The Cambrian Mountains ( cy, Mynyddoedd Cambria, in a narrower sense: ''Elenydd'') are a series of

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

s in

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 term ''Cambrian Mountains'' used to apply to most of the upland of

. Since the 1950s, its application has become increasingly localised to the geographically homogeneous Mid Wales uplands, known 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 ...

as ''

Elenydd Elenydd () is an upland area of Mid Wales, extending across parts of northern and eastern Ceredigion and Powys between Aberystwyth and Rhayader. Elenydd is also a name given to the medieval commote of Cwmwd Deuddwr which covered approximately ...

'', which extend from Pumlumon to

Radnor Forest Radnor Forest ( cy, Fforest Clud) in the county of Radnorshire, Wales is a rock dome composed of Silurian shales, mudstones and limestone in Mid Wales. It is a forest in the medieval sense of the word (an area of land set aside for hunting). I ...

in the east and

Mynydd Mallaen Mynydd Mallaen () is an expansive plateau to the northwest of Cilycwm in northeast Carmarthenshire, Wales. It forms part of the Cambrian Mountains massif, and is north-west of the Black Mountain (range) in the Brecon Beacons. It takes the f ...

to the south. This barren and sparsely populated 'wilderness' has been referred to as the Desert of Wales. The area includes the sources of the

River Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...

and River Wye and was unsuccessfully proposed as a national park in the 1960s and 1970s. The highest point of the range is

Plynlimon Pumlumon (historically anglicised in various ways including ''Plynlimon,'' Plinlimon and Plinlimmon) is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales (taking a restricted definition of the Cambrian Mountains, excluding Snowdonia, ...

, at . The wider, more historic, use of the term also includes

Snowdonia Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. Name and extent It was a commonly held belief that the na ...

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

, and the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains in South Wales. They range in height up to in Snowdonia.

Geology and topography

While Snowdonia contains a mix of

volcanic rock Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic ...

s and

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...

s of Cambrian and

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start of the Silurian Period Mya. T ...

age, the mountains of South Wales are mainly Devonian age

Old Red Sandstone The Old Red Sandstone is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region largely of Devonian age. It extends in the east across Great Britain, Ireland and Norway, and in the west along the northeastern seaboard of North America. It also exte ...

and

Carboniferous Limestone Carboniferous Limestone is a collective term for the succession of limestones occurring widely throughout Great Britain and Ireland that were deposited during the Dinantian epoch (geology), Epoch of the Carboniferous period (geology), Period. T ...

and similarly aged

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

s. The ranges of mid-Wales on the other hand are predominantly formed from Ordovician and Silurian sandstones and mudstones which in many areas outcrop only infrequently so resulting in more rounded grassy hills. The Cambrian Mountains (in the modern sense of the term) are generally less popular with

hillwalker 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 ...

s and scramblers than the ranges to their north and south. Since all of Wales' ranges face the predominant westerly air stream coming in from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, they enjoy high levels of rainfall and are the source of numerous rivers, among which the rivers

Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...

and Wye, which rise on the eastern slopes of Pumlumon, are the largest.

Dams and wind farms

The Cambrian Mountains host the

Elan Valley Reservoirs The Elan Valley Reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes created from damming the Elan and Claerwen rivers within the Elan Valley in Mid Wales. The reservoirs, which were built by the Birmingham Corporation Water Department, provide clean drin ...

and

Llyn Brianne Llyn Brianne is a man-made lake or Reservoir (water), reservoir in the headwaters of the River Tywi in Wales. Construction The reservoir was constructed by George Wimpey, Wimpey Construction in the late 1960s and early 1970s in order to regul ...

reservoir, which provide water for the English West Midlands and for South Wales respectively. They include the

Clywedog Reservoir The Clywedog Reservoir ( cy, Llyn Clywedog) is a reservoir near Llanidloes, Wales on the head-waters of the River Severn. The construction of the reservoir was enabled by an Act of Parliament which asserted that ''"At certain times the flow o ...

and

Nant y Moch Nant-y-moch Reservoir () is situated in the Cambrian Mountains in northern Ceredigion, Wales, near Pumlumon. The reservoir which flooded a part of the valley of the River Rheidol and its headwaters derives its name from a stream, the Nant-y-moc ...

