Tommy Jones' Obelisk
On the route from the Storey Arms (once a coaching inn on the Brecon to Merthyr road) to the summit, a memorial obelisk commemorates a five-year-old boy who died in August 1900. The son of a Rhondda coal miner, Tommy lost his way near Cwm Llwch Farmhouse while visiting his grandparents, starting a twenty-nine day search which aroused nationwide concern. His body was found at the spot marked by the obelisk. Tommy had died from exhaustion and hypothermia or exposure, but how a small boy managed to climb so high remains a mystery.
The inscription on the granite obelisk reads, "This obelisk marks the spot where the body of Tommy Jones aged 5 was found. He lost his way between Cwm Llwch Farm and the Login on the night of August 4, 1900. After an anxious search of 29 days his remains were discovered Sept. Erected by voluntary subscriptions. W Powell Price Mayor of Brecon 1901."
The obelisk, a useful landmark in misty conditions, was paid for by the proceeds of a memorial fund started when the jurors at the boy’s inquest waived their fees.
The search was used as the theme of the 1980 film, Tommy Jones.
Read more about this topic: Pen Y Fan
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