Llangattock (Crickhowell)

Llangattock (Welsh: Llangatwg) is a village, community and electoral ward in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, Wales. It lies in the Usk Valley just across the river from the town of Crickhowell. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal passes through the village en route between Brecon and Pontypool.[1] It is in the historic county of Breconshire.

The village and church from the canal, with Crickhowell beyond.

According to the 2011 UK Census the population of the community was 999.,[2] with the village itself having a population of around 660.[3]

To the south of the village is the imposing Llangattock Escarpment whose great limestone cliffs were scarred by extensive quarrying in the nineteenth century. Above these is the great gritstone plateau of Mynydd Llangatwg or Llangattock Mountain. Some of Britain's longest cave systems lie concealed beneath this hill, including Ogof y Daren Cilau and Ogof Agen Allwedd together with the shorter though more accessible cave of Eglwys Faen (or 'stone church').

The great natural amphitheatre formed by the cliffs of Craig y Cilau and the quarried Daren Cilau was designated a national nature reserve on account of a variety of rare plants, notably species of whitebeam endemic to the area. The hollow itself is thought to be a product of both glacial action and a massive rotational landslip during the ice ages.

Llangattock elects a community council of ten members who, amongst other things, are responsible for the running of Llangattock cemetery.[4] Llangattock electoral ward also elects one county councillor to Powys County Council.