Pen y Gadair Fawr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pen y Gadair Fawr |
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Pen y Gadair Fawr with Waun Fach (left)
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 800 m (2,600 ft) |
| Prominence | 47 m (154 ft) |
| Parent peak | Waun Fach |
| Listing | Hewitt, Nuttall |
| Naming | |
| English translation | top of the large chair |
| Language of name | Welsh |
| Geography | |
| Location | Black Mountains, South Wales |
| OS grid | SO215300 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 161 |
| Listed summits of Pen y Gadair Fawr | ||||
| Name | Grid ref | Height | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pen Twyn Mawr | SN969193 | 658 metres (2,159 ft) | Nuttall | |
Pen y Gadair Fawr is a mountain in the Black Mountains range in south-eastern Wales. It stands at 800 metres (2,625 ft) high. This makes it the second highest peak in the Black Mountains. It is a smaller peak that is part of Waun Fach, which is the highest mountain nearby.
Pen y Gadair Fawr is marked by a medium-sized pile of stones called a cairn. Even though it's not the highest, it looks more impressive than its parent peak, Waun Fach, which is about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) to the northwest. Another peak, Pen Twyn Mawr, which is 658 metres (2,159 ft) high, is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to the southeast.
Contents
Mountain Makeup
How the Mountain Formed
The top and upper parts of Pen y Gadair Fawr are made of sandstone. These rocks are from a very old time called the Early Devonian Epoch. They are part of a rock group known as the Brownstones Formation. This formation is a section of the larger Old Red Sandstone group.
Layers of Rock
Below the Brownstones Formation, the lower parts of the mountain are made of sandstones from the Senni Formation. There are also layers of mudstone mixed in with these sandstones. Mudstone wears away more easily than sandstone. This is why parts of the mountain, especially near the top, look like they have steps.
Peat and Soil
After the last ice age, a type of soil called Peat built up on some parts of the hill. You can see a lot of it, especially to the north, towards Waun Fach. Peat is made from dead plants that haven't fully decayed.
Getting There
Walking on the Mountain
You can legally walk all over Pen y Gadair Fawr. This is because the land is marked as "open country" under a special law called the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. This means you don't have to stick to specific paths to explore the mountain.
Cycling Near the Mountain
If you like mountain biking, you can ride on the forest roads in the nearby Mynydd Du Forest. One of these roads goes up to 715 metres (2,346 ft) high. This is only about 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) from the mountain's summit. However, mountain bikers are not allowed to ride directly on Pen y Gadair Fawr itself.
