Guide to Rural Wales - North Powys

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F stories and anecdotes G famous people H art and craft I entertainment and sport J walks

A historic building B museum and heritage C historic site D scenic attraction E flora and fauna

Looking for somewhere to stay, eat, drink or shop? www.findsomewhere.co.uk

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LOCATOR MAP

ADVERTISERS AND PLACES OF INTEREST

POWYS

GWYNEDD

Minsterley

Whittington

Knockin

Lydham

Plowden

Clun

Aston-on-Clun

Westbury

Nesscliffe

Llynclys

Llanymynech

Trawsfynydd

Ganllwyd

Dinas Mawddwy

Abergynolwyn

Forden

Tal-y-llyn

Bontddu

Eglwysfach

Dolfor

CwmystwythYsbytyYstwyth

Devil'sBridge

Talybont

Pennal

Corris

Caersws

Ponterwyd

Llanuwchllyn

Llandrillo

Llangynog

Glyn Ceiriog

LlanarmonDyffryn Ceiriog

Llanrhaedr-ym-Mochnant

Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain

Llanwddyn

Berriew

Llanbister

Pen-y-bont-fawr

Llanfyllin

Llanbrynmair

Llangadfan

CemmaesRoad Llanfair

Caereinion

Pant-y-dwr

Leigh

LydburyNorth

Newcastle

CrewGreen

Selattyn

LlanbadarnFynydd

Tylwch

NewInvention

HoptonHeath

Llandinam

CarnoTregynon

Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa

Heniarth

Llanerfyl

Wern

Pandy

Ty-nant

NewMills

ClatterAbermule

Sarn

Knolton

Llanelltyd

PennantDerwenlas

PantMawr

DylifeTaliesin

Chirbury

Acton

Glyn Ceiriog

Montgomery

Ellesmere

Bishop'sCastle

Welshpool

Newtown

Knighton

Dolgellau

Bala

Mallwyd

Machynlleth

Llangurig

Llanidloes

Oswestry

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Accommodation, Food and Drink

2| Blasau Delicatessan and Tearoom, Machynlleth pg 5

3| Black Lion Inn, Derwenlas, nr Machynlleth pg 5

4| Machinations Visitor Centre, Llanbrynmair,

nr Machynlleth pg 6

5| Aubreys At The Clochfaen, Llangurig pg 9

8| Gwaenynog Farmhouse, Dolanog,

nr Welshpool pg 12

9| Feast of Food, Caersws, nr Newtown pg 16

12| Cromwells Restaurant, Welshpool pg 18

13| Vinehouse, Guilsfield, nr Welshpool pg 20

14| Corndean Bed & Breakfast, Moelygarth,

nr Welshpool pg 21

Activities

4| Machinations Visitor Centre, Llanbrynmair,

nr Machynlleth pg 6

Arts and Crafts

1| Ian Snow (Interior Crafts & Clothing),

Machynlleth pg 4

4| Machinations Visitor Centre, Llanbrynmair pg 6


Newtown pg 10

11| Lilly Mo Bespoke Gifts, Welshpool pg 18

Fashions


Machynlleth pg 4

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Situated between the high, rugged landscape

of Snowdonia and the farmland of

Shropshire, North Powys is a gentle and

pleasant region whose scenic attractions

include the highest waterfall outside Scotland,

Pistyll Rhaeadr (one of the Seven Wonders of

Wales), and the peaceful expanse of Lake

Vyrnwy. Built in the 1880s to supply the

expanding city of Liverpool with water, this

large reservoir is a splendid feat of Victorian

engineering that later found fame as a location

for the film The Dambusters.

The major settlement here is Welshpool, a

town situated on the banks of the River Severn

and close to the English border. Originally

known as Pool, the prefix was added to ensure

that the dispute regarding its nationality was

finalised once and for all. From the town,

leisurely canal boat trips can be taken along the

Montgomery Canal, and there is also a narrow

gauge steam railway running westwards to

Llanfair Caereinion. Near the town can be

found the splendid Powis Castle, which is

famous not only for the many treasures it

houses, but also for its magnificent gardens.

Montgomery has a splendidly situated

ruined borderland castle, and is close to some

North Powys

of the best preserved sections of Offa’s Dyke.

Nearby is Newtown, which, despite its name,

was founded in the 10th century, and is

interesting and historic market town with two

attractions of special note: the Robert Owen

Memorial Museum celebrating the early-19th

century social reformer who was born in the

town, and the WH Smith branch, which has

been restored to its original 1927 appearance.

To the west and beyond the quaint town of

Llanidloes lies Machynlleth where Owain

Glyndwr held the first Welsh parliament in

1404. A visit to the Owen Glyndwyr Centre,

which can be found in the part 15th century

Parliament House, tells the story of Glyndwr

and his struggle against the English. Also

worth visiting in Machynlleth are the Museum

of Modern Art and Plas Machynlleth, an

elegant mansion with extensive gardens.

This is great walking country, which takes in

some of the finest scenery in Wales. The many

marked established trails and walks include a

large part of Offa’s Dyke Path and Glyndwr’s

Way, a 123-mile walk that follows a circular

route across dramatic landscapes from

Welshpool to Knighton by way of

Machynlleth.

6| Ian Snow (Interior Crafts & Clothing), Newtown pg 10

Gifts11| Lilly Mo Bespoke Gifts, Welshpool pg 18

Home and Garden1| Ian Snow (Interior Crafts & Clothing),

Machynlleth pg 4


Newtown pg 10

11| Lilly Mo Bespoke Gifts, Welshpool pg 18

Jewellery1| Ian Snow (Interior Crafts & Clothing),

Machynlleth pg 4


Newtown pg 10

Places of Interest4| Machinations Visitor Centre, Llanbrynmair pg 6

7| W H Smith Museum, Newtown pg 11

10| Montgomery Wildlife Trust, Welshpool pg 17

Specialist Food and Drink Shops

2| Blasau Delicatessan and Tearoom, Machynlleth pg 5

9| Feast of Food, Caersws, nr Newtown pg 16

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Machynlleth

A Parliament House A Y Plas Machynlleth

A Parish Church of St Peter G Owain Glyndwr

H MOMA WALES - The Tabernacle

This pleasant little market town (market day is

Wednesday) - has a population of just over

2000 and is a popular but not overcrowded

holiday centre in the shadow of the Cambrian

Mountains. It was here that Owain Glyndwr

held the first Welsh parliament in 1404. On

the site today stands Parliament House, a

part-15th century building. It is home to the

Owain Glyndwr Centre, which tells the story

of the last native Prince of Wales and the

rebellion he led against the English. The

building also has a brass rubbing centre.

Opposite Parliament House is the entrance

to Y Plas Machynlleth, an elegant mansion

originally built in 1653. In the 1840s, its then

owner, the Marquess of Londonderry added a

new frontage to the house and, in order to

improve the views, bought up the surrounding

lands, had all the houses demolished and the

main road re-routed away from his mansion.

This space is now filled with attractive gardens

open to the public, which were given to the

town by the 7th Marquess in 1948. He also

gifted the house, which now serves as a

conference centre.

The Parish Church of St Peter was

originally dedicated to St Cybi, and was

extensively rebuilt and enlarged in 1827,

though the base of the tower is 15th century.

At the centre of the town is an ornate Clock

Tower dating from 1872, which was built by

public subscription to mark the coming of age

of Lord Castlereagh, heir to the Marquess of

Londonderry. It is believed to be the loftiest

clock tower in Britain and is certainly one of

the most lavishly decorated. Alongside a

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BLACK LION INN

Derwenlas, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8TNTel: 01654 703913 e-mail: [email protected]

Dating back to the 16th century, the Black Lion Inn has plenty of

character. It is well known in the area for the fine pub food it serves,

in particular its large prawn cocktails and generous Welsh steaks.

The Black Lion Inn has been owned and personally run for the

last 11 years by Cheryl and Colin. They have two rooms available for

overnight guests and they are ideal for families or couples visiting

the area. The inn is surrounded by rolling countryside and is nearby

to several popular beaches.

The pub has a beautiful inglenook fireplace, which adds to the

charming atmosphere of the place. Customers can dine at tables

throughout the pub and bar area. Locally sourced ingredients are

used where possible in dishes, adding to the quality of the traditional fayre.

Real ales are among the alcoholic beverages available from the well-stocked bar, which also has

a fine selection of spirits, wines and soft drinks. Drinks can be enjoyed outside at tables to the

front and rear of the Black Lion Inn and there is a great children’s play area for the youngsters,

weather permitting. The proprietors also run the Y Gegin Fach (the small kitchen) on the main High

Street in Machynlleth, where you’ll find freshly ground fair trade coffees from expresso to

cappuccino the choice is yours, (freshly prepared local ingredients are used where possible)

breakfasts served daily until 12pm, lunches include hot meals, snacks, sandwiches & homemade

soups, afternoon welsh teas and plenty of homemade cakes available everyday. Well worth a visit

if visiting Machynlleth.

