Picture Library
Antonia and students at the Welsh Woman of the Year Award ceremony 1999. From left to right: Peter J. Durrant (author winGammaTM and river modelling expert), Dafydd Evans (Gamma test theoretician), Antonia, Steve Margetts (author winGammaTM and software artiste extraordinaire).
Around the Brecon Beacons National Park
The Brecon Beacons National Park is a extraordinarily beautiful region region some 30 miles or so North of Cardiff. It consists of large hills or small mountains (depending on your classification system) - the highest Pen y Fan (lit. 'Top of the Mountain') being approximately 3000ft. The area in the south of the park is mainly limestone, with some soft red sandstone in the north. The region has a very high annual rainfall and is essentially a cold wet rainforest, except that over the last few thousand years the sheep have deforested most of the region which is not fenced off. This has led to spectacular open views and a mountain region of low population density, with the primary income being subsistence sheep farming, foresty, limestone quarrying, and tourism.
There are wonderful caves and the southern area is 'Waterfall country', an impressive system of hanging valleys, rapids and waterfalls with a wealth of flora and fauna. The region has been continuously occupied for over 4000 years and is rich in Cairns, Burial sites and Monoliths.
Cautionary note: Although the mountainside may look benign in good weather, visitors should never venture off the beaten track without the right training and equipment. This includes warm, water-proof clothes, good boots, a rope, water bottle (the streams are high in E-coli because of the sheep and wildlife - if you must drink the water from a spring - boil it!), the means of making fire, a good OS map and compass, and the ability to navigate in low or virtually zero visibility. Mobile phones cannot be relied upon in many parts of the park. The going can get very, very rough - it is no coincidence that the army perform E&E exercises in this area. The weather is always extremely unpredictable and can change drastically and unexpectedly within the hour. A stream that is just a few inches deep can turn into a raging torrent in the space of half an hour.
If you are lucky enough to spend time in the Brecons: Please be careful - and don't forget your camera!
Lane in snow. At 1000ft winters can get harsh.
Rainbow taken from the study at the Research Farm (it is much nicer in high-resolution).
Snowy sunset. All year round the sunsets in the high Brecons are often spectacular. At the Research Farm evening life often comes to a halt as we admire the sunset over a drink.
Snow view. On a crisp winter morning there is nothing finer than a walk over the snow clad mountain.
Duck pond. Ducks are so amusing and we have built them a kind of 'duck Eden' where there is plenty of water and a duck house to retreat to as the sun goes down and the foxes start to hunt (we make their house secure at night).
Mountain View. Pen y Fan in the far distance. The lake is the remains of an old small-scale mining operation - nice place for picnics in the summer.
Dylan the astronomer dog. He really is a very clever dog and handsome too. A planetary conjunction in the western sky caught his attention and he started barking. He would not rest until we had all trouped out and admired his discovery. He done many similar smart things since, and can easily out-think some humans.
Dylan and his new daughter Olwyn. Hm! She's pretty cute but is getting a lot of attention. What's all the fuss about?
Olwyn. Learning to read already? She seems to be checking that we are bringing her up right.
Snow and mist. Don't get the impression that the Brecon's are always covered in snow - but this was so beautiful.
Rowan tree. In the late summer the mountain ash has wonderful red berries that the birds love.
Moon over snow. You do not want to be out on the mountain on a night like this - better to admire the scene out of the window with a warm drink.
Visitors From Germany 09-07-2003 One summer's evening we had a group of unexpected visitors who needed a place to camp.
