Gaer (Black Mountains) facts for kids
Gaer is a hill located in the Black Mountains. These mountains are part of the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south Wales. Gaer sits at the southern end of a long ridge. This ridge is found between the Grwyne Fawr valley and the Vale of Ewyas.
The hill is about one mile north of Bryn Arw. It is also three miles northeast of Sugarloaf. The very top of Gaer is 427 meters (about 1,400 feet) above sea level. At its summit, you can find an ancient Iron Age hillfort. This old fort is known as Twyn y Gaer.
What is Gaer Made Of?
The main part of Gaer hill is made from special rocks. These rocks are called 'mudstones' and 'sandstones'. They belong to something called the Senni Beds formation. The higher parts of the hill are made from different sandstones. These are part of the Brownstones Formation.
Both of these rock types are known as Old Red Sandstone. This type of rock formed a very long time ago. It was created during the Devonian period. This period happened millions of years ago, between 419 and 359 million years ago. Some areas on the southern slopes of Gaer have seen large landslides in the past. This means parts of the ground have moved down the hill.
How Can You Visit Gaer?
The top part of Gaer hill is open to everyone. This means walkers can freely explore it. There are also many public footpaths. These paths are like trails for walking. There are also unpaved roads called 'green lanes'. These paths and lanes wind around the lower parts of the hill. This makes Gaer easy to reach for people who want to visit.
