Wales
Cadair Fawr
485M
1591FT
About Cadair Fawr
Rising above the limestone pavements of the southern Brecon Beacons, this rounded hump offers a distinctively karst landscape pockmarked by deep shake holes. It provides a wilder, quieter perspective of the national park, looking north toward the grander peaks of the central massif and south across the industrial valleys of South Wales.
Key Statistics
Rank
100th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
120m
Nearest Town
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Geology
You are walking across the Dowlais Limestone Formation. This layer of limestone rock forms the very ground beneath your boots.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SN977123
Latitude
51.8000°N
Longitude
3.4850°W
Did You Know?
- •Derived from the Welsh for 'Great Chair', the name follows a common naming convention for prominent peaks that appear seat-like from a distance. In local folklore, these 'chairs' were often associated with the resting places of giants surveying their territory.
- •The terrain here is a classic example of karst topography. The ground is peppered with numerous 'shake holes'—funnel-shaped hollows formed when the underlying limestone is dissolved by rainwater, causing the surface soil to slump into the gaps below.
- •Standing on the summit provides an excellent vantage point to compare the different landscapes of South Wales; the limestone plateau of the Fforest Fawr drops away to reveal the deep troughs of the Cynon and Neath valleys to the south.
- •While the main Brecon Beacons peaks attract the crowds, Cadair Fawr remains largely the preserve of local walkers and sheep, offering a sense of isolation that belies its proximity to the A4059.