Carreg Cennen Castle Caves by munki-boy
Carreg Cennen Castle Caves
Carreg Cennen Castle Caves is in Brecon Beacons National Park in The Wales.
From the inner ward of Carreg Cennen Castle a ‘secret passage’ (not really but it looks just like one) leads downward, along the South side of the castle below ground level on the castle side though there is an almost vertical cliff on the other. A series of bow loups are found in the side of the passageway.
From the end of the passage a stair descends into natural rock (looks like limestone with calcite deposits), until a sharp corner is reached and a natural rock tunnel leads generally Northward, passing exactly below the old lime kiln which is within the outer wall of the castle above.
The cave itself is quite interesting with various frozen flows of calcite from water making its way into the caves over time. The cave must have formed by flowing water and there are in places, visible signs of a former calcite floor that has been broken through. The surface of the rock in places above and below the margin of the old floor are blackened, so we must imagine the floor was broken through many years ago, probably to make the cave less of a crouch.
The final cave chamber that seems to be accessible today has a rubble filled hole in the floor so it’s possible more of the cave system was in use at the time of the castle occupation.
It’s an excellent bonus explore for visitors to Carreg Cennen Castle but you’ll need some kind of torch once past the passageway.
Created: 4 December 2018 Edited: 29 November 2023
Carreg Cennen Castle Caves
Local History around Carreg Cennen Castle Caves
There are some historic monuments around including:
Tair Carn Uchaf Cairns Dinefwr Park Roman Forts Tair Carn Isaf Cairns Bodyst-uchaf ring cairn Banc Crucorford round cairn Limekilns East of Cincoed Group of Burnt Mounds 300m SSW of Cilcoll Farm Ffairfach standing stone Site of Forge at Llandyfan Two Burnt Mounds 350m W of Cwrtbrynbeirdd Llwyn Du CampBryngwyn Standing Stone Garreg Las Hut Group Cwmdu Defended Enclosure Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey CastleWaun Pwtlyn Long BarrowBurnt Mound 450m ENE of Caeglas Farm Standing Stone S of Llwyn-Du Farm Trichrug round cairns Beddau'r Derwyddon Capel Dewi Carreg Cennen CastleWaun-hir post-medieval lluest farmstead Cincoed Limestone Quarries and Kilns Llys-Brychan Roman SiteGarn Goch Camps.
