Henrhyd Falls (

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

: ''Sgwd Henrhyd'') in 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 ...

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 ...

, is the tallest waterfall in southern Wales, with a drop of . It lies on

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

land, in the county of

Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...

. The nearest settlement is Coelbren, on the road between

Glynneath Glynneath ( ; also spelt ''Glyn-neath'' and ''Glyn Neath'') is a town, community and electoral ward lying on the River Neath in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It was formerly in the historic county of Glamorgan. Glynneath ward ...

and

Abercraf Abercraf (also ; or Abercrave) is a village in Powys, Wales, in the community of Ystradgynlais and within the historic boundaries of the county of Brecknockshire. A distinct dialect of English is spoken in the village, as well as the Welsh lang ...

. Though not in the core of the area, it is considered by many to constitute a part of Wales' celebrated Waterfall Country.

Geology

The falls occur where a small river, the Nant Llech (), drops over the faulted edge of a hard sandstone known as the

Farewell Rock The Farewell Rock is the name given to a series of sandstones at the boundary of the Coal Measures with the underlying Marros Group in South Wales. Once thought to be a single sandstone, it is now accepted that the same name has been applied to s ...

which forms the top half of the rock face and the base of the South Wales Coal Measures. Beneath this, and forming much of the recessed portion of the drop, is the Subcrenatum Sandstone separated from the Farewell Rock above by the ''Subcrenatum''

marine band The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the ...

. Both the marine band and sandstone are part of the Bishopston Mudstone Formation included within the

Marros Group The Marros Group is the name given to a suite of rocks of Namurian age laid down during the Carboniferous Period in South Wales. These rocks were formerly known as the Millstone Grit Series but are now distinguished from the similar but geograp ...

, the modern name in South Wales for the assemblage of strata that was traditionally known as the Millstone Grit series. A stream gully between the descent path and the falls marks the line of the Henrhyd Fault which is responsible for the falls' presence. One of the area's most famous visitors was Sir

William Edmond Logan Sir William Edmond Logan, FRSE FRS FGS (20 April 1798 – 22 June 1875), was a Canadian-born geologist and the founder and first director of the Geological Survey of Canada. Life William Edmond Logan was born into a well-to-do Montreal family ...

(later head of the

Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; , CGC) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the environment. A branch of the Earth Science ...

). In 1833 he carried out detailed geological survey work in the area, discovering a mile (1.5 km) down the valley from the foot of the falls the

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

trees that now stand in the garden at

Swansea Museum The Swansea Museum in Swansea, Wales, UK is the oldest museum in Wales, created for and by the Royal Institution of South Wales in 1841 to house its collections and provide research and learning facilities. History Swansea Museum is the olde ...

. They are 'Object 1' in their 'History of Swansea in 20 Objects'.

Access

The waterfall is reached after a steep walk down into the valley from the car park established by the National Trust, and is a popular spot to visit. A further footpath leads steeply down to the falls via the opposite side of the valley, accessed from Dol Henrhyd, the road to Coelbren village.

References

External links

images of Henrhyd Falls and surrounding area on the Geograph website
{{Waterfalls of Wales Fforest Fawr Waterfalls of Powys Tourist attractions in Powys National Trust properties in Wales

Geology

Access

See also

References

External links