Bannau Brycheiniog: Views on national park's name change

Residents near Bannau Brycheiniog have voiced their upset at not being consulted about the national park dropping its English name.

The switch from Brecon Beacons took effect on the park's 66th anniversary on Monday.

Bosses said the change promotes the area's culture and heritage.

Some residents of Brecon, Powys say people will continue to use the old name, but one business has already ordered new branding.

The Welsh name means "the peaks of Brychan's kingdom" and is pronounced ban-aye bruch-ay-nee-og, with the ch making the same sound as in loch.

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.

Neil Gardner, of Beacons Guest House, Brecon said he wasn't "aware at all" ahead of the announcement.

"I think the change was poorly thought out. We should promote the Welsh language, I think that's a good thing, but they should have been a bit more considerate.

"What a fantastic way to promote our national park, but the park authority have handled it badly."

Marie-Anne Griffiths of Beacons Crafts added that she only heard about it the day the name changed.

"We have been here for 27 years and we are not going to change our name. I think it's probably money poorly spent," she said.

"For five minutes it's brought the park to the news, but I think the money could have been spent in a better way. I don't feel it was necessary.

"There must have been a lot of people who hadn't heard anything and it seems a shame because it's the local people it matters to a great deal and it would have been nice to be consulted."

Bailea O'Connor, 22, from nearby Sennybridge, added: "I only learned yesterday when someone came into the shop where I work and asked if I'd heard that the place where we live is changing name.

"In all honesty, I don't think it should have happened.

"I know a few locals who will be negatively affected by the name change because some people can't pronounce it. Especially for a tourist, coming to the area asking for Brecon Beacons."

Brecon resident Ann Price, 80, said: "I think there should have been some discussion, but I think it would have happened anyway. And they don't seem to have taken the cost into consideration"

Her husband Derek Price, 82 added: "I must say, I don't really understand it if you're looking at these places as places that are welcoming to people from all over the world.

"We have always known the Welsh, but I am sure when people come from other parts they will not be quite sure about the language and are still going to call it the Brecon Beacons.

"The other thing I am perturbed about is the cost of it, when you consider what they are going to have to do to make that change."

Helen Lucocq, strategy and policy manager for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, said it had been developing its new strategy, including the name change, for the past two-and-a-half years.

"Those are conversations that we have been having with residents, with organisations, with our members, with our staff, with our ambassadors, with our local businesses," she said.

"The messages that we've been getting back is that Brecon Beacons actually didn't reflect the beautiful landscape, the history of the place, the identity."

Ms Lucocq added that the cost of the branding has been "a fraction of what any other business would pay".

"We have been really lucky to work with a company that really believed in what we did, and we got a lot of support and a lot of passion from them," she said.

"We're not going to be changing absolutely everything straight away. Sustainability is one of our core values, so we'll just be replacing things when it wears out and we would have anyway.

"It's not about anybody else having to change their name. This is about us as an organisation, our identity, our purpose. It's going to take a generation for this name change to sink in."

However, others are already embracing the new name.

Anthony Jones, of Left Bank Brewery in Llangorse, Brecon, said: "We're not changing the names of the beers, because we already incorporate the Welsh language, but our bottles say 'brewed in the Brecon Beacons'.

"I already ordered some labels last night which say 'brewed in Bannau Brycheiniog'.

"Everything blows over, but we will use it as publicity, because we are virtually the only brewery in the national park and if people are talking about it in any sense, at least they're talking about it."

Resmi Satheesan, a holidaymaker who is originally from India and is currently based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, visits the park often with her family and welcomed the change.

"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?" she said.

Laura Howell, from the Gower, Swansea, added: "I think it's a step forward. We live in Wales, so it should be the case."