Reservoir.

Cefn Croes Cefn Croes is a wind farm in Ceredigion, Wales. It is located in the Cambrian Mountains on Cefn Croes mountain, 573m (1,880 ft) south of the A44 road between Aberystwyth and Llangurig, in west Wales. The construction of the wind farm comm ...

, the site of a controversial

wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...

project, is in the Cambrian Mountains, just south of the

A44 road The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales. History The original (1923) route of the A44 was Chipping Norton to Aberystwyth. No changes were made to the route of the ...

between Aberystwyth and

Llangurig Llangurig is both a village and a community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. The population was 723 in the 2011 UK Census. The community includes the hamlet of Cwmbelan. The River Wye, the A470 and the A44 trunk roads pass through Llangurig, ...

National park proposal

The area was proposed as a national park in 1965 by the National Parks Commission, a precursor body of the

Countryside Commission The Countryside Commission (formally the Countryside Commission for England and Wales, then the Countryside Commission for England) was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only. Its forerunner, the National Parks Commissio ...

. However, the proposal was opposed by many farmers and local authorities in the area. Formal consultations on the proposal began in 1970, and in 1971 the Countryside Commission proposed a revised boundary for the designation. The proposed area, of , covered the area of Pumlumon and Elenydd, within an area bounded by the settlements of

Machynlleth Machynlleth () is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. At the 2001 Census it had a pop ...

Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...

Newbridge-on-Wye Newbridge-on-Wye ( cy, Y Bontnewydd-ar-Wy) is a small village in Powys, Wales. It lies, as its name suggests, on the River Wye, just downstream from the market town of Rhayader, and in the community of Llanyre. Location Newbridge-on-Wye is lo ...

Llanwrtyd Wells Llanwrtyd Wells ( cy, Llanwrtyd "church of St Gwrtud") is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) on the Afon Irfon. The town is on the A483 between Llandovery and Builth Wells and is ...

Llandovery Llandovery (; cy, Llanymddyfri ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 and A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and west of Brecon. Hi ...

Pumsaint Pumsaint is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, halfway between Llanwrda and Lampeter on the A482 in the valley of the Afon Cothi. It forms part of the extensive estate of Dolaucothi, which is owned by the National Trust. The name is Wel ...

Tregaron Tregaron ( "town of St Caron") is an ancient market town in Ceredigion, Wales, astride the River Brenig, a tributary of the River Teifi. Tregaron is northeast of Lampeter. According to the 2011 Census, the population of the ward of Tregaron wa ...

, and Devil's Bridge. Despite continuing local opposition, the Countryside Commission published the order designating the area on 15 August 1972, and submitted it to the

Secretary of State for Wales The secretary of state for Wales ( cy, ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member ...

, Peter Thomas, for confirmation.Cambrian Mountains Society: National Park Timeline 1872-1973
. Accessed 29 March 2012 Objections to the proposed designation were then made by all five county councils, 5 of the 7 district councils, 5 parish councils, the National Farmers Union, the

Country Landowners Association The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is a membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales. It was until quite recently called the Country Landowners' Association. Membership CLA members ...

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid wa ...

, the

Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) ( cy, Ymgyrch Diogelu Cymru Wledig (YDCW)), originally named the Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales, is a charity in Wales that aims to secure the protection and enhancement of the co ...

and others. Support for the designation was expressed by the

Ramblers Association The Ramblers is the trading name of the Ramblers Association, Great Britain's leading walking charity. The Ramblers is also a membership organisation with around 100,000 members and a network of volunteers who maintain and protect the path ...

