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Mynydd
Illtyd Common is owned by the Brecon Beacons National Park. It is an open
space for the public to walk and enjoy. The common was
purchased on 19 February 1984 from the
Eagle Star insurance company.
The
common is named after
Saint Illtyd one of the early Christian teachers
in Wales. He was the
founder of an
important monastic settlement at Llantwit Major circa
500AD.
Tradition held that Saint Illtyd was buried on the common
though this is no longer believed to be the case.
The
BBNPA has established a liaison committee of
commoners / local farmers who have the right to
graze their sheep, horses and cattle on the common.
They also have
the
right to harvest the bracken on the common which is then used as
bedding for the farm animals. This
usually takes place in the Autumn.
There is the site of
a sunken
village or Iron Age Crannog
(a
village on stilts)
on Mynydd
Illtyd
similar to that found at Llangorse Lake.
The two bogs
on the common
named Traeth Mawr and Traeth Bach
are designated as a site of special scientific interest.
They are
particularly interesting as one characteristic of this boggy area is that
acidic and alkaline water are found
in
close
proximity
curiously
creating two
very different environments.
This
has encouraged the presence of
plants which would not normally be found in the same locality.
** Health
and Safety:
The boggy
areas are very dangerous for walking.
For example, on one occasion
a horse which
wandered onto Traeth Mawr sank through the apparently solid ground
and became trapped.
A farmer entered the bog
to encourage the horse to leave and in so doing the horse fell on top of
the farmer who would almost certainly have drowned if it were not for
the fact that the fire brigade had arrived by this time.
It is therefore
essential to keep to the clearly marked footpaths
National Park Visitor
Centre - the Mountain Centre |
