Llangorse Lake

Llangorse Lake lies in the Brecon Beacons National Park, a few miles from Brecon and the village of Llangors. It is the largest natural lake in Mid and South Wales, covering 139 hectares with a three-mile shoreline. The lake sits 505 feet above sea level in a glacier-carved basin fed by the Afon Llynfi. Its waters reach a depth of 7.75 metres in places. Surrounded by farmland and hills, the lake is a quiet spot for visitors. The lake draws anglers chasing pike and coarse fish, while watersports enthusiasts sail or windsurf on its surface. Gerald of Wales wrote in the 12th century about the abundance of waterfowl here. A rare crannog, a man-made island of oak planks and stone, stands forty metres from the north shore. Archaeologists found an 8th–9th century textile and bronze hinge on the crannog in the 1990s. Local folklore tells of Gorsey, a monster said to be a giant pike or a memory of beavers. Paths circle the lake, passing the Llangasty Nature Reserve where scarce blue-tailed damselflies live. In 2011 water voles were released near the shore to restore their numbers. A dugout boat from the 9th century was found in the lake in 1925. Nearby, traces remain of a fort burned in 916 after an attack by Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians. Views stretch across the water to the hills beyond, making it a peaceful place to walk or watch birds.