Page 25 - Cracking Walks - Energetic

History - Early Man
The Black Mountains show evidence of Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlements. Crug Hywel (Table Mountain), the Iron Age fort above Crickhowell was probably built by the warlike Silures tribe.
For more detailed information and commentary:
www.cpat.org.uk/walks/pencerrigcalch.pdf
for notes on Crug Hywel and Bronze Age burial mounds on Pen Cerrig-calch.
Castles
As the Normans pushed west following the invasion in 1066, they built castles to protect their trade routes and suppress the Welsh.
By the turn of the century, wooden fortifications on earth mounds had been built along the Usk valley at Abergavenny, Crickhowell and Tretower.
These were soon replaced by stone structures more suited to long term defence and control. Tretower Castle is a fine example, its later history also beautifully preserved in the medieval
Tretower Court.
Industrial Heritage
Quicklime obtained from the limestone of Mynydd Llangattock has long been used for agricultural improvement.
In the late 18th century, with increased demand from the iron works in Clydach and Blaenavon trade was sufficient to justify the building of a canal to transport the processed quicklime and limestone for the iron works. The 1820’s were a heady time for the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, but the 1830’s brought a recession and by the time that trade recovered, faster rail transport was already taking over.
The ‘Mon & Brec’, as it is known, celebrated its official bicentenary in 2012. It is still in use today for leisure traffic and its towpath is ideal for walking, fishing and cycling. The extensive limekilns at Llangattock have been preserved and the Wharfinger’s House (the official who recorded the passage of goods through the wharf) is still occupied.
Plan ahead and visit www.visitcrickhowell.co.uk 23