Y Garn Goch facts for kids
Y Garn Goch is a special hill located in the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park (also known as Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog) in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Its name means 'the red cairn', which refers to a pile of stones. You can find it near the village of Bethlehem, close to the wide Tywi Valley. People also call it Garn Goch or Carn Goch. The land is currently looked after by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority.
What is Y Garn Goch Made Of?
Y Garn Goch is mostly made of strong, rough rock called sandstone. This rock formed a very, very long time ago, during a period called the Ordovician. Over millions of years, the rocks here were pushed and folded. The lower parts of the hill are made of different types of sandstone and mudstone.
There is also a large crack in the Earth's crust, called a fault, that runs through the dip between the two highest points of the hill. This fault is part of a bigger system of faults in the Welsh border area.
The lower ground around the hill is covered in a type of soil called glacial till. This was left behind by a huge glacier during the last ice age, when the Tywi Valley was filled with ice. Y Garn Goch is part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark, which is a special area known for its amazing geological history.
Ancient History and Forts
Y Garn Goch is famous for its two impressive Iron Age hillforts. These are like ancient castles built on hills. They are called Y Gaer Fawr, which means 'the big fort', and Y Gaer Fach, which means 'the little fort'. Together, they form the largest hillfort site in southern Wales.
Archaeologists have found signs that people lived here a very long time ago. This could have been as far back as the Neolithic (New Stone Age) period, through the Bronze Age, and even up to the Medieval period. However, people didn't necessarily live here all the time. You can also see several burial mounds from the Bronze Age, which are ancient graves where important people were buried.
Visiting Y Garn Goch
The entire hill is open to everyone, so you can freely walk and explore it. You can reach it by small roads from the east and west. There's also a public footpath that crosses the hill from north to south. The Beacons Way, a long walking trail, also goes over Y Garn Goch. It starts in the nearby village of Bethlehem and continues towards the Black Mountain and eventually to Ysgyryd Fawr.
