Bwlch (meaning ''a pass'' in
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
) is a small village and an
electoral ward in
Powys
Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain.
Geog ...
, southern
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. The settlement is strung out along the
A40 road
A4 most often refers to:
*A4 paper, a paper size defined by the ISO 216 standard, measuring 210 × 297 mm
A4 and variants may also refer to:
Science and mathematics
* British NVC community A4 (''Hydrocharis morsus-ranae - Stratiotes aloide ...
which crosses a low
col above the
Usk Valley at this point on its route between
Brecon
Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
and
Crickhowell
Crickhowell (; cy, Crucywel , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire.
Location
The town lies on the River Usk, on the southern edge ...
. The village is a part of the
administrative community of
Llanfihangel Cwmdu
Cwmdu or Llanfihangel Cwmdu is a small village and community (Wales), community situated in the heart of the Black Mountains, Wales, Black Mountains in Powys, Wales. Its name is derived from the Welsh language "Cwm Du", which means 'Black Valley' ...
with Bwlch and Cathedine.
Geography
The village is situated about north of the River Usk and about 100 metres above the floor of the Usk Valley at around above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
. The geographical feature from which it derives its name separates the rolling moorland of
Cefn Moel and
Mynydd Llangorse
Mynydd Llangorse is a hill on the western edge of the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, south Wales. It lies two miles east of Llangors and its lake and 5 miles south of Talgarth. Its summit at 515m (1690 feet) overt ...
in the northeast from
Buckland Hill
Buckland Hill is a low hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys in Wales. Sitting transversely across the Usk valley between the river and the village of Bwlch, it provides excellent panoramic views down the valley and acro ...
to the southwest. Various parts of the village command panoramic views across the
Rhiangoll
The Rhiangoll is a river in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, Wales. It rises on the western slopes of Waun Fach, highest point of the Black Mountains (Welsh: Y Mynyddoedd Duon) and drops steeply down to the west into the north–south ...
valley to the south-western flanks of the
Black Mountains, west to the
Brecon Beacons and south to
Mynydd Llangynidr
Mynydd Llangynidr is a mountain in the Brecon Beacons National Park largely in the county of Powys, south Wales. Its southern slopes extend into the northernmost parts of the county borough of Blaenau Gwent. It is named from the village of Llangy ...
and
Mynydd Llangatwg
Mynydd Llangatwg or Llangattock Mountain is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys, south Wales. It is named from the village of Llangatwg (or ' Llangattock') which sits in the valley of the River Usk to the north of it. ...
. About to the northwest is the hill of
Allt yr Esgair
Allt yr Esgair is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, Wales. It is commonly referred to locally as simply 'The Allt'. The Welsh name signifies 'wooded slope of the ridge'. It takes the form of a northwest-southeast aligned ridg ...
(commonly referred to locally as 'The Allt') whilst to the southwest is
Tor y Foel
Tor y Foel is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys in Wales. It is located on the eastern flank of Talybont Reservoir, and the summit at 551m is marked by a small cairn. It gives excellent panoramic views over the va ...
.
Llangorse Lake
Llangorse Lake ( cy, Llyn Syfaddon, variant: ) is the largest natural lake in Mid and South Wales, and is situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park, near the town of Brecon and the village of Llangors.
The lake is famous for its coarse fishin ...
and the village of
Llangors
Llangors (also known as Llangorse) is a small village, community and electoral ward in southern Powys, in the historic county of Brecknockshire, within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Description
Llangors lies a few miles east of Brecon, betwe ...
are to the north,
Talybont-on-Usk
Talybont-on-Usk ( cy, Tal-y-bont ar Wysg) is a village and community in Powys, Wales, in the historic county of Brecknockshire. It lies on both the Caerfanell river and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, about from the River Usk. In 2001 ...
is around to the west. The nearest town is
Crickhowell
Crickhowell (; cy, Crucywel , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire.
Location
The town lies on the River Usk, on the southern edge ...
, some to the east down the Usk Valley.
History
The remains of a defensive enclosure on the slopes of Cefn Moel to the north of the village date from prehistoric times. There is also a
standing stone of unknown origin and purpose set alone in a field within the hairpin of the A40 road. A further standing stone of similarly unknown age is found at Llygad Wy on the slopes dropping down eastwards below the A40. Rising from the Roman auxiliary fort at Pen-y-gaer, east of the village, the Romans constructed a
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
between
Abergavenny and Brecon which passed through the col before crossing the slopes of Allt yr Esgair. The pass was formerly known as Bwlch'r allwys and was once guarded by Blaenllynfi Castle, a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
castle, now a ruin. Three miles to the east are
Tretower Castle
Tretower Castle ( cy, Castell Tretŵr) is a Grade I-listed ruined castle in the village of Tretower in the county of Powys, Wales. It was built around the beginning of the twelfth century as a motte and bailey castle and this was probably repla ...
and
Tretower Court, now in the care of
Cadw. The Calvinistic Methodist and English Presbyterian chapel of Penuel was first built in 1817, though the modern building dates from 1874.
Amenities
Most of the business received locally is due to
tourists
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
, with holiday accommodation being plentiful. The area is very popular for
hillwalking
Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much unculti ...
, cycling and
horseriding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
. Though the population of the village itself is small, the community does support a shop with a post office and a cafe. In the late 1990s Bwlch had three public houses but now there is only one bunkhouse, and one backpackers which is also a full-time village pub. There is a small park with four pieces of play equipment. The
Beacons Way
The Beacons Way (Welsh: Ffordd y Bannau) is a waymarked long distance footpath in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. It is a linear route which runs for east to west through the National Park, and passes many of the most important lan ...
long-distance footpath
A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway (landscape), greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking (wilderness), backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-cou ...
passes through Bwlch.
Transport
Bwlch is situated on the main A40 trunk road and as such is readily accessible even during poor weather, from both Brecon and Abergavenny. The X43 bus service runs between these towns each day. Each bus stop has been fitted with electronic timetables to assist residents and visitors
/ref> Note the 43 service doesn't run through Bwlch, just the X43. The bus connects with trains from Hereford and Cardiff at Abergavenny, and with Traws Cambria bus service in Brecon.
References
{{authority control
Villages in Powys