Brecon Beacons National Park and encompassing four main regions – the Black Mountain in the west, reaching 802 metres (2631 feet) at Fan Brycheiniog, and the Brecon Beacons in the centre, including the highest summit in the park and in South Wales at Pen y Fan 886 metres (2,907 feet) and the confusingly named Black Mountains in the east, where the highest point is Waun Fach 811 metres (2,661 feet). The western half gained European and global status in 2005 as Geopark. This includes the Black Mountain, the historic extent of Fforest Fawr, and much of the Brecon Beacons and surrounding lowlands. The entire
Pen-y-ghent language, exactly as in today's Welsh, "Pen" meant 'top' or 'head', and "y" is most likely the definite article ("the"), exactly as in Modern Welsh "y". These elements are common in placenames throughout the island, and especially in Wales (compare Penyberth 'end of the hedge/copse', or Penyffordd 'head of the road/way', etc.). The element "ghent" is more obscure, however: it could be taken to be 'edge' or 'border'. The name "Pen-y-ghent" could therefore mean 'Hill on the border' (compare Kent). Alternatively, "ghent" could mean 'wind' or 'winds' – from the closest Welsh transliteration, "gwynt" ('wind'). Thus it might mean simply