Cadair Fawr is a hill in the northern corner of the
county borough of
Rhondda Cynon Taf,
Wales. It lies within the
Brecon Beacons National Park and
Fforest Fawr Geopark. The 485m high summit at OS grid ref SN 978123 is marked by a
trig point. Cadair Fawr is the highest point of a broad ridge known as Cefn Cadlan which forms the northern edge of Cwm Cadlan, a valley which itself runs east-northeastwards from the village of
Penderyn. The name Cadair Fawr signifies the 'big chair' whilst Cefn Cadlan signifies the 'ridge of the battlefield'.
Geology
The summit is formed from
Carboniferous Limestone whilst much of the Cefn Cadlan ridge which slopes away to the west is formed from the
Twrch Sandstone
The Marros Group is the name given to a suite of rocks of Namurian age laid down during the Carboniferous Period in South Wales. These rocks were formerly known as the Millstone Grit Series but are now distinguished from the similar but geographi ...
(formerly known as the Basal Grit), which also dates from the
Carboniferous period. A series of minor
faults runs northwest to southeast through the hill whilst a few including the Coed Hir Fault run northeast to southwest, paralleling the major fault forming a part of the
Neath Disturbance which runs through Cwm Cadlan. Much of the hill's surface is pitted by
shakeholes, the larger of which occur on the areas where gritstone forms the surface. Quarries have been opened up in both the limestone and the gritstone over the years though none are now active.
Scheduled ancient monuments
;Cadair Fawr Round Cairn: (, OS grid ref: SN977122.) A large cairn, 9m across, near the summit of Cadair Fawr (also sometimes spelled Cader Fawr Round Cairn).
;Pant-y-Gadair Hut Circle Settlement: (, OS grid ref: SN98612.) A prehistoric hut circle 6m across, with walls of unworked limestone, on the north slopes of Cadair Fawr.
;Cadair Fawr settlement: (, OS grid ref: SN985122) - A group of medieval or later house platforms east of the summit of Cadair Fawr.
[. . Cadw SAM: GM559: Cadair Fawr settlement]
Access
The hill is designated as open country so freely available to walkers. It is readily accessed from the
A4059 road
The A4059 road is a single-carriageway north–south road that runs between the A470 road, A470 at Brecon Beacons National Park and the A470 at Abercynon.
Route
The road can be thought of as an alternative, but slightly longer route than the A4 ...
which runs along its northern edge between
Hirwaun
Hirwaun is a village and community at the north end of the Cynon Valley in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. It is NW of the town of Aberdare, and comes under the Aberdare post town. At the 2001 census, Hirwaun had a populati ...
and the
A470 road south of
Storey Arms.
See also
List of Scheduled Monuments in Rhondda Cynon Taf
References
External links
images of Cefn Cadlan and surrounding area on Geograph website
{{coord, 51.7999, -3.4836, type:mountain_region:GB, display=title
Fforest Fawr
Mountains and hills of Rhondda Cynon Taf