilgrimages were made, especially on Michaelmas
Eve, to the summit.
hill fort
and a mediæval Roman Catholic church
, dedicated to St. Michael, lie at the summit. Rudolf Hess
used to walk here when he was held prisoner at nearby Maindiff Court during the early 1940s.
This mountain site "..a stark barren monolith.." is also mentioned in the recent book by Pete "Snapper" Winner, Soldier 'I' - The Story of an SAS Hero as part of Sickener 2, his Selection for the SAS.
since 1939. The summit http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3193 offers views http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/42352 is easily accessed on foot from the car park beside the B4521 Ross Road shown on the Ordnance Survey
maps. The ascent is steep initially but gradual thereafter; allow two hours for the completion and return. A rough path follows the perimeter of the hill at a lower level.
Black Mountains, Wales
The Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, and extending across the national border into Herefordshire, England. They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons National Park, and are frequently...
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...
, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name is often anglicised
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
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. The lower hill of Ysgyryd Fach
Ysgyryd Fach
Ysgyryd Fach is a hill one mile east of Abergavenny in the county of Monmouthshire, south Wales. It is often referred to in English as 'Little Skirrid' or sometimes as 'Skirrid Fach'. Its summit height is just over 270m. A conifer plantation extends over much of the hill including its summit thus...
or 'Little Skirrid' (270m) lies about 4.5 km / 2.5 mi to the south.
It is 486 m high and lies just outside 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...
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/84047, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, about 10 miles from the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
border. The Beacons Way passes along the ridge .
Geology
Its distinctive shape comprises a long ridge oriented nearly north–south, with a jagged western side resulting from ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
landslips . The upper slopes of the hill are composed of Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
age 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 assigned to the Brownstones Formation. These overlie weaker 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 St Maughans Formation - a situation which has contributed to the instability of the hill's steep flanks.
Cultural Associations
Ysgyryd is a word describing the hill's shape, signifying that which has shivered or been shattered http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/338572. There is a rich mythologyWelsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
attached to the mountain , including a distinctive stone known as the Devil's Table. According to legend, part of the mountain is said to have been broken off at the moment of the crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. There was a local tradition that earth from the Skirrid was holy and especially fertile, and it was taken away to be scattered on fields elsewhere, on coffins, and in the foundations of churches. Pilgrimages were made, especially on Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
Eve, to the summit.
History
The ruins of an 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 fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
and a mediæval Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, dedicated to St. Michael, lie at the summit. Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
used to walk here when he was held prisoner at nearby Maindiff Court during the early 1940s.
This mountain site "..a stark barren monolith.." is also mentioned in the recent book by Pete "Snapper" Winner, Soldier 'I' - The Story of an SAS Hero as part of Sickener 2, his Selection for the SAS.
Ownership and access
Ysgyryd Fawr has belonged to the National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
since 1939. The summit http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3193 offers views http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/42352 is easily accessed on foot from the car park beside the B4521 Ross Road shown on the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps. The ascent is steep initially but gradual thereafter; allow two hours for the completion and return. A rough path follows the perimeter of the hill at a lower level.
External links
- Ysgyryd Fawr is at coordinates 51.858386°N 2.970816°W
- images of Ysgyryd Fawr and surrounding area on Geograph website