Brecon Beacons National Park has announced that it will use its Welsh language name only in future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The switch – to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park – takes effect on Monday, its 66th anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Park bosses say the name change will help celebrate and promote the area’s culture and heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is part of a wider overhaul of how the park is managed, to try and address serious environmental challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Welsh name means “the peaks of Brychan’s kingdom” and is pronounced ban-aye bruch-ein-iog, with the ch making the same sound as in loch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brycheiniog – named after 5th Century King Brychan – was an independent kingdom in the early middle ages, and its borders roughly match those of the national park today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resmi Satheesan, a holidaymaker who is originally from India and is currently based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, visits the park often with her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think it will take us a while to get used to the name, but I wouldn’t mind the change,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“More than the name, it’s the place [people] are coming for. It’s like Mumbai and Bombay – there are still people who say Bombay, but we still know what they are talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I have spoken multiple languages and travelled a lot, and what’s not to love about trying something new or learning something about the locals?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Laura Howell, from the Gower, Swansea, added: “People will probably keep calling it the Brecon Beacons I imagine, but for those who are Welsh speakers it’s a bit of pride and I think it’s great that it will be referred to the Welsh way of saying it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think it’s a step forward. We live in Wales, so it should be the case.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bannau Brycheiniog National Park’s chief executive, Catherine Mealing-Jones, said: “It just felt the right time to reclaim the old name for the area. [It] reflects our commitment to the Welsh language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“But we understand people are used to calling the park by the name everyone’s used for 66 years, so we don’t expect everyone to use it, at least straight away.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is the second of Wales’ national parks to adopt a Welsh-only name – following Eryri (formerly Snowdonia) last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bannau Brycheiniog covers approximately 520 square miles (1,347 sq km) of south and mid-Wales, and attracts about four million visitors a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its industrial heritage has won Unesco World Heritage status for the former coal-mining community of Blaenavon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But recent reports on the state of the natural environment have flagged several concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These include a 30% decline in farmland birds since the 1970s, as well as 67% of waterbodies within the Wye catchment, and 88% of Usk waterbodies failing pollution targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A new management plan will attempt to reverse declines in wildlife species across the park by 2030, and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2035, park bosses have said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will involve working with partners to plant a million trees, restore 16,000 hectares of damaged peatland, build renewable energy schemes and improve public transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We’ve got out of balance between people and nature and the climate,” Ms. Mealing-Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The plans include the creation of wildlife corridors, and a pledge to plant one million new trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A focus on local food will see a push towards more fruit and vegetable farming within the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There are still sheep grazing and cattle in the hills and all the things that are central to what you’d expect from this landscape,” Ms. Mealing-Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“But there’s more horticulture going on, vineyards, renewable energy sources, we’re capturing more carbon into the peatlands and biodiversity is starting to come back.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stella Owen, NFU Cymru’s county advisor, said that, while it was important the national park was put “on a pedestal”, local farmers had to have the ability “to run businesses, to be profitable, and to continue in these wonderful, vibrant communities – delivering on the Welsh language, the culture and the social aspect of what we have.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welsh actor Michael Sheen also welcomed the new plans, including “the reclamation of the old Welsh name – an old name for a new way of being”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brecon Beacons National Park has announced that it will use its Welsh language name only in future. The switch – to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park – takes effect on Monday, its 66th anniversary. Park bosses say the name change will help celebrate and promote the area’s culture and heritage. It is part of a wider…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n