Wales
Waun Rydd
769M
2524FT
About Waun Rydd
Rising as a broad, peat-topped plateau in the eastern Central Beacons, this Marilyn offers a quieter alternative to Pen y Fan. Its vast summit, often boggy and pathless, rewards walkers with expansive views across the Usk Valley toward the Black Mountains and the shimmering waters of Talybont Reservoir far below.
Key Statistics
Rank
10th Highest in Wales
Parent Range
Brecon Beacons
Prominence
?
169m
Nearest Town
Brecon
Geology
Waun Rydd rests on layers of sandstone and fine-grained mudstone. These solid rock formations create the sturdy foundation for the path beneath your feet.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SO062206
Latitude
51.8761°N
Longitude
3.3640°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is Welsh for 'Free Moor' (Waun = moor, Rydd = free/open), aptly describing the vast, unencumbered character of the high plateau that defines the hill's summit.
- •A memorial cairn on the western slopes marks the site where a Vickers Wellington bomber crashed during a night training mission in July 1942, with much of the wreckage still visible today.
- •Despite its height, the summit is remarkably flat; it is part of the 'Great Forest' (Fforest Fawr) area, though it lacks any actual trees at this exposed altitude.
- •On a clear day, the vista extends past the neighbouring peaks of Fan y Bîg and Cribyn to the distinctive, notched profile of the Black Mountains on the eastern horizon.
- •The summit plateau is so famously featureless that the primary navigational challenge isn't finding the top, but finding your way off it before the peat bogs claim your boots.