Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire Sir Frycheiniog | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Primary Destinations | |||
Brecon • Builth Wells | |||
Current Highway Authorities | |||
Blaenau Gwent • Merthyr Tydfil • Powys • Rhondda Cynon Taf | |||
Borders | |||
Cardiganshire • Carmarthenshire • Glamorgan • Herefordshire • Monmouthshire • Radnorshire | |||
Welsh Government Roads | |||
A40 • A465 • A470 • A479 • A483 | |||
Brecknockshire (Sir Frycheiniog in Welsh) is one of the traditional counties of mid Wales. The county council was abolished in 1974 and the county is now mostly administered by Powys County Council. The name of the county is a corruption of its county town, Brecon.
Geography & Economy
Brecknockshire runs from the River Wye in the north to the three mountain ranges making up the Brecon Beacons National Park in the south; as such the county is largely mountainous. The River Usk runs west to east across the centre of the county. The south of the county was in the sphere of influence of the Valleys and so heavy industry and coal mining took place there but this has now ceased. Agriculture has been important in the remainder of the county, although due to the terrain livestock has had to be hardy. However, the inhospitable terrain is still used for training by the armed forces. Tourism is also important. Builth Wells is a spa town whilst Hay-on-Wye is famous for its bookshops. However, most tourists come to Brecknockshire for the mountains.
Roads
Roads in Brecknockshire are mostly constrained by the county's terrain. There are roads along the county's two main valleys, Usk and Wye, but all other roads need to brave the hills. Brecon and Builth Wells are focuses for roads in the south and north of the county respectively, with very few roads being unrelated to either. A few roads head south across the Brecon Beacons but that area of the county north of Brecon is very poorly served. Owing to the county's poor road network but geographical situation, most of the county's primary roads are trunk. The North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent maintains the east-west A40 and A483 and north-south A470 and A479, whilst the South Wales Trunk Road Agent maintains the A465. Most non-trunk roads within the traditional county are maintained by Powys County Council, whilst Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Councils each maintain a small area in the far south.
Route | From | To | Length |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
A40 | London | Fishguard | 263 miles | View |
A438 | Ashchurch | Pont-y-bat | 60.6 miles | View |
A465 | Neath | Bromyard | 79.3 miles | View |
A467 | Newport | Brynmawr | 20.8 miles | View |
A470 | Cardiff | Llandudno | 185.1 miles | View |
A479 | Crickhowell (NW) | Llyswen | 22.1 miles | View |
A483 | Earlswood | Chester | 153.6 miles | View |
A4044 | Crumlin | Brynmawr | 10.0 miles | View |
A4045 | Blaina Road | King Street | 0.4 miles | View |
A4047 | Tredegar | Brynmawr | 4.1 miles | View |
A4059 | Abercynon | Brecon Beacons | 21.2 miles | View |
A4062 | Brecon | Bishop's Meadow | 1.1 miles | View |
A4066 | Hirwaun | Beacons Reservoir | 9.5 miles | View |
A4067 | Oystermouth | Sennybridge | 35.8 miles | View |
A4068 | Gurnos | Brynamman | 5.4 miles | View |
A4073 | Llyswen | Llanfilo | 2.8 miles | View |
A4077 | Glanbaiden | Crickhowell | 4.4 miles | View |
A4078 | Talgarth | Three Cocks | 2.1 miles | View |
A4079 | Three Cocks | Llyswen | 2.2 miles | View |
A4153 | Glasbury | Whitney on Wye (W) | 8.0 miles | View |
A4215 | Defynnog | near Libanus | 5.0 miles | View |
A4221 | Dyffryn Cellwen | Abercraf | 2.8 miles | View |
A4281 | Victoria | Ebbw Vale East and West junctions | View | |
B4018 | Hirwaun | Cwm Ynys-Mintan | 1.2 miles | View |
B4248 | Blaenavon | Brynmawr | 4.5 miles | View |
B4297 | Ystalyfera | Sennybridge | 19.1 miles | View |
B4299 | Gurnos | Brynamman | 5.5 miles | View |
B4344 | Llyswen | Llanfilo | 2.8 miles | View |
B4348 | Hay on Wye | Llandinabo | 23.6 miles | View |
B4350 | Llyswen | Whitney on Wye | 11.5 miles | View |
B4351 | Clyro | Hay on Wye | 1.2 miles | View |
B4358 | Beulah | Bwlch-y-rhiw, near Llanyre | 10.5 miles | View |
B4475 | Garth Road | Wye Bridge | 0.4 miles | View |
B4519 | Garth | Penrhiw | 7.1 miles | View |
B4520 | Brecon | Builth Wells | 16.4 miles | View |
B4557 | Brecon | Bishop's Meadow | 1.1 miles | View |
B4558 | Cefn Brynich | Crickhowell | 11.7 miles | View |
B4559 | Defynnog | Libanus (SW) | 5.0 miles | View |
B4560 | Beaufort | Talgarth | 16.8 miles | View |
B4594 | Erwood | Burlingjobb | 15.8 miles | View |
B4599 | Ystalyfera | Cae'r-bont | 4.2 miles | View |
B4601 | Brynich roundabout, Brecon | Pont-ar-darell roundabout, Llanfaes | 2.4 miles | View |
B4602 | Brecon | Troedyrharn | 2.2 miles | View |
T18 | Swansea | Manchester | View | |
T75 | Cardiff | Llangurig | View | |
T77 | Raglan | Llandovery | View | |
T104 | Glanusk Park (Crickhowell) | Llyswen | 11.1 miles | View |
Key
Junctions
Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings