Cadair Fawr is a hill in the northern corner of the county borough of

Rhondda Cynon Taf Rhondda Cynon Taf (; RCT; also spelt as Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the South East Wales, south-east of Wales. It consists of five valleys: the Rhondda Fawr, Rhondda Fach, Cynon, Taff () and Ely valleys, ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It lies within the

Brecon Beacons National Park Brecon Beacons National Park, officially named Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (), is a National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Wales. It is named after the Brecon Beacons (), the mountain range at its centre. The national park ...

and Fforest Fawr Geopark. The 485m high summit at OS grid ref SN 978123 is marked by a

trig point A triangulation station, also known as a trigonometrical point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity. The station is usually set up by a map ...

. Cadair Fawr is the highest point of a broad ridge known as Cefn Cadlan which forms the northern edge of Cwm Cadlan, a valley which itself runs east-northeastwards from the village of Penderyn. The name Cadair Fawr signifies the 'big chair' whilst Cefn Cadlan signifies the 'ridge of the battlefield'.

Geology

The summit is formed from Carboniferous Limestone whilst much of the Cefn Cadlan ridge which slopes away to the west is formed from the

Twrch Sandstone The Marros Group is the name given to a suite of rocks of Namurian age laid down during the Carboniferous period (geology), Period in South Wales. These rocks were formerly known as the Millstone Grit, Millstone Grit Series but are now distinguish ...

(formerly known as the Basal Grit), which also dates from the

Carboniferous period The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era that spans 60 million years, from the end of the Devonian Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Permian Period, Ma. It is the fifth and penultimate perio ...

. A series of minor faults runs northwest to southeast through the hill whilst a few including the Coed Hir Fault run northeast to southwest, paralleling the major fault forming a part of the Neath Disturbance which runs through Cwm Cadlan. Much of the hill's surface is pitted by

shakehole A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water ...

s, the larger of which occur on the areas where gritstone forms the surface. Quarries have been opened up in both the limestone and the gritstone over the years though none are now active.

Scheduled ancient monuments

;Cadair Fawr Round Cairn: (, OS grid ref: SN977122.) A large cairn, 9m across, near the summit of Cadair Fawr (also sometimes spelled Cader Fawr Round Cairn). ;Pant-y-Gadair Hut Circle Settlement: (, OS grid ref: SN98612.) A prehistoric hut circle 6m across, with walls of unworked limestone, on the north slopes of Cadair Fawr. ;Cadair Fawr settlement: (, OS grid ref: SN985122) - A group of medieval or later house platforms east of the summit of Cadair Fawr.. . Cadw SAM: GM559: Cadair Fawr settlement

Access

The hill is designated as open country so freely available to walkers. It is readily accessed from the A4059 road which runs along its northern edge between

Hirwaun Hirwaun (, ; ) is a village and Community (Wales), community at the north end of the Cynon Valley in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. It is NW of the town of Aberdare, and comes under the Aberdare post town. At the United Ki ...

and the

A470 road The A470 (also named the Cardiff to Glan Conwy Trunk Road) is a trunk road in Wales. It is the country's longest road at and links the capital Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. While previously one had to navigate th ...

south of Storey Arms.

References

External links

images of Cefn Cadlan and surrounding area on Geograph website
{{coord, 51.7999, -3.4836, type:mountain_region:GB, display=title Fforest Fawr Mountains and hills of Rhondda Cynon Taf

Geology

Scheduled ancient monuments

Access

See also

References

External links