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In 1912, two brothers crossed a pitch-black underground lake by coracle with only candles to guide them. They had no idea what they'd find. Nobody did. Not fully. Not yet.
Tommy and Jeff Morgan were local men. They knew this hillside in the Brecon Beacons the way anyone knows the landscape in which they grew up. But what was below their feet was another matter entirely. Armed with rope, a small boat made of willow and hide, and candles that the darkness could swallow in an instant, they went in anyway.
If you're looking for things to do in the Brecon Beacons that you won't find in any guidebook, you've found one. Most places worth visiting come with a story. Dan-yr-Ogof, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales comes with several.
The river Llynfell emerges from the mountainside at the Dan-yr-Ogof cave entrance, returning to the surface after an underground journey of many kilometres. It was through this opening that Tommy and Jeff began their exploration, crossing underground lakes by coracle, hauling themselves through dangerous climbs with rope, and pressing further into a cave system that nobody had charted.
They named what they found as they went. There is a formation in the cave roof that the Morgan Brothers considered their favourite; visitors still look up at it today, guided by a small yellow sign that points upward with quiet pride – they called it the Welsh Shawl, and this magnificent curtain formation can be found high up in the roof of Cauldron Chamber.
Their discovery opened up what is now known to be one of the longest cave systems in Western Europe: over 16 kilometres of explored passageways. Most of it has never been seen by the public. The exploration is still ongoing. What's still to be discovered? That question remains as yet unanswered…
Dan-yr-Ogof is the cave the Morgan Brothers first entered, and the one that still carries their story most closely. Awe-inspiring passageways, vast chambers, and cave formations that have been ‘growing’ in the dark for longer than human civilisation has existed. The rock around you is carboniferous limestone, formed in a sub-tropical seabed south of the Equator over millions of years, before the continental plates shifted to the area we now know as South Wales.
Cathedral Cave was discovered later, in 1953, by the South Wales Caving Club after months of difficult excavation work. Walk through it and you understand the name immediately, and be amazed at the vastness of the caverns and at the thousands of straw stalactites adorning the cave roof.
Bone Cave is the most unusual of the three. The remains of 42 human skeletons were discovered here, along with thousands of other archaeological items. The oldest bone found inside is from a red deer, over 7,000 years old. Wolves and cave bears would have used caves like this for shelter during the last Ice Age! Nobody has ever fully explained why so many people were buried here.
The caves are the reason most people come, but they are not the only reason to stay.
Above ground, the site offers many more attractions on the one ticket. The Dinosaur Park is one of the largest collections of life-sized dinosaur models in the world, with over 250 of them set into the hillside, some appearing unexpectedly through the trees! The Iron Age Village reconstructs farming life from over 3,000 years ago, based on archaeological evidence found here on this exact site. The Museum holds geology, history, and cave exploration that adds depth to everything you've already explored.
There is also, if you look carefully, something ageing quietly in the darkness of the cave system; barrels of Cascave Welsh gin, and Penderyn whisky, maturing underground in the cool, constant atmosphere that the Morgan Brothers first explored.
Dan-yr-Ogof, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales is one of the most extraordinary places to visit in the Brecon Beacons, and one of the most surprising. It is located in the Brecon Beacons National Park, near Abercrave in the Upper Swansea Valley. Allow a minimum of two and a half to three hours for your visit, but most visitors find they need longer! Sensible footwear and an extra layer are advisable; the caves are a constant 10 degrees regardless of the weather outside. Free parking is available on site.
All three caves are self-guided, with commentaries at selected points. You go at your own pace - there is no rush!
The caves have been keeping their secrets for 315 million years – come to visit Dan-yr-Ogof, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales and discover them for yourself…
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Ten attractions all included in the one entry ticket - there is plenty to see and do for all ages (site hub).
