Brecon Cathedral and more: what to see in Brecon
The middle of Brecon has 5 places to visit within 1 km. 2 more lie within 5 km of its edge. On the list: 3 museums, a cathedral and a castle, among others. Our list counts one place looked after by Cadw. A day out reaches Bronllys Castle, 12 km away.
Brecon’s big names
Next to Brecon Cathedral, the best known are 3 museums, a castle and a fort.
CathedralBrecon Cathedralin town
CastleBrecon Castlein town
MuseumRoyal Welsh Regiment Museumin town
MuseumY Gaer (cultural hub)in townMuseumMuseumBrecon Museumin town
Fort · CadwY Gaer Roman Fort2.8 km outside town, to the westEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
The lie of the land
At 4.3 km, Y Gaer Roman Fort is the farthest one out.
The dashed line is Brecon’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
The list by type
There are more castles or historic places (3) than anything else, then museums or galleries (3).
Green: inside Brecon. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by Cadw (Y Gaer Roman Fort).
Full list of places
The town has 5; within 5 km of its edge, the list finds 2 more.
The 5 inside Brecon come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
522 listed buildings and 4 scheduled monuments are on Brecon’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Brecon →
Day trips from Brecon
Bronllys Castle, at 12 km, heads the 12.
Castle · CadwBronllys Castle12 km northeast
Castle · CadwBlaenllynfi Castle12 km southeast
Castle · CadwCarreg Cennen Castle39 km westHeritage railwayHeritage railwayBrecon Mountain Railway16 km south
Castle · CadwCastell y Grysmwnt36 km east
CastleTretower Castle16 km southeast
CastleCastell Dinas13 km east
CastleMorlais Castle19 km south
CastleLlandovery Castle28 km westCastleCastle · CadwY Castell Gwyn36 km eastCastleCastle · English HeritageLongtown Castle28 km east
Castle · CadwTretower Court16 km southeastPlaces well known beyond Brecon (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Quick answers on Brecon
What are the main attractions in Brecon?
The best known inside Brecon’s built-up area are Brecon Cathedral, Brecon Castle, Royal Welsh Regiment Museum and Y Gaer (cultural hub). In all, 5 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 2 more within 5 km.
Does Brecon have a museum?
3 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Brecon: Royal Welsh Regiment Museum, Y Gaer (cultural hub) and Brecon Museum.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Brecon?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Brecon, 1 place is cared for by Cadw (Y Gaer Roman Fort).
What are the best-known days out near Brecon?
Within 40 km: Bronllys Castle (12 km), Blaenllynfi Castle (12 km), Carreg Cennen Castle (39 km), Brecon Mountain Railway (16 km).
Where are Brecon’s historic buildings listed?
Brecon has 522 listed buildings, 6 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Cadw’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Brecon when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (14)
- Brecon Cathedral: David Merrett from Daventry, England, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brecon Castle: Philip Pankhurst, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Royal Welsh Regiment Museum: Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Y Gaer (cultural hub): Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Y Gaer Roman Fort: Alan Bowring, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bronllys Castle: Keith Salvesen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blaenllynfi Castle: Jeremy Bolwell, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carreg Cennen Castle: Nigel Davies, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castell y Grysmwnt: Robert Cutts from Bristol, England, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tretower Castle: Pete Chapman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castell Dinas: Jasper Fforde, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Morlais Castle: Gibbinskaren, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Llandovery Castle: Stuart Logan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tretower Court: Philip Pankhurst, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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