Member Details

Ms Pam Bell  

My particular area of expertise is access to inland water and related land-based access issues. I have been a voluntary worker in this field for over three decades. I am also qualified to MSc Environmental Sciences; and take an interest in local history and landscape archaeology. In general, I am concerned that the current ‘adventure tourism’ agenda in Wales places too much emphasis on marketing packaged adventure by means of high-profile events and promotions which can put undue pressure on venues, which come to be viewed as ‘destinations’ or ‘experiences’ for their own sake, and increasingly distanced from sustainability and the original ethos of the national parks.  

Membership of Organisations: 

  • Trustee/Secretary of Bluespace Access and Conservation Trust, and one of the members representing the trust on the National Access Forum for Wales
  • Member of Canoe Wales
  • Member of British Canoeing Access Advisory Group
  • Member of British Mountaineering Council
  • Life Member of Field Studies Council
  • Life Member of Youth Hostels Association 

 

Mrs Rachel Chapel 

I was born and bred in Bannau Brycheiniog and my family have farmed the Cnewr Estate, to the west of the National Park, since 1855 when my ancestors came down from Dumfries and Galloway. We are traditional hill farmers with hefted sheep and suckler cattle living out on the hill year round. My family started the Brecknock Hill Cheviot sheep breed – and still produce and farm them today. I strongly believe in the fact that we are very privileged to manage land in such a beautiful and valuable part of the country and we should do all we can to preserve and enhance the estate for future generations. Farming and environment need to be managed hand in hand to provide us with food, water and clean air as well as a diverse and rich landscape and rural communities need to be encouraged and supported to continue to do this. I believe that we need to work with and educate urban dwellers to understand the rural way of life and that we welcome responsible tourists to the National Park. They can bring so much to the local community – but this needs to be managed carefully to ensure that agriculture, local businesses and tourism can all work in harmony. I love the outdoors, walking and water sports including open water swimming.  

Membership of Organisations:  

  • Committee member of Country Landowners Association  
    RYA member  

 

Miss Phillipa Cherryson 

Phillipa is a writer, keen hill walker and horse rider. A former reporter for Welsh newspapers and television, she is now a digital magazine editor. She’s an Ordnance Survey Champion, the South Wales organiser for the Adventure Queens (a community encouraging more women to take part in outdoor pursuits) and a trainee mountain leader. She has lived in the park for more than 25 years and understands the concerns of landowners and residents. She’s worked closely with the area’s mountain rescue teams and was on the committee of Abergavenny-based Vale of Usk Riding Club for more than 10 years. Her key interests are walking, mountain safety, conservation and riding. 

Membership of Organisations: 

  • Ordnance Survey
  • BMC
  • Adventure Queens
  • Gwent Wildlife Trust
  • National Trust
  • The Mountain Training Association

Mr Robert Dangerfield 

Interests:  

  • Continuous improvement of access to the countryside for local people and visitors of all abilities
  • Educating people about the benefits and challenges of the countryside
  • Conservation and improvement of habitats and landscape, adopting the principles of the Rights of Nature
  • Safe and fair access to inland water
  • Respect for proprietorial rights
  • Further developing the local economy with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, notably agriculture, rural industry and tourism

Membership of Organisations:   

  • Llangorse Sailing Club  

 

Mr Gareth Davies 

I have spent many years living in and enjoying our wonderful Bannau Brycheiniog which is a special place to me and my family. I am particularly interested in working with the National Park to ensure the park continues to develop its accessibility for residents and visitors who may have a disability now or in the future. As a person who is registered blind, I have extensive lived experience of engaging with Bannau Brycheiniog in many ways whilst living with sight loss and I aim to bring this experience to the LAF. 

I am a keen runner and for me getting out on to the trails and into mountains with friends is one of my favourite ways to spend my spare time. 

 

Ms Karen Harris 

I have a BSc in Environmental Science & Geography and a MSc in Environmental Pollution Control and enjoy exploring the great outdoors. Having a disability including mobility issues has severely limited my access to the countryside and therefore my ability to pursue my interests and hobbies and had a negative impact on my mental health. It has come to my notice that this applies to many others with disabilities. I have a particular interest in improving access to our countryside including Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. As an environmental scientist I am committed to achieving this whilst conserving and improving our natural environment. 

Over the past few years, I have campaigned and assisted organisations such as Bannau Brycheiniog and Ramblers Cymru with projects to improve access for those with disabilities. This has included testing equipment and surveying sites, developing accessible routes from existing footpaths, suggesting improvements required and reporting on problems and opportunities relating to visitor access. I am currently working for Carmarthenshire County Council Museum Service on Access audits for their various sites. 

My other hobbies and interests include: photography, textile crafts, gardening, writing poetry and reading.  

Membership of Organisations:  

  • Ystradgynlais Women’s Institute
  • Ystradgynlais Quilting Group
  • Brynaman Book Club
  • BBC Wales Contributors Panel
  • Ystradgynlais Library Creative Writing   

 

Dr Ian Jenkins 

Ian is a tourism geographer who has specialised in areas of sustainability and adventure.  A distinctive area of his work has been adventure tourism and access to national parks.  In addition Ian has managed a number of adventure tourism courses in Wales, which involved close liaison with adventure companies and the issues of access to environmentally sensitive landscapes, including the Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire National Parks.  He has worked in Iceland and Switzerland on topics related to sustainable tourism in national parks, especially adventure tourism.  His publications encompass a number of books, book chapters and articles on sustainable tourism, climate change, adventure tourism and health & safety management.     

Membership of Organisations:   

  • Visiting Associate Professor University of Iceland   

Previously:   

  • Associate Professor University of Iceland  
  • Research Fellow University of Nicosia
  • Director of Research LRG/Glion IHE, Switzerland
  • Director of Celt@s and SaiL UWTSD, Swansea   

Mr Steve Jones 

I am a strong believer in everyone having a right to enjoy the countryside and the value of spending time in the outdoors for both physical and mental health. I grew up on a dairy farm in West Wales and spent a number of years living in cities before settling down in Ystradgynlais. I spend my free time exploring trails in the national park, on long hikes, or family strolls with my partner, energetic spaniel and our little boy. 

I have been working for CPRE The Countryside Charity for a number of years. Through my time at the charity, I have developed expertise on a wide range of countryside issues.  Everything from planning policy, hedgerow planting, dark skies, rural transport, food security and farming. I have also worked for the youth development charity, British Exploring Society, and volunteered as a leader with Outward Bound Oman. Through these roles I developed expertise and a passion for working with young people, people of different ethnic backgrounds and physical abilities. 

I am a Bannau Brycheiniog Gold Ambassador and have a strong knowledge base on the various aspects of the park, from the people, heritage, biodiversity and the landscapes that make Bannau Brycheiniog so special. I am also a volunteer with Ramblers Cymru, working on projects to improve access and the conditions of paths in the national park. The work is all about collaboration between the various stakeholders in the countryside and finding a balance between farmers wanting to protect their livestock and opening up/restoring routes for more people to enjoy.  

I am particularly interested in discussions relating to rights of way, whether that be maintenance, improvements, extending access and how best to make the public aware of what is available and how to access it appropriately. 

Membership of Organisations:  

  • Brecon Beacons National Park Gold Ambassador
  • Volunteer at Ramblers Cymru
  • Staff member at CPRE The Countryside Charity
  • Qualified project manager with the Association for Project Management 

 

Mr Nicholas Lancaster 

I am vision impaired and wish to promote the use of the National Park for partially sighted and blind people, along with all those who live with disabilities and wish to enjoy all that Bannau Brycheiniog has to offer. I am also involved in Scouts, an organisation that makes good use of the facilities of the National Park, from both local groups and those that travel to the area and appreciate that the National Park offers opportunities for activities not available to young people anywhere else. 