BLASAU DELICATESSEN AND TEAROOM

The Royal House, Penrallt Street, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 8AJTel: 01654 700410e-mail: [email protected]

Formerly located at No. 6, Penrallt Street,

Mercia Hammond’s Blasau Delicatessen and

Tearoom has moved just across the road to

The Royal House, a Grade I listed property

once owned by a wealthy merchant and now

the oldest building in Machynlleth. Here

Mercia offers an extensive choice of top

quality produce with a special emphasis on

items sourced in Wales. You will find more

than 20 varieties of Welsh cheeses, along

with Welsh whiskey, beer, cider and wine.

Mercia bakes her own bread, as well as some

delicious cakes. Sausages, pasties and pies

are supplied by some of the best bakers and

meat producers in Wales, and the jams and chutneys are also made locally. Hampers are available

and most of the stock can be bought by mail order. Mercia’s new premises are twice as large as

the former ones so she has been able to expand the delicatessen area and also to open a tearoom

serving tasty items from the deli counter.

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MACHINATIONS VISITOR CENTRE

The Old Village Hall, Llanbrynmair, nr Machynlleth, Powys SY19 7AATel: 01650 521738 Fax: 01650 521635e-mail: [email protected]

website: www.machinationswales.com

Machinations Visitor Centre is a celebration of

ingenuity, artistry and craftsmanship, a marvellous

museum of mechanical magic in a lovely setting by the

River Clegyr in the very heart of Wales. At the centre

of the enterprise, which is housed in the extended Old

Village Hall, is the only permanent exhibition of

contemporary automata in the UK.

Automata are essentially moving figures, tableaux

and sculptures that may be hand-turned, wind-driven

or powered by electricity or clockwork, and visitors of

all ages can watch fascinated as the models spin and

whirl and bob, their mechanisms displaying a variety

of cogs and cams and levers. The original models

were collected and shown by Pat Osborne in

Liverpool; later consigned to storage, they were

brought to Llanbrynmair - and considerably added to -

by Eric and Alison Williamson as an extension to their

model making and design company.

Timberkits are a range of mechanical models and

kits designed by Eric, who started in the 1970s making rocking horses and marionettes. The

business expanded rapidly from small batch production here to mass production in China. The

models - the range now extends to more than 20 - are still designed and prototyped here in Wales,

and the shop at the centre sells them in kit form or assembled, with an option of electric operation.

The shop sells many other interesting toys and gifts with the emphasis on craft and creativity.

Machinations has several other attractions, including a fearsome moving red dragon in a glass

tower, a bookshop and a café and riverside terrace where visitors can enjoy excellent home

cooking. A great family favourite is Rabbit Village, still being developed on the mini-hills in front of

the café; it is built largely in traditional style, with stone and slate, and the rabbits themselves are

loved by one and all. Easter 2009 saw the opening of a play barn in the old manufacturing space at

the back of the premises making it a perfect venue for children to bounce off some energy.

Painting tables and a basket of toys are an additional attraction for children, and the centre can

arrange parties for all occasions, with any of the resident facilities and extras such as model-

making workshops. The centre, which is run by Eric and Alison’s daughter Sarah, is open seven

days a week, from 9.30am to 5pm in summer and from 9.30am to 4.30pm in winter.

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converted Wesleyan chapel, The Tabernacle, is

MOMA WALES, where several exhibition

spaces are a showcase of the very best of

modern Welsh art, with changing displays and

exhibitions throughout the year. The complex

also includes a 350-seat auditorium ideal for

chamber and choral music, drama, lectures and

conferences. Every year in late August, Moma

Wales is the focal point for the week-long

Machynlleth Festival.

Around Machynlleth

CARNO

10 miles E of Machynlleth on the A470

A Parish Church of St John the Baptist

C Carno Wind Farm

The dress and interior designer Laura Ashley,

who was born in Wales, and her husband

moved to Machynlleth in 1963 and later

settled at Carno, which became the site of the

headquarters of the Laura Ashley empire. It

was in the churchyard of the Parish Church

of St John the Baptist, close to the factory,

that she was buried after her death due to a

fall in 1985.

In the hills of Trannon Moor near the

village is the National Wind Power’s Carno

Wind Farm. When it started operating in

1996 it was the largest wind farm in Europe

and is still the largest onshore site in Wales

with 56 turbines each with a maximum output

of 600kW. There are information boards at

the site and waymarked bridleways and

footpaths through the 600 hectares in which

the farm stands. The plateau on which the

farm is located is notable for its wildlife. It is

visited by more than 30 bird species, including

red kite, hen harrier, buzzard, red grouse,

curlew and golden plover. The site access road

is located off the A470 at the northern end of

Carno village.

LLANBRYNMAIR

8½ miles E of Machynlleth on the B4518

A Parish Church of St Mary B Machinations

G Rev Samuel Roberts G Abraham Rees

Set on the banks of the River Twymyn, this

village was the home for many years of the

social reformer, Rev Samuel Roberts, who

worked hard for the principles of social equality

and was a leader of non-conformist opinion.

The town was also the birthplace of

Abraham Rees who published an edition of

Ephraim Chambers Cyclopedia between 1778 and

1788 after having added more than 4500 new

items of information.

The Parish Church of St Mary is

essentially 14th and 15th centuries, and stands

on the site of an earlier building. It has an

unusual bell turret supported by four wood

uprights, and there are fragments of medieval

glass in one of the windows.

In the former village hall you will find

Machinations, a museum of mechanical

magic dedicated to automata – figures driven

by clockwork, electricity, wind or hand. Each

model is operated by a token. There’s also a

café, rabbit farm and play barn for children;

for adults, courses are available on

constructing, painting and carving the figures.

DYLIFE

8½ miles SE of Machynlleth off the B4518

D Dylife Gorge E Glaslyn Nature Reserve

Apart from an inn and a few houses, there is

little left of this once prosperous lead mining

community, which provided employment for

some 2000 workers in the mid-1900s. A

footpath from the settlement passes close to a

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J Llyn Clyywedog Scenic Trail J Cascades Trail

J Clywedog Gorge Trail J Aber Biga Wildlife Walk

The first town on the River Severn, this

peaceful little market town, which sits at the

exact centre of Wales, is one of the area’s

most attractive and friendly places, notable for

its many family-run shops of character and its

numerous arts and crafts shops and galleries.

featuring the work of local artists and

craftspeople. Minerva Arts Centre in the

High Street is the home of the Quilt

Association and its unique collection of

antique Welsh quilts. Exhibitions are held here,

as are workshops and other events.

In front of the town’s picturesque Market

Hall, which dates from 1609 and stands on

wooden stilts, is a stone from which John

Wesley preached here three times in the mid-

1700s.

On the town’s broad main street, the

Edwardian Town Hall houses the Llanidloes

Museum where there are displays and

information on the textile and mining

industries that thrived in the area during the

18th and 19th centuries. There is also a natural

history exhibition, a red kite information

point, a recreated Victorian gentleman’s study

and a display on the Chartist riots of the

1830s during which protestors took over the

town for several days. The Montgomeryshire

Yeomanry were called in, 32 arrests were made

and the Chartist ringleaders put on trial at

Welshpool. Three were transported and the

rest served terms of hard labour.

Llanidloes Castle has all but vanished,

though there is a portion of the motte still

standing. It was built by Owain de la Pole in

1280, when a charter for a weekly market was

granted. The tower of the Parish Church of

St Idloes dates from the 14th century, while

grassy mound, which was once a Roman fort,

built to guard the nearby lead mines. The path

continues past more redundant lead mines that

were last worked during the late 17th century,

before it meanders through a woodland,

following the banks of River Clywedog, and

on towards Staylittle.

Outside the village on an unclassified road

on the slopes of Moel Fadian is a stone in

memory of the writer and broadcaster Wynford

Vaughan Thomas (1908-1987). He frequently

came here to enjoy the outstanding views. Close

to the village is Glaslyn Nature Reserve, a

540-acre tract of heather moorland that is the

breeding site for the wheatear, golden plover,

ring ousel and red grouse. Dylife Gorge, to the

west of the village, was gouged into the

landscape during the last Ice Age.

STAYLITTLE

11 miles SE of Machynlleth on the B4518

J Hafren Forest J Plynlimon

A one-time lead mining village, Staylittle is said

to have derived its name from the village’s two

blacksmiths who shoed horses so rapidly that

their forge became known as Stay-a-Little.

Situated in a remote area high in the Cambrian

Mountains, Staylittle is on the edge of the

Hafren Forest, which has several waymarked

trails through the forest, along the banks of

the upper River Severn and up to Plynlimon,

which rises to 2500 feet.

LLANIDLOES

16½ miles SE of Machynlleth on the A470

A Market Hall A Llanidloes Castle

C Van Lead Mine A Parish Church of St Idloes

B Llanidloes Museum C Bryn Tail Lead Mine

D Llyn Clywedog D Fan Hill

H Minerva Arts Centre

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the rest of the church is later. It is the only

church in the country with a dedication to St

Idloes, who was born in the 7th century, the

son of Gwyddnabi ab Llawfronedd, described

as a ‘red-bearded knight’.

The Severn Way and Glyndwr’s Way cross

in Llanidloes, and an interesting marked five-

mile walk covers sections of each. Five miles

to the northwest of the town is Llyn

Clywedog, a reservoir that was developed in

the mid-1960s to regulate the flows of the

Rivers Severn and Clywedog. Birds such as

buzzards and red kite are frequently seen

around the shores of the lake, as are

occasional ospreys. Roads follow around both

sides of the lake, with the B4518 curving

round the slopes of the 1580 foot Fan Hill

where the chimneys of the now disused Van

Lead Mine are still visible. It was once one of

the most prosperous mines in this area of

Wales, and it is recorded that in 1876, 6,850

tons of lead were produced. The deserted

houses and chapels of the village that grew up

around the mine add a sombre, evocative note.

There are a number of way-marked routes

and walks in the area. The Llyn Clyywedog

Scenic Trail, the Clywedog Gorge Trail and

the Aber Biga Wildlife Walk on the lake’s

shores are short walks suitable for able-bodied

families, whereas the Cascades Trail in the

nearby Hafren Forest is suitable for

wheelchairs. A booklet is available that

explains cycle routes, including one round the

lake. The remains of the Bryn Tail Lead

Mine sit at the foot of the reservoir’s dam,

which rises to a height of 237 feet. The lake is

well-stocked with rainbow and brown trout,

and hosts fishing competitions.

AUBREYS AT THE CLOCHFAEN

The Clochfaen, Llangurig near Llandiloes, Powys SY 18 6RPTel: 01686 440687e-mail: [email protected]: www.theclochfaen.com

The Clochfaen offers a warm welcome to visitors from all over the

world to their Bed and Breakfast, Self Catering & Holiday Cottages

in Mid Wales.

The bed and breakfast accommodation is located all on the ground

floor within the Grade II listed former servants’ quarters. This self

contained unit consists of a sitting room, a morning room, a reception,

four bedrooms (two double rooms, a twin room, and a bunk room) and

two bathrooms. Off road parking is available for cars and motor

cycles. Secure storage is also available for bicycles. All rooms are

tastefully decorated and have central heating, security safes and radio

alarms, sky TV and wireless internet connection throughout. Tea and

coffee making facilities are available in the morning room which is

where breakfast is served. A selection of cereals and fresh fruit drinks

are available, followed by a full English or Continental Breakfast served

to your table.

Whether for business or pleasure, Aubrey’s Bed and Breakfast

accommodation is ideally located for attractions in Mid Wales, with

the Elan Valley Lakes and Rhayader to the south, Devil’s Bridge, Aberystwyth and the Cambrian

coast 25 miles to the west.

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Newtown

A Parish Church of St Mary B Textile Museum

B Robert Owen Memorial Museum

B W H Smith Museum

F Pwll Penarth Nature Reserve

The name has not been appropriate for

centuries, as Newtown’s origins date from

around AD973, though it only came to

prominence after being granted a market

charter by Edward I in 1279. This was a centre

for textiles and weaving and, by the 19th

century, was the home of the Welsh flannel

industry, which led it to be referred to as the

“Leeds of Wales”. Some of the brick

buildings were built with a third or even

fourth storey with large windows to let in light

for the looms. One such building now houses

the town’s Textile Museum, which tells the

story of this once important industry and also

gives a very good impression of the working

conditions of the people, which Newtown’s

most famous son, Robert Owen, devoted

much of his life to changing.

Born in Newtown in 1771, Owen grew

from a humble background to become a social

reformer and the founder of the co-operative

movement. He lobbied vigorously for an

improvement in working conditions

specifically within the textile industry. He is

particularly associated with the New Lanark

mills in Scotland, which he ran and partly

owned. The workforce at New Lanark

numbered 2000, including 500 children, and

Owen provided good housing, cheap goods

and an infant’s school. His remarkable life is

told at the intimate Robert Owen Memorial

Museum in the Edwardian Town Hall. The

museum is set out like an ordinary home and

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includes many items associated with Owen.

