The name Pen Pych is a shortened form of Pen yr pump Pych, meaning “Heads of the Five Bulls.” A suitably dramatic title for a small mountain in South Wales - but don’t worry, there’s a legend to match.
The story goes that, back in Roman times, a local tribe lived on top of the mountain and bred their prized bulls with cows from the valley below. When the Romans came marching in (as they so often did), they demanded the land. The tribe refused - classic Celtic defiance - so the Romans changed tack and insisted on taking the bulls instead.
Rather than hand them over, the tribe chose chaos. They drove the bulls off the cliff, then decapitated them and mounted their heads on spikes. As you do. The message was clear: you can take our land over our dead bulls.
The following summer, the Romans returned for revenge, attacking from two sides. Unfortunately for them, they hadn’t quite got the hang of the terrain. In true underdog fashion, the tribe ambushed them, completely wiping out the legion - or so the story goes.
True or not, Pen Pych is a striking place. These days, the only thing you’ll see impaled on a spike is a Manchester United flag fluttering proudly in memory of someone’s Grandad - visible from miles around and far less bloody than its legendary predecessors.
