Cambrian Mountains

The Cambrian Mountains are a series of mountain ranges in Wales, reaching from, and including, the South Wales mountains of the Brecon Beacons, north Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, to Snowdonia in North Wales.

Originally the term "Cambrian Mountains" was applied in a general sense to most of upland Wales. Since the 1950s, its application has become increasingly (and arguably illogically) localised to the geographically homogeneous Mid Wales uplands known in the Welsh language as the Elenydd (which extend from Pumlumon to Mynydd Mallaen).

This barren and sparsely populated wilderness is often referred to affectionately as the Desert of Wales.

The highest point of the range is Pumlumon. The area includes the source of the River Severn and River Wye, and has been proposed as a National Park. It is the type of locality of the Cambrian period of the Paleozoic era (542-488Ma).

Cefn Croes, the site of a controversial wind farm project, is in the Cambrian Mountains, just south of the A44 road between Aberystwyth and Llangurig.[1], [2],[3]

The Cambrian Mountains also host the Elan Valley Reservoirs and Llyn Brianne reservoir, which provide water for the English West Midlands and for South Wales respectively. They also contain Clywedog Reservoir and Nant y Moch Reservoir.

Principal Cambrian Mountain Summits

• Pen Pumlumon Fawr [Plynlimon] 752m
• Pen Pumlumon Arwystli 741m
• Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan 727m
• Y Garn 684m
• Pumlumon Fach 668m
• Great Rhos 660m
• Black Mixen 650m
• Drygarn Fawr 645m
• Gorllwyn 613m
• Bache Hill 610m
• Pen y Garn 610m
• Y Gamriw 604m
• Waen Claerddu 593m

See also

• The Cambrian Way high level long-distance footpath

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Coordinates: 52°25′N 3°30′W / 52.417°N 3.5°W / 52.417; -3.5