Membership of Organisations:  

  • Member of Brecknock Access Group 
  • Chairman of Visual Impairment Breconshire
  • Trustee of Brecknock Area Scout Council 

 

Dr Simone Lowthe-Thomas 

Director for Nature Recovery and Climate Change at Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons National Park) – resident of Y Bannau and passionate about working in partnership to design and deliver solutions that re-connect people and nature so that all can thrive, for now and for our future generations. 

 

Mr Ian Mabberley – LAF Chair 

As both a regular user of the Bannau Brycheiniog rights of way network and a smallholder in one of the busier valleys within the National Park, I can appreciate the pressures on the network and on the residents and landowners.  I have particular interest in making access across the park an enjoyable and safe activity for legitimate users. I work closely in my area with the Police and Natural Resources Wales to limit illegal activities on the rights of way network and access land.   I’m also keen to see that large group activities are well managed and benefit where possible the Local Communities on which they impact.  

Most recently I have been leading on a community project to bring a former farmhouse back into use as an outdoor centre for local schools, Scouts, etc. I believe that getting young people out into the countryside is most important in their development.  

I am currently Chair of the All-Wales LAF Chairman’s meeting and National Representative of LAFs in Wales. 

Membership of Organisations:   

  • Director, Grwyne Fawr Community Interest Company (CIC)   

 

Professor Denis Murphy 

I am a resident in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, a naturalist and wildlife enthusiast, and a keen outdoors person. I am also a former competitive hill runner, recreational cyclist, and am still a keen walker with a detailed working knowledge of many practical issues relating to access and rights of way.   

As a resident who lives in a very highly used area of the National Park where my neighbours may have very valid concerns about certain aspects of use by some sections of the public. In particular there are concerns about litter from events and occasional anti-social behaviour.  

My biological knowledge may also be of use, for example in discussions of rare or endangered species or the impact of invasive species. I also work on climate change adaptation and have been involved in discussions about the conservation of peatlands both in the UK and overseas. As a Professor of Biology and lecturer on topics such as biodiversity, biogeography, environmental conservation, and invasive species, I have a professional interest in the natural aspects of our local environment.  

My major interest would be in ensuring that the National Park is accessible to the widest possible range of users. However, I am also interested in ensuring that such access is managed in order to maximise the long term sustainability of each type of use and to minimise their environmental footprint so as to secure the availability of an unspoiled Park for future generations.  

As a resident and head of a commercial company based in the Park, and a regular user of its many outdoor attractions and facilities, I have a vested interest in ensuring that it is maintained in the best possible way. I also feel I can make a contribution to the future of the Park for the sake of the wider community, both residents and visitors. 

Formal professional membership 

  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB) 

I also have a wide range of other memberships and contacts. This includes: 

  • Local outdoor clubs (e.g. running, walking) 
  • My own university (South Wales) and other Welsh universities with whom I have worked  
  • The National Botanic Garden of Wales, where I have several collaborative projects on aspects of the Welsh flora 
  • The National Museums at Cardiff and St Fagans with whom I have worked on various natural history projects.  
  • The Hay Literary Festival, where I am a regular speaker on environmental topics 

 

Ms Katherine Shaw 

Interests: 

Farming, Hill Walking, Trail Running, Stand-Up Paddle Boarding, Kayaking 

Membership of Organisations: 

  • Farmers Union of Wales
  • Mountain Bothies Association
  • Canw Cymru/Canoe Wales 

 

Mrs Kathryn Whitrow 

  • National Farmers Union (NFU) – County Member & Chair of LFA Board 
  • Great Forest Grazier
  • Beef & Sheep Farmer   
  • Landowner in the Brecon Beacons National Park   

Membership of Organisations:   

  • NFU Cymru   

 

Mr Colin Woodley 

I am a farmer in Bannau Brycheiniog, the secretary of the local commoner’s association and a member of the Farmers Union of Wales. A member of the Hirwaun and Penderyn Community Council and of the Ystradfellte Community Council. 

My hobbies include cave exploration and engineering.