PARKING charges have been introduced at a remote Brecon Beacons car park to support the maintenance of uplands paths.

The National Trust has said money raised from the charges at its car park at Cwm Gwdi will be reinvested into repairing upland paths in the Central Beacons.

The car park is a popular starting point for climbing Pen y Fan.

Daily charges at Cwm Gwdi are £3 for cars and £6 for minibuses and camper-vans. Parking is free to National Trust members.

Lead Ranger for the Brecon Beacons and Monmouthshire National Trust, Robert Reith, said: "Repairing eroded paths in the Central Beacons and the ongoing yearly maintenance costs us thousands of pounds each year.

"My dedicated team of staff and many volunteers can often be seen stone pitching or laying scalpings to ensure the public can continue to enjoy this beautiful part of the countryside in a safe environment.

"The funding from the car park will go directly towards the cost of maintaining the land and I am delighted to say the public’s money is helping us keep the Central Beacons special."

The trust said maintaining just one metre of of footpath costs more than £120 every year and as a charity it relies on money from the public to fund the work.

The Cwm Gwdi car park is a former military training camp, dating back to the late Victorian era.

Until the 1960s soldiers would often be seen sleeping in tents before a canteen, wash rooms and Nissen huts were constructed.

The buildings were in use until the late 1980s and the remains are still visible today. The National Trust took over the care of the site in 1996.