The Abercrave Area Today 
  
Today we are in the Holocene epoch, the second epoch of the Quaternary Period.  Abercrave ( Abercraf ) is the Southern gateway to the Brecon Beacons National Park from Swansea, Wales' second city, and the M4 motorway. The National Park Boundary passes through the village and is marked by a large monolith alongside the A4067 access road to the upper Swansea Valley and the mountains of the Brecon Beacons range.

Situated in the immediate area are a number of attractions and interesting features which include..

Cefn-yr-Erw Primate Sanctuary

Craig-y-Nos Castle and Country Park

The National Showcaves for Wales

Henrhyd Falls

Ystradfellte Falls

Llan-y-Fan Fach & Llan-y-Fan Fawr mountain lakes

Experience life in the Bronze Age
The area is renowned for its many varied walks, a number of which are published by private authors, the National Parks Authority and Maes-y-Gwernen Hotel in Abercrave.

There are also many miles of surfaced single track lanes which give car access to the more remote parts of the region and to a scattering of small villages and hamlets.

Forty seven skeletons from the bronze age (3000 + years old) have been found in this cave at the National Showcaves of Wales at Abercrave.

 The river Tawe which flows down the valley to the sea at Swansea is at its most spectacular around Abercrave where it plunges through gorges, over waterfalls and into deep rock basins.

It is a sparkling clean salmon, trout and sea-trout river much prized by anglers for the variety and quality of its fishing.
Visitors can buy fishing permits at the sports shop in Ystradgynlais, and sample fresh fish on some local restaurant menus. For more fishing information see  http://www.fishing-in-kite-country.co.uk  An illustrated guide to fishing, walking, wildlife conservation and other attractions in and around the Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales, the country of the Red Kite

For those interested in the Geology and ancient history of the valley there are lots of interesting geological features, fossil bearing rocks and major faults with exposed strata.

Jan Garren at Cefn-yr-Erw Primate Sanctuary is a geologist who knows the area well and runs a field study centre. She overseas the technical content of this site.

Craig-y-Nos Castle and Country Park was the former estate of the famous opera singer Adelina Patti

  The National Show Caves for Wales   has geological and natural history exhibits

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The Geology of the Swansea Valley web-site is produced by Cefn-yr-Erw  Field Study Centre, and Primate Sanctuary, Caehopkin, Abercrave, Swansea SA9 1UD. South Wales UK. Tel 01639 730276.

www.cefn-yr-erw.co.uk

desk@cefn-yr-erw.fsnet.co.uk

 When visiting the Swansea Valley stay at Cefn-yr-Erw. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms. For more information please click here.