Wales
Chwarel y Fan
679M
2227FT
About Chwarel y Fan
Rising as the high point of the Ffwyddog Ridge, this Black Mountains Hewitt separates the Vale of Ewyas from the Olchon Valley. It is a place of grand, sweeping scales and soft turf, offering a more secluded alternative to the popular paths around Hay Bluff and Twmpa.
Key Statistics
Rank
24th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
72.3m
Nearest Town
Crucorney
Geology
You are walking across layers of sandstone and mudstone. These rocks, from the Senni and Brownstones Formations, form the solid, rugged foundation of this impressive fell.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SO258294
Latitude
51.9581°N
Longitude
3.0812°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is Welsh for 'Quarry of the Peak', a reference to the historical sandstone workings found on its eastern slopes which provided building material for local farms and walling.
- •Its summit plateau serves as a dramatic vantage point for looking down into the Vale of Ewyas, where the skeletal ruins of the 12th-century Llanthony Priory are clearly visible on the valley floor below.
- •Positioned on the eastern edge of the range, the summit offers a clear line of sight across the Olchon Valley to the narrow 'Cat's Back' ridge of Black Hill, with the distant Malvern Hills often visible on the horizon.
- •The hill is frequently bagged as part of a long high-level ridge walk starting from the village of Capel-y-ffin, avoiding the boggy ground often found in the lower valley troughs.
- •While officially classified as a Hewitt and a Nuttall, the summit is so notoriously flat and expansive that walkers often find themselves consulting a GPS just to identify which particular clump of grass represents the actual high point.