, Youth Hostels Association, and

Cyclists' Touring Club Cycling UK is a trading name of the Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), which is a charitable membership organisation supporting cyclists and promoting bicycle use. Cycling UK is registered at Companies House as "Cyclists’ Touring Club", and is co ...

. In July 1973, the Secretary of State announced the decision not to proceed with the designation because of "massive evidence of objections", and also rejected a call to hold a public inquiry. This was the first time such a recommendation on national park designation had not been accepted.

Principal summits

This list confines itself to the more geographically restricted area referred to above. *

Pen Pumlumon Fawr A pen is a common writing tool, writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a Nib (pen), nib or in a sm ...

lynlimon *

Pen Pumlumon Arwystli Pen Pumlumon Arwystli is the second highest summit on the Plynlimon massif, a part of the Cambrian Mountains in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. The summit is grassy, and is marked by 3 large ancient cairns. The views include Rhos Fawr, Dryga ...

Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan is a subsidiary summit of Pen Pumlumon Fawr and the third highest summit on the Plynlimon massif, a part of the Cambrian Mountains in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. It is not named on Ordnance Survey walking maps. ...

* Y Garn *

Pumlumon Fach Pumlumon Fach is a top of Pen Pumlumon Fawr on the Plynlimon massif, a part of the Cambrian Mountains in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. It lies on small ridge heading north-west from the summit of Pen Pumlumon Fawr. The summit is marked by sma ...

* Rhos Fawr * Y Domen Ddu * Drygarn Fawr * Gorllwyn * Bryn Bach *

Pen y Garn Pen y Garn (head of the cairn) is a mountain in the Cambrian Mountains, Mid Wales standing at 611 metres above sea level. Pen y Garn tops a 500–600 m high plateau, which includes the controversial Cefn Croes wind farm. The summit ha ...

* Y Gamriw * Llan Ddu Fawr *

Pegwn Mawr Pegwn Mawr is a mountain in Powys, Mid Wales, east of Llanidloes. It is 586 m (1,922 ft) high. It is surrounded by a wind farm. There is a trig point A triangulation station, also known as a trigonometrical point, and sometimes info ...

* Clipyn Du * Y Glog (Draws Drum) *

Gallery

File:Penyfagrn.jpg, The Nant Rhuddnant gorge looking north to Cefn Coch from the summit of

. In the background are Y Garn(left),

and

(right) Image:Desert of wales from Drygarn Fawr.JPG, The Desert of Wales seen from Drygarn Fawr Image:North snowdonia panorama.jpg, Panorama of some of the

Snowdon Massif The Snowdon Massif or Yr Wyddfa massif is one of the three mountain groups in Snowdonia (), north Wales, to include mountains over 3,000 feet (914 m) high. It occupies the area between Beddgelert, Pen-y-Pass and Llanberis. It is surroun ...

including Snowdon (centre right) taken from

Mynydd Mawr Mynydd Mawr ( Welsh for ''big mountain'') is a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales, approximately west of Snowdon itself, overlooking Llyn Cwellyn and being the northern outlier of the Moel Hebog group. A popular ascent starts from Rhyd Ddu ...

. The

Glyderau The Glyderau (a Welsh plural form, also known in English as the Glyders) are a mountain group in Snowdonia, North Wales. The name derives from the highest peaks in the range, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach. According to Sir Ifor Williams, the word ...

are visible in the distance File:Llyn Brianne spillway.jpg, The

spillway spilling immediately after its first fill at commissioning

References

External links

The Cambrian Mountains Society

The Cambrian Mountains Initiative

Cambrian Mountains tourism guide

Cambrian Mountains walking guide
{{Authority control Landforms of Powys Landforms of Gwynedd Landforms of Conwy County Borough Landforms of Carmarthenshire Landforms of Ceredigion Landforms of Rhondda Cynon Taf Landforms of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Landforms of Torfaen Landforms of Blaenau Gwent Mountain ranges of Wales