Llanfellte Brecknockshire

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.889895/-3.2510509 or Grid Reference SO1422. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Ashford Tunnel

You have to check before entering, that there is no-one else in there!

Pip Rolls

A40 by Llwyfen Farm

With the sunlight highlighting the slopes of Pen Allt-mawr.

Jennifer Luther Thomas

Roman road

The bridleway on the left follows the route of a Roman road. To the right is the entrance and driveway to Middlewood Farm, The Welsh Venison Centre.

Jennifer Luther Thomas

Fields to Castle Wood

Jennifer Luther Thomas

The Elms

With glimpses of the Usk.

Jennifer Luther Thomas

Cil-wich-fawr Farm

With Tor y Foel beyond.

Jennifer Luther Thomas

Buckland Hill near Bwlch

The A40 Brecon/Abergavenny road passes through a gap in the hills at Bwlch (Welsh = pass) where a spur of the Black Mountains/Y Mynyddoedd Duon reaches across the broad valley of the River Usk/Afon Wysg. It is probably the presence of the hard-wearing sandstones of the Brownstones Formation seen amongst the bracken in this shot which account for the presence of Buckland Hill. It would have been over-ridden by the Usk valley glacier moving southeastwards through here during the last Ice Age. The area is now access land.

Alan Bowring

Views from Buckland Hill

A line of lichen-encrusted low sandstone buttresses decorate the western edge of the hill immediately south of the village of Bwlch (Welsh = 'pass') on the A40. Emerging from a bracken-covered slope scattered with oaks, birch and hawthorns they afford an excellent viewpoint for the distant ridges of the Black Mountains/Y Mynyddoedd Duon. These same purple/brown rocks (the Brownstones Formation within the 'Old Red Sandstone') also form the larger part of the Brecon Beacons to the south. The prominent spur of 'Crug Hywel' can just be seen in the distance on the right SO2220

Alan Bowring

Ashford Tunnel

A view along the side of the B4558 as the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal disappears into the north entrance of the Ashford Tunnel. Light can just be glimpsed at the other end!

Alan Bowring

Glacial overflow channel

Just west of the village of Bwlch, the modern A40 crosses this depression on a 5m high embankment. It was at this point that glacial Llangorse Lake/Llyn Syfaddan overflowed into the Usk catchment. It currently empties into the Wye via the Afon Llynfi but that northerly exit was blocked towards the end of the last Ice Age and the dammed waters found an outlet (at a height of 190m) to the south instead.

Alan Bowring

Roman Road

A modern-day bridleway follows the course of the former Roman Road leading down from Allt yr Esgair towards the village of Bwlch in the distance.

Alan Bowring

Roman Road

The straight line of the Roman Road is followed by this green track (bridleway) heading from Allt yr Esgair towards the col at Bwlch.

Alan Bowring

Mill Falls

Kayaking Mill Falls with the river Usk at a high level. Normally this is a series of small ledges and rocks, but with the river this high it becomes a continuous fast, steep rapid.

Barry Deakin

Beacons Farm Shop, Middlewood Farm, Bwlch

A purpose built outlet for fantastic locally produced meat and products. See; Link

Jonathan Billinger

The B4560 passes Pendre

The B4560 passes Pendre towards Llangorse

Shaun Ferguson

Glasfryn terrace Bwlch

Glasfryn terrace Bwlch just off the A40.

Shaun Ferguson

Buckland House, early autumn morning

Taken from the track below

Keith Salvesen

The 'Tee-Pee' Tree, Buckland Hall, nr. Bwlch

A fine old Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata. At sometime in its early history, some of its lower whorl of branches must have rooted, and maybe some had to stretch out for light.

Richard Fensome