Cribarth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cribarth |
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"Sleeping giant" profile of Cribarth viewed from the southwest
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 428 m (1,404 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Powys, Wales |
| Parent range | Brecon Beacons |
| OS grid | SN831143 |
Cribarth is a special hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Wales. People often call it the Sleeping Giant. This is because its shape looks like a giant person lying down when you see it from far away.
The highest point of Cribarth is 428 meters (about 1,404 feet) above sea level. It's a great place to explore and learn about nature and history.
What is Cribarth Made Of?
Cribarth is made from different types of rock. These rocks formed a very long time ago during the Carboniferous Period.
- Some parts are made of Carboniferous Limestone. This rock is often found in caves.
- Other parts are made of a type of sandstone called Twrch Sandstone.
The hill sits on a special geological feature. It's called the Cribarth Disturbance. This name comes from the way the rocks here have been pushed and folded. Imagine pushing a rug together, and it forms wrinkles. That's similar to how the rocks folded into an anticline (an upward fold).
You can see many interesting rock features on the hill. There are rocky cliffs and areas where the limestone forms broken patterns. You might also spot shakeholes. These are like small dips or holes in the ground. They form when water dissolves the limestone rock.
Students who study geology often visit Cribarth. It's a perfect outdoor classroom to learn about how the Earth's crust moves and changes.
Cribarth's Industrial Past
For a long time, people used Cribarth's rocks for different things. In the 1800s, many quarries were active on the hill. A quarry is a place where stone is dug out of the ground.
The limestone here was easy to break apart. This was because the rock layers were tightly folded and cracked. Workers would remove the rock and transport it using special tracks. These tracks were called tramroads.
- Several kilometers of old tramroads still wind around the hill.
- Two main inclines (sloping tracks) connected these high-up tracks. They led down to the old Swansea Canal in the Tawe valley.
- You can also see the remains of many lime kilns. These were ovens used to heat limestone. Heating limestone makes lime, which is used in building and farming.
Another material called Rottenstone was also dug up here. It was found to the north and west of Cribarth.
How to Visit Cribarth
Most of Cribarth is open land. This means walkers can explore it freely. It's a great place for a hike.
There are many public paths and trails. These paths start from nearby towns. Some of these towns are Abercraf, Ynyswen, and Pen-y-cae. They are located in the upper Swansea Valley.
A popular way to climb the hill starts near Craig-y-Nos Castle. This path is easy to follow. It offers great views of the surrounding area.
