Wales
Carn Gafallt
468M
1535FT
About Carn Gafallt
Rising steeply above the Caban-coch reservoir, this Elan Valley Marilyn offers a rugged, heather-clad escape from the busier lakeside trails. The summit is marked by ancient cairns, providing a grandstand view over the flooded valleys and the wild, rolling plateaus of the Cambrian Mountains stretching toward Drygarn Fawr.
Key Statistics
Rank
261st Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Wales
Prominence
?
161.2m
Nearest Town
Elan Village
Geology
You are walking on layers of hardened mud and gritty sandstone. You will also see conglomerate, a rock made of pebbles and gravel naturally cemented together.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SN940646
Latitude
52.2693°N
Longitude
3.5548°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Welsh Carn and Cafall, the name of King Arthur’s legendary hound. According to the 9th-century historian Nennius, the dog left a footprint in a stone here while hunting the enchanted boar, Twrch Trwyth; Arthur supposedly piled stones over the print to protect it.
- •Its status as a Marilyn ensures a clear line of sight over the Elan Valley, offering a distinct perspective on the Victorian engineering of the Caban-coch and Garreg-ddu reservoirs far below.
- •The lower slopes are home to ancient sessile oak woodlands, which are protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the rare ferns and lichens that thrive in this damp, Atlantic microclimate.
- •Despite the summit's legendary association with a supernatural boar hunt, the most ferocious creature you are likely to encounter today is a damp and unimpressed Welsh Mountain sheep.