Fan Hir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fan Hir
Fan Hir summit ridge
Highest point
Elevation	760 m (2,490 ft)
Prominence	43 m (141 ft)
Parent peak	Fan Brycheiniog
Listing	Hewitt, Nuttall
Naming
English translation	long beacon
Language of name	Welsh
Geography
Location	Powys, Wales
Parent range	Brecon Beacons
OS grid	SN825217

Fan Hir is a cool mountain peak in the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Wales. It's part of the Black Mountain range. This peak is like a smaller friend to a taller mountain called Fan Brycheiniog.

Fan Hir is located in Powys county and is also part of the Fforest Fawr area. Its name in Welsh means "long peak," which makes sense because it looks really long, especially from the east! This peak is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long. Its highest point is about 760 meters (2490 feet) above sea level.

Fan Hir is separated from its taller neighbor, Fan Brycheiniog, by a dip in the land called Bwlch Giedd. Here, a path with stone steps goes up from Llyn y Fan Fawr. Streams on the east and north sides of Fan Hir flow into the River Tawe.

How Fan Hir Was Formed

Fan Hir is made of special rocks called sandstones. These rocks are from the Brownstones Formation and the Plateau Beds Formation. They are part of the Old Red Sandstone and were formed a very long time ago during the Devonian period. The layers of rock here tilt downwards towards the south.

A cool feature of the hill is a smaller ridge called Fan Fechan, which runs next to the main ridge on the east. This smaller ridge is mostly made of broken Old Red Sandstone. Scientists think it might be a glacial moraine, which is a pile of rocks left behind by a glacier. Fan Hir is also part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark. This park was created in 2005 to celebrate the amazing geology of the area.

Ancient History and Discoveries

The steep edge of Fan Hir looks over a famous stone circle in Wales called Cerrig Duon. This name means "black stones." These stones are likely from the British Bronze Age, which was thousands of years ago. However, no one has ever dug them up scientifically to learn more.

Close to the stone circle, there is a large standing stone called Maen Mawr. There is also a small path made of stones. The standing stone is about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. You can see it from far away if you are driving on the road from Trecastle to Abercraf. The other stone monuments are also near the road, but you can't see them directly. You need to cross the River Tawe and climb a bank to get a good view. There's another standing stone a bit further north and east, also near the same small road.

Many other ancient remains can be found on the moorland around Fan Hir. These include hut circles, which were places where people built their homes. There are also traces of old farms, like lynchets, which are terraces created by ancient farming. The climate was much warmer back then, and the area had many trees. This shows that people could find wood nearby to build their homes and other structures.

Exploring Fan Hir

The entire area around Fan Hir is open country. This means walkers can explore almost anywhere they like! However, there are some peat bog areas off the main paths. These can be tricky to cross because they are very wet and soft.

The path along the main ridge of Fan Hir is very popular. It's often part of a longer walking route. The views from the edge of the mountain are amazing! You can see other famous peaks like Pen y Fan and Corn Du in the distance to the east. You can also spot Fan Gyhirych closer by in Fforest Fawr.

The Beacons Way is a long-distance walking path that goes right beneath Fan Hir on its eastern side. This path gives you a great close-up view of this impressive mountain. The path leads to a beautiful lake formed by glaciers, called Llyn y Fan Fawr. From there, it climbs up the mountain using a stone staircase. This staircase has a gentle slope, making the climb easier. The stone path also drains water well, so it usually stays dry. There are no scary steep drops right next to the path, making it a safe walk.