The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was established in 1952 and was the 5th National Park created in Britain. It is the only fully coastal National Park and stretches around the edge of south-west Wales. Here are some of my favourite fun facts: 1. St David's is the smallest city in Britain, in terms of size and population. It is named after the patron saint of Wales. 2. Most of the National Park lies within 2 miles of the coast. Nowhere is more than 10 miles from the coast. 3. Grassholm Island, an RSPB reserve located 11 miles off the Marloes Peninsular looks perpetually snow-capped. It's not though! It just looks that way thanks to the 39,000 breeding pairs of gannets who make it their home. The 'snow' is their droppings (guano). 4. Coasteering was invented in Pembrokeshire in the 1980's. In case you haven't heard of it, it is an adrenaline-fuelled adventure sport that involves scrambling and climbing around the rocky coastline then jumping off cliffs into the sea. 5. Freshwater West was the setting for Shell Cottage in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Bill and Fleur's cottage was built and filmed on the beach - but sadly it is no longer here. 6. If you walk the entire Pembrokeshire Coast Path, you will ascend a height higher than Mount Everest! The total rise and fall of this National Trail is 35,000 ft, compared to Everest's height of 29,000 ft. 7. The equals sign (=) was invented in 1557 by Robert Recorde, who came from Pembrokeshire. He was a Welsh physician and mathematician.
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The Brecon Beacons National Park was established in 1957 and was the 10th National Park created in Britain. It covers 520 square miles and stretches from the Black Mountain in the west, across Fforest Fawr and the Brecon Beacons, to the Black Mountains in the east (note the plural!). Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons mountain range is the highest point of southern Britain, at 886m above sea level. I learnt some interesting things whilst planning for our trip and wanted to share some of my favourite fun facts. 1. The name Brecon Beacons is said to come from the ancient practice of lighting signal fires (beacons) on the mountains to warn of enemy attacks. 2. The Brecon Beacons National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve. It was only the fifth location in the world (and the first in Wales) to receive this accreditation, in 2013. It is a highly prestigious status that indicates exceptional quality in terms of starry nights and grants it special protection to ensure this quality is maintained. We were lucky to be staying over on a clear night and were able to see the Milky Way, major constellations and a nebula with the naked eye. The aurora borealis (a.k.a. Northern Lights) can sometimes be seen here. 3. The SAS uses the Brecon Beacons as one of the locations for its selection exercises, partly because of its unpredictable and changeable weather. 4. Llyn Cwm Llwch on the north-west face of Pen y Fan is a glacial lake with an invisible enchanted island of fairies, or so the story goes...It is said that a door in a rock would open each year on May Day, revealing a passageway that led to the island. Welcoming and hospitable fairies inhabited this magical place and gladly entertained any visitors but they warned everyone to take nothing from the island as it was sacred. One year, a selfish visitor stole a flower and since then the door to the island has never reopened. (BTW, a glacial lake is a lake formed from a melted glacier.) 5. You can get married in a cave. The Cathedral Cave lies 150m below ground at the National Showcaves Centre and has 40ft waterfalls that cascade into an underground lake. It is licensed for civil ceremonies. 6. Shhh...don't tell anyone but the Batcave is located here! Henrhyd Falls near Coelbren doubles as the entrance to the Batcave in The Dark Knight Rises. 7. There is a little farming village on the edge of the National Park called Bethlehem. There is no permanent post office and it is instead visited by a mobile Post Office van once a week for an hour. However, its name attracts thousands of visitors every Christmas who travel from far and wide to post their cards from here so that their envelopes will be stamped with a seasonal postmark from Bethlehem.
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