Top 6 Natural Monuments around Llangathen

Wow just wow, didn’t expect the cave below the castle !!!

There are great views of Castell Carreg Cennen from here, looking north-west across the valley. The castle is perched gloriously on a rocky limestone outcrop, and its outer walls and towers look majestic and are a reminder of its former glory.

The River Loughor is a river in Wales that marks the border between Carmarthenshire & Swansea. The river is sourced from an underground lake at the Black Mountain emerging at the surface from Llygad Llwchwr, which translates from the Welsh as eye of the Loughor😀

Carreg Cennen Castle is erected sometime after 1284 by Baron John Giffard and his son on the site of an earlier Welsh fortification. In 1462, Carreg Cennen flies the Lancastrian flag. Taken on behalf of the Yorkist king Edward IV, it is slighted by pick and crowbar, ending its life as a stronghold. Carreg Cennen castle is spectacularly located on a great limestone crag about 90m above the river Cennen, offering views miles around.

This is a very undervalued area of the western Brecon Beacons. The walking here is raw and wild, which is one of the reasons why it is also a quieter part of the park, so it will appeal to many. Here you also will find some of the best examples of Iron Age hillforts you can ever hope to see anywhere. Y Garn Goch and Y Gaer Fach are some of the most impressive hill forts in Wales. At 11.2 and 1.5 hectares, respectively, these are impressive structures and in their day provided considerable defensive structures to the native inhabitants. The large stone defensive ramparts, which are large rubble banks today, once stood 10m high and 5m thick. You can access both forts from a small car park at the base of the hill.

Ruin of a late thirteenth-century castle, on a limestone rock where there may already have been a fort in the Iron Age. The earliest castle was most likely the work of the dynasty of Welsh princes. The oldest found written mention of the castle dates "only" from 1248 when Rhys Fychan (died 1271), great-grandson of Lord Rhys, conquered the castle from the English. In 1277 the castle was captured by Edward I of England in his first campaign against Llewelyn ap Gruffudd of Gwynedd (died 1282).[1] The castle was briefly reconquered in 1282 and 1287. In 1282–83 Edward I completed his conquest of Wales and granted Carreg Cennen Castle in 1283 to his loyal supporter John Giffard (d. 1299), baron of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire). The current castle was most likely built by Baron Giffard and his son John (died 1322), not too long after 1284. Being a resident of Ghent myself, I thought it was a nice fact that the castle was in the hands of John of Gaunt (yes, John of Gaunt), Duke of Lancaster, for a while in the 14th century. During the War of the Roses (1455-1485), Carreg Cennen Castle was initially in Lancaster hands, but was later conquered by the York supporters. In the late 18th century the castle became popular among amateur archaeologists and artists, with William Turner visiting the castle in 1798. In the 19th century the second Earl of Cawdor began restoration work on Carreg Cennen Castle. In 1932 the castle came under state management. In the 1960s the castle became the property of the Morris family, owners of the Castell Farm farm near the castle. Source: Wikipedia The castle can be visited 364 days of the year. Just not on Christmas Day. 9:30 am - 4:30 pm (from April to October until 5:00 pm) The ticket desk is located at the tea room / gift shop ("downstairs", where the parking is also located). In high season and on weekends, tickets can also be purchased near the entrance to the castle. Entrance prices range from £6.50 for adults, £4.00 for discount holders, to £20.00 for a family ticket.

This magical spot, Llygad Llwchwr which translates as "eye of the Loughor" is where the River Loughor emerges from its source - an underground lake at the Black Mountain. Below the surface from Llygad Llwchwr is a 1.2 km-long cave system in the Black Mountain. The cave contains a dry high level series and an active river level. Beyond the fourth river chamber exploration is only possible by cave diving.

Visit the Great Glass House at Botanical Gardens Wales. It's the largest single-span great glasshouse in the world houses the largest collection of Mediterranean plants in the Northern Hemisphere. it's a great day out and well worth the visit. You need to pay to enter the Botanical Gardens. Visit https://botanicgarden.wales/ for details