Following his death at Newtown in 1858,

Owen was buried in the churchyard of St

Mary’s. The grave has magnificent Art

Nouveau iron railings, and his monument

depicts the man with his workers. There’s also

a statue of him in the memorial gardens near

the town centre. Another interesting visit to

consider while in Newtown is to the WH

Smith Museum. In the 1970s the company

was carrying out a programme of modernising

all its shops but decided to conserve just one

of them as an example of how all Smiths

outlets had looked. The branch at Newtown

had changed little since it opened in 1927 so

the company decided to restore it to its

original layout, decorations and fittings. and

the museum devotes much of its space to the

history of the booksellers from 1792 onwards.

The people of Newtown must certainly be

an enterprising lot as it was here that the first

ever mail-order company was begun in 1859

by a man called Pryce-Jones. The business

started in a small way with Welsh flannel but

expanded rapidly, and Pryce-Jones even

obtained the royal seal of approval by having

Queen Victoria on his list. Sadly, his

successors were not so enterprising and the

business was sold in 1935.

The former Parish Church of St Mary

was abandoned in the 1840s due to flooding,

and replaced by St David’s Church. Its ruined

nave originally had a south aisle, and the lower

stages of the tower are 13th century. Its 15th-

century screen was moved to St David’s and

can be seen there.

W H Smith Museum

24 High Street, Newtown, Powys SY16 2NPTel: 01686 626280

This Newtown shop and museum form a unique

combination amoung W H Smith’s many High Street

branches. The shop has been restored to its original state

at the time it was first opened in 1927, and on the first

floor you will find the museum.

The museum houses displays, models and memorabilia which depict and engrossing

chronicle of W H Smith from its beginnings as a humble news walk (paper round) started by

Henry Walton Smith and Anna Smith in 1792, to the present day. The history tells how a

small family-run business flourished over two centuries to become one of today’s biggest

British companies and a household name.

The oak furniture in the museum all originated in W H Smith libraries. A stained and

painted window, originally in the library at Worcester branch, depicts the arms of the See of

Worcester, bordered by the images of Shakespeare and Bacon. This type of window was

once a common feature in W H Smith shops, often portraying local coats of arms and

literary figures.

The shop was restored to its original condition in 1975. Architects worked from the old

blueprints and drawings and specialist craftsmen were engaged to recreate long-varnished

fixtures and fittings. Modern peg-boarding and hessian was ripped from the walls to reveal

beneath all the original mirrors and decorations which, miraculously, were in good condition.

The museum is open to the public during the shop’s business hours; 9am - 5.30pm Monday to

Saturday, excluding bank holidays. Admission is free.

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Two miles east of Newtown is

Pwll Penarth Nature Reserve, a

feeding and nesting site for many

species of wildfowl. The reserve

has a nature walk and two hides,

one accessible to wheelchairs.

Around Newtown

TREGYNON

4½ miles N of Newtown on the B4389

E Gregynon Hall Gardens

Just to the south of the village lies Gregynon

Hall Gardens, which are now part of the

University of Wales, and where visitors can

wander through the extensive woodlands on

waymarked paths. Renowned for its spring

bulbs, a remarkable golden yew hedge, and

ancient oaks, the 750-acre estate also attracts a

diverse range of birds, including all three

British woodpeckers. The hall is the setting for

an annual music festival.

LLANFAIR CAEREINION

9 miles N of Newtown on the B4385

C Welshpool and Llanfair Railway

C Great Little Trains of Wales

This village is the western terminus of the

Welshpool and Llanfair Railway. Passengers

at Llanfair can enjoy re-living the days of

GWAENYNOG FARMHOUSE

Gwaenynog, Dolanog, Welshpool, Powys SY21 0LJTel: 01938 810236e-mail: [email protected]

Set in a lovely rural location, Gwaenynog Farmhouse is a

handsome stone farmhouse offering quality bed & breakfast

accommodation with a 4-star rating from Visit Wales. In

2009, owners Fiona and Norman completely refurbished the

property while retaining original features such as the old

beams and open inglenook fireplace in the guest lounge.

Here visitors can relax in front of the large TV, browse

through the magazines and books, or play one of the many

indoor games available. The three large guest bedrooms,

one of which has a 4-poster bed, are all en suite and

equipped with flat screen digital Freeview TV with

integrated DVD player, free Internet access and a hospitality

tray complete with fresh milk. At breakfast time, guests are

offered an excellent choice that includes smoked salmon.

Packed lunches are available as are evening meals by

arrangement. Alternatively, there’s a good pub just 5

minutes away. The farmhouse stands in 16 acres of woodland, marshland and fields which abound

with a multitude of wildlife. Golf, canoeing and boating are all available locally and Gwaenynog is

ideally located for visiting Lake Vyrnwy, Powis Castle, Llanfair Light Railway, Pistyll Rhaeadr and

Snowdonia.

Gregynon Hall, Tregynon

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steam and also relax in the Edwardian style

tearooms at the station. The narrow-gauge

railway was originally opened to carry sheep,

cattle and goods, as well as passengers. It now

travels without the animals and goods but with

happy passengers, along the delightful Banwy

Valley, its carriages pulled by scaled-down

versions of steam locomotives from Finland,

Austria, Sierra Leone, Antigua and

Manchester. There are nine members of the

narrow-gauge Great Little Trains of Wales

(GLTOW). The others are Bala Lake Railway;

Brecon Mountain Railway (Merthyr Tydfil);

Ffestiniog Railway (Porthmadog); Llanberis

Lake Railway; Rheilfford Eryri (Caernarfon);

Talyllin Railway (Tywyn); Vale of Rheidol

Railway (Aberystwyth); Welsh Highland

Railway (Caernarfon to Porthmadog); and the

Welshpool and Llanfair Railway.

MONTGOMERY

7 miles NE of Newtown on the B4385

A Montgomery Castle F Robber’s Grave

A Parish Church of St Nicholas C Fridd Faldwyn

A Hen Domen Castle B Old Bell Museum

Montgomery is an attractive market town with

a pleasant Georgian character, and also some

surviving Tudor, Jacobean and half-timbered

buildings that are worthy of note. Above the

town, the gaunt ruins of Montgomery

Castle stand in affirmation of this borderland

region’s turbulent history. The first castle was

built in around 1100 by the Norman, Roger de

Montgomery. Attacked over the years by

rebels, it was rebuilt in 1223 as a garrison

when Henry III was attempting to quell the

Welsh, a consequence being that the town

received a charter from the king in 1227.

During the Civil War, the castle surrendered to

Parliamentary forces, but was demolished in

1649 in punishment for the then Lord

Herbert’s Royalist sympathies. The remains of

the castle are open at all times and entrance is

free. Access is up steep paths from the town,

or by a level footpath from the car park, and

the visit is worth it for the views alone. One

mile from the town is the motte of yet

another ancient castle – Hen Domen, again

built by Roger de Montgomery.

Offa’s Dyke passes close by and is another

reminder of the military significance that this

area once held. Housed in a quaint 16th

century inn in Arthur Street, the Old Bell

Museum has 11 rooms of local history

including features on civic and social life,

Norman and medieval castles, the workhouse

and the Cambrian Railway.

The 13th-century Parish Church of St

Nicholas has some interesting features,

including wooden carved angels, carved

miserere seats, and the magnificent canopied

tomb of Richard Herbert, Lord of

Montgomery Castle. In the churchyard is the

famous Robber’s Grave. John Davis, hanged

in public in 1821 for murder, proclaimed his

innocence and swore that the grass would not

grow above his grave for at least 100 years.

To the west of the town, the Iron Age hill

fort of Fridd Faldwyn tops a 750-foot hill

that also provides stunning views to Cadair

Idris and eastwards into England.Montgomery Castle

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BERRIEW

7½ miles NE of Newtown on the B4390

A Parish Church of St Beuno A Glansevern Hall

H Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture

C Maen Beuno

Over the years, this picturesque village of half-

timbered houses beside the River Rhiw has

been a frequent winner of Best Kept Village

awards. Like a number of other places in

Wales, Berriew is associated with St Beuno

who apparently heard English voices while

communing by the river here and warned the

villagers of the imposing threat. A large glacial

boulder, Maen Beuno, has been named after

him. Berriew’s Parish Church of St Beuno

contains fine marble effigies of Arthur Price,

Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1578, and his

two wives, Bridget and Jane. The memorial

cross of 1933 in the churchyard is by Sir

Ninian Comper, whose work can be seen in

churches all over Britain. Though there has

been a church on the site for centuries, the

present church dates from 1802, with a

complete refurbishment undertaken in 1875.

Close to the bridge, the Andrew Logan

Museum of Sculpture is the only museum in

Europe dedicated to a living artist. Logan’s

work thrives on the inventive use of whatever

is to hand and the flamboyant results make

this possibly the most cheerful museum

anywhere. Logan himself has said “My reason

for living is to give enjoyment and pleasure to

others through quirky, humorous and

extravagant mementoes” In the 1970s Logan

was the instigator of the Alternative Miss

World Contest, which introduced the world to

the late drag queen Divine. At the museum a

‘Divine Shrine’ is dedicated to her memory

and the Alternative Miss World crown is also

on display.

A mile outside the town, the gardens at

Glansevern Hall, entered from the A483 by

the bridge over the River Rhiew, were first laid

out in 1801 and now cover 18 acres. Noted in

particular for the unusual tree species, they

also have lovely lawns, herbaceous beds, a

walled garden, rose gardens, a lovely water

garden and a rock garden complete with

grotto. In the Old Stables are a tearoom, a

garden shop and a gallery with regular

exhibitions of paintings, sculpture and interior

design. A wide variety of herbaceous plants, all

grown at Glansevern, can be bought.

Surrounding a very handsome Greek Revival

house, the gardens are themselves set in

parkland on the banks of the River Severn. In

early September the grounds are host to the

Welsh Food Festival, which provides a

showcase for an appetising array of local food

producers; from cakes, chutneys and cheeses

to wines, ales and chocolates

CHURCH STOKE

10½ miles E of Newtown on the A489

A Bacheldre Mill A Simon’s Castle

A Parish Church of St Nicholas

This attractive village, sometimes spelled as

“Churchstoke” lies right on the Welsh-English

border. Just to the west can be found some

very visible and well preserved sections of

Wisteria arch at Glansevern Hall,

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Offa’s Dyke. At Bacheldre, two miles along the

A489, Bacheldre Mill is a fully restored

watermill producing award-winning organic

stoneground flour. Visitors can enjoy a guided

tour and even mill their own flour. Simon’s

Castle, to the east of the village, is a motte

and bailey site that was probably built in the

12th or 13th centuries. The Parish Church of

St Nicholas is unusual, as it lies in England,

while its parish is in Wales. Its tower is 13th

century, and during the Civil War, when

Royalist troops took refuge in the building,

Parliamentarians set fire to the door to flush

them out. The church was rebuilt in the early

19th century.

ABERMULE

4 miles NE of Newtown on the B4386

A Dolforwyn Castle F Abermule Train Disaster

Across the Montgomery Canal and River

Severn from this village, which is also known

by its Welsh name Abermiwl, stand the scant

remains of Dolforwyn Castle, which was

built in 1273 by Llywelyn the Last (he was the

last native ruler of Wales). This was the last

castle to have been built by a native Welsh

prince on his own soil. Llywelyn also tried to

establish a small town around the castle to

rival that of nearby, and much anglicised,

Welshpool. However, the castle was only a

Welsh stronghold for four years before it was

taken by the English and left to decay into the

haunting ruins you see today.

The Abermule Train Disaster took place

in 1921, when 17 people were killed as two

trains collided head on. Human error was

found to be the cause. A double track was

later laid, but curiously, as part of the

Beeching cuts in the early 1960s, it reverted to

single track.

KERRY

2½ miles SE of Newtown on the A489

A Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels

Situated on the banks of the River Mule, a

tributary of the River Severn, this village lies

in the heart of sheep rearing country and has

given its name to the Kerry Hills breed of

sheep characterised by distinctive black spots

on their faces and legs. Small, hornless and

usually white apart from the markings, the

Kerry Hills have very dense fleeces that are

particularly suitable for dyeing in pastel shades

for knitting yarns. This breed is one of several

variants on the Welsh Mountain sheep. Others

include Black Welsh Mountain, Badger-faced

Welsh Mountain, Beulah Speckle Face, Lleyn

and Llanwenog.

The Parish Church of St Michael and All

Angels dates originally from 1176, though

only the nave’s north arcade survives from that

time. The tower is 14th century, as is the

chancel arcade. The rest dates from a rebuild

in the 1880s. It has a chained Welsh Bible of

1690. There was, in former times, a custom at

the church that the sexton would ‘patrol’ the

congregation during services and ring a bell if

he found anyone asleep.

LLANDINAM

5½ miles SW of Newtown on the A470

A Parish Church of St Llonio G David Davies

This quiet village with its picturesque black-

and-white half-timbered houses was the home

of David Davies, an industrialist who was

instrumental in founding the docks at Barry in

South Wales. Davies’ bronze statue, made by