Llangors Lake
History in the Llangors basin
Llangors Lake is the largest natural lake in southern
Wales and was created by the action of glaciers during the last Ice Age over
10,000 years ago. The lake lies in the bottom of a large bowl and is fed by
water running off the surrounding hills.
The lake drains northwards into the River Wye near
Glasbury. At the end of the Ice Age this outflow was blocked by ice and rock and
the lake level was considerably higher, not far below where Llangasty Village
Hall stands. Today, the lake is much shallower about 8m (22ft) and its deepest
point. The shallow waters are rich in nutrients and support a wealth of plants,
insects, fish and birds.
A spiritual place
For Iron Age people the lake would have been a very
special place. They believed that gods lived in the lake and they would throw
sacrificial offerings into the water. More recently, St Gastyn founded a
Christian community or ‘llan’ around 450 AD on the shores of the lake from which
Llangasty takes its name.
A Lake Trail
A public footpath trail runs from
Llangors around the western end of the lake for about 2 miles, crossing common,
farmland, wildflower meadows and providing access to a bird hide near Ty Mawr.
There is no access around the eastern end of the lake. The trail finishes at
Llangasty near St Gastyn’s Church.
A Fortress in the Lake
Time Team Documentary. The team tries to discover what happened to a Dark Ages palace located on a man-made island in the middle of the lake. The Fortress in the Lake