Geopark Festival 2010

@ Various Venues

Geopark Festival 2010 Walks, talks and more in the west of the Brecon Beacons National Park Join us across Fforest Fawr Geopark for 16 days of walks, talks and exhibitions from Sat 22nd May to Sun 6 June 2010. You will find more details and advice on how to get the most out of this events programme, including walk leader details on the web at website link Any updates to this programme will be posted on the Geopark Festival 2010 web page.

Programme for 2010 Sat 22 May & Sun 23 May, 10am-4pm, both days Let it rock! Family fun and displays over the Geopark Festival opening weekend with the British Geological Survey at the National Park Visitor Centre. Ever tried your hand at gold-panning or making your own fossils? FREE. Venue: NPVC Tel: 01874 623366 Sat 22 May, indoors; 11am-12noon & walk; 2pm-4pm Walking in the Air From the comfort of the Mountain Centre, enjoy a remarkable virtual tour of the Geopark & wider Wales followed by an afternoon walk on Mynydd Illtud common looking at the relationship between the local landscape, its geology and the last Ice Age. FREE. 3km/2mil Easy. Meet: NPVC. Leaders: Dr. Tony Ramsay, Scientific Director, Geopark, Dr Peter Brabham, Cardiff University. Tel: 01874 623366. Sun 23 May, 2pm-3.30pm Walk, Talk and Tea - a guided walk (repeated 6 June). A short, easy circular walk including a mysterious spiritual centre, an industrial site with wonderful views of the Park's highest peaks, a final resting place, preparations for war, an unsolved mystery & a little known wonder. Followed by a delicious cream tea at the Visitor Centre Tearooms. £2.50 - booking preferred. 2.5km/1.5miles, Easy. Meet: NPVC. Leaders: Peter Brock, NP Volunteer, Avril Barnes, NPA Rights of Way Officer. Tel: 01874 623366. Sun 23 May, 10am-5pm Lakes, Ladies & Layer-cakes Join the Brecon Beacons Park Society (BBPS) to take a close look at the Old Red Sandstone & legacy of the Ice Ages around Bannau Sir Gaer, Fan Brycheiniog, Llyn y Fan Fach and Llyn y Fan Fawr. FREE. 16km/10miles, 700m ascent, Energetic. Meet: 'Water Board car park', Llanddeusant (SN 799238). Leaders: Dr Adrian Humpage, British Geological Survey, Clive Eiles, BBPS. Tel: CE on 01550 740188. Sun 23 May, 2pm start Nedd Fechan Field Study Walk A close look at the geology, botany & zoology of Coedydd Nêdd between Pontneddfechan & Pont Melin Fach with experts from Swansea University DACE. A shuttle will return drivers to their cars.Sorry no dogs. £5. BOOKING ESSENTIAL. 5km/3miles, Moderate. Meet: Pont Melin Fach car park (SN 907106). Leaders: Drs. Michael Isaac (zoologist), Geraint Owen (geologist), Charles Hipkin (botanist) (all DACE) and Helen Pye, NPA Warden. Tel: 01792 602211 Tue 25 May, 2.15pm-4.30pm Brecon Town - past and present (repeated 3 June). A town walk visiting sites of distinction, discovering Brecon's fascinating past and residents of renown. Sorry no dogs. FREE, booking preferred. 3km/2miles, Access for All. Meet: Canal Basin outside Theatr Brycheiniog (SO 047282). Leaders: Peter Brock, NP Volunteer, Avril Barnes, NPA Rights of Way Officer. Tel: 01874 623366. Fri 28 May, 10am-4pm Pavements and Plants Join BBPS for a closer look at & the characteristic plant-life of gritstone & limestone pavements around Ogof Ffynnon Ddu National Nature Reserve with an expert from the Countryside Council for Wales. Some rough walking. Sorry no dogs. FREE. 8km/5mil, 200m ascent, Moderate. Meet: Penwyllt car park (SN 855155). Leaders: Dilys Harlow, BBPS, Jon Wohlgemuth, CCW reserves manager. Tel: DH on 01454 775731 Sat 29 May, 10am-2.30pm The Ground beneath your Feet Where will you find colliding continents, collapsing mountain-sides & grinding glaciers? -here on this linear walk in the Central Beacons of course! Explore the geology, learn of the natural habitats & uncover the industrial heritage of this unique area. FREE - booking preferred. 7.5km/4miles, 510m ascent, Energetic. Meet: Welsh Water layby, south of Talybont dam (SO 099197). Leaders: Sam Ridge, NPA Warden & Richard Ball, NPA Access Officer. Tel: 01874 623366

Sat 29 May, 10.30am start Nant Byfre: Blaen Cwm Tawe Golygfa arall dros Flaen Cwm Tawe ar y daith gerdded hon ar lan Nant Byfre gan edrych ar greigiau Carbonifferaidd a Hen Dywodfaen Goch yr ardal. Dim cŵn diolch. DIM TÂL. 5km/3miles, Cymedrol. Cyfarfod: Gwyn Arms, Glyntawe (SN 846165). Arweinydd: Dr John Davies, Cymdeithas Edward Llwyd. Ffon: JD ar 01559 362429. (Walk to be conducted entirely in Welsh.) Sat 29 May, 10am-5pm What the Ice left! Join the BBPS on a southern circuit of the Central Beacons looking at the legacy of the last Ice Age. We take in Craig y Fan Ddu, Fan y Big, Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du and return via Taf Fechan Forest. FREE. 20km/12miles, 670m ascent, Energetic. Meet: Blaen-y-glyn car park (SO 056176). Leaders: Anthony Furness, BBPS, Alan Bowring, Geopark Development Officer. Tel: AF on 01873 860356 Sun 30 May, 1pm-4pm Fossils, Ferns & Faults at Henrhyd Falls A walk delving into the history and geology of the wooded ravine into which the waters of the Nant Llech plunge at Henrhyd Falls. FREE - booking preferred. 4.5km/3mil, Easy. Meet: NT car park, Henrhyd Falls (SN 855 119). Leaders: Wyn Morgan, NPA Warden, Toby Small, NPA Warden, Alan Bowring, Geopark Dev't Officer. Tel: 01874 623366 BH Mon 31 May, 10am-4.30pm Northern Cwms of Brecon Beacons Explore the impressive northern flanks of the Brecon Beacons with a National Trust (NT) Warden. Climb to Pen y Fan and Corn Du via Cwm Mawr. Descend via Pen Milan & its quarries to Cwm Llwch and road walk back to Cwm Gwdi. FREE. 11km/7miles, 640m ascent, Energetic. Meet: NT car park at Cwm Gwdi (SO 024247). Leaders: Rob Reith, National Trust Warden. Tel: NT on 07771 980123. Wed 2 June, 10am-3pm Sinks and Swallows Though it's pitted with craters like a battlefield - the 'karst' landscape of the Brecon Beacons is quite natural - and it's unique in Britain. But how did all those holes get there? Find out on a gentle walk up the limestone and gritstone slopes of Cadair Fawr, a small hill but with outstanding views of the higher peaks. FREE -booking preferred. 11km/7miles, 225m ascent, Moderate. Meet: Layby opp junc. of minor road to Ystradfellte with A4059 (SN 945105). Leaders: Dave Ing, NP Volunteer, Alan Bowring, Geopark Dev't Officer. Tel: 01874 623366 Wed 2 June, 7pm-8.30pm When Britain Baked: climate change past, present & future. A talk by Professor Paul Pearson of Cardiff University on patterns and processes of global climate change in Earth's history. £5/ticket, £4 for concessionary groups. Venue: Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Tel: 01874 620415.

Thu 3 June , 2.15pm-4.30pm Brecon Town - past and present *Repeat of event of 25 May - see entry there for details. Thu 3 June, 10.30pm-4.30pm Colours of the Black Mountain A look at the geology, animal and plant life of an especially interesting corner of the Black Mountain. Kilns, quarries and gorges await. Some rough ground beyond Herbert's Quarry. Sorry no dogs. FREE. 5km/3miles, Moderate. Meet: 'Lookout' car park below quarry off A4069 (SN 730192). Leaders: Dr. Tony Ramsay, Scientific Director, Geopark & Dr. Michael Isaac, zoologist, DACE. Tel: 01874 623366 Fri 4 June, 10am-5.00pm A Sacred Mountain: Bronze Age cairns of Mynydd-y-glog Join the BBPS for a walk over the gritstone moorland of Mynydd-y-glog - home to one of the most impressive groups of cairns in the Brecon Beacons. This walk will visit some of the best-preserved & look at how prehistoric people used the landscape. Some rough ground. FREE. 8km/5miles, Moderate. Meet: lay-by off A4059 N. of Penderyn Welsh Whisky Distillery, (SN 951084). Leaders: Soo Turnbull, BBPS, Edith Evans, Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust, Alan Bowring, Geopark Development Officer. Tel: DH on 01454 775731. Sat 5 June, 11am-3pm Penderyn Welsh Whisky - talk & walk Taste exceptional single malt whiskies on a tour of one of the world's smallest distilleries to see how groundwater from the hills & the wash from Brains' Brewery are used in a unique distillation process to make the first commercial whisky produced in Wales since the C19th. Followed by a short linear walk beside Moel Penderyn to view the landscape & its geology. See how it provides the groundwater that is so important in the production of the world class Penderyn Welsh Whisky. Sorry no dogs. FREE. 4km/2.5miles, Easy. Venue/meet: Penderyn Distillery, (SN 951083). Leaders: Walk: Dr. Tony Ramsay, Scientific Director, Geopark, talk: Keith Tench, Penderyn Welsh Whisky Distillery. Tel: 01685 810651

Sat 5 & Sun 6 June, 9.30am-5.30pm, both days In the Footsteps of Wallace In June 1846, Alfred Russel Wallace and his brother walked from Neath to the Brecon Beacons, collecting beetles & sleeping rough as Wallace was teaching himself to be a field naturalist, & planning a journey to the Amazon. Later whilst working in the Malay archipelago, Wallace hit on the idea of natural selection. His letter to Darwin provoked the latter to publish 'On the Origin of Species'. Join BBPS following in the footsteps of this great evolutionary biologist. BOTH DAYS: PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIAL, SMALL CHARGE FOR MINIBUS Footsteps - day 1 Aberdulais to Ystradfellte via Resolven and Pontneddfechan. Meet: Ystradfellte village car park (SN 929134) for minibus transfer to start at Aberdulais. Leader: Dilys Harlow, BBPS 22km/14miles, 310m ascent, Energetic. Tel: DH on 01454 775731. Footsteps - day 2 Ystradfellte to Cwm Llwch via Fan Fawr, Pen y Fan and the source of the Taf Fechan. 20km/13miles, 1070m ascent, Strenuous Meet: Nant Cwm Llwch (SO 006244) for minibus transfer to start of walk at Ystradfellte. Leaders: Dilys Harlow, BBPS. Tel: DH as above Sun 6 June, 2pm start Berthlwyd Farm Field Study Walk A close look at the geology, botany & zoology of the area with experts from Swansea University DACE. This National Trust farm retains once common unimproved land with hay meadows, rough grazing & marshy grasslands, with ash/lime woodland Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and excellent vernacular architecture. Sorry no dogs. £5. 4km/2.5miles, Easy. Meet: Berthlwyd Fm, nr Ystradfellte (SN 913133). Leaders: Dr. Michael Isaac (zoologist), Geraint Owen (geologist), Charles Hipkin (botanist) (all DACE) and Jon Pimm, NPA Warden. Tel: 01792 602211 Sun 6 June, 10am-5pm Walk, Talk and Tea - a guided walk *Repeat of event of 23 May - see entry there for details. 14 May - 26 Jun, Mon-Fri: 10-5pm, Sat: 10-1pm, 2-5pm Mapping Brecknockshire An exhibition exploring the diverse maps published for this part of the Geopark over the last 500 years. From Speed and Saxton to the Ordnance Survey and beyond. FREE. Venue: Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery, Brecon. Tel: 01874 624121

Geopark Festival 2010