Cwmdu or Llanfihangel Cwmdu is a small

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

and

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...

situated in the heart of the Black Mountains in

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. Its name is derived from the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has ...

"Cwm Du", which means 'Black Valley'. It is located on the A479

Talgarth Talgarth is a market town, community and electoral ward in southern Powys, Mid Wales, about north of Crickhowell, north-east of Brecon and south-east of Builth Wells. Notable buildings in the town include the 14th-century parish church and ...

to Tretower road. Nearby towns include

Crickhowell Crickhowell (; cy, Crucywel , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic county of Brecknockshire. Location The town lies on the River Usk, on the southern edge ...

and Abergavenny. The population of the

, Llanfihangel Cwmdu with Bwlch and Cathedine, which includes Cwmdu and nearby villages

Bwlch Bwlch (meaning ''a pass'' in Welsh) is a small village and an electoral ward in Powys, southern Wales. The settlement is strung out along the A40 road which crosses a low col above the Usk Valley at this point on its route between Brecon and Cr ...

, and

Tretower Tretower ( cy, Tretŵr) is a hamlet in the community of Llanfihangel Cwmdu with Bwlch and Cathedine in the southern part of the county of Powys in Wales. It lies on the A479 road within the Brecon Beacons National Park at the foot of the Black ...

Cathedine Cathedine ( cy, Cathedin) is a small hamlet that lies between the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains, in Powys, Wales. It is an approximately 2 miles from Llangorse and 2 miles from Bwlch, in the community of Llangors. It has a Norman ...

is actually in the neighbouring community of

Llangors Llangors (also known as Llangorse) is a small village, community and electoral ward in southern Powys, in the historic county of Brecknockshire, within the Brecon Beacons National Park. Description Llangors lies a few miles east of Brecon, betwe ...

. as of the 2011 UK Census was 1026. It is in the historic county of Brecknockshire.

Amenities

Cwmdu has several public facilities, including a park, a village

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

, the Farmers Arms and a cafe, the Mynydd-Ddu Tea Room. Its former primary school, which opened in 1873 and was visited by Prince Charles in 2006, closed in 2012 and the building now contains an art gallery. Cwmdu attracts many tourists every year, who mainly consist of hikers

hillwalking Walking is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United Kingdom, and within England and Wales there is a comprehensive network of rights of way that permits access to the countryside. Furthermore, access to much unculti ...

through on the

Beacons Way The Beacons Way (Welsh: Ffordd y Bannau) is a waymarked long distance footpath in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. It is a linear route which runs for east to west through the National Park, and passes many of the most important lan ...

. Cwmdu is an attractive hiking destination as it is situated in the heart of the Black Mountains, and is only about 12 miles away from Pen-Y-Fan; the highest mountain range in South Wales and within the region's National Park. The Church of the Archangel Michael is a grade II* listed building, largely rebuilt in 1830. In September 2012 Cwmdu was the site for the bi-annual AstroCamp. This saw a large gathering of astronomers and was televised by the BBC The Sky at Night programme the following October.

References

External links

Satellite map at MaplandiaThe prehistory and history of the locality
{{authority control Villages in Powys Black Mountains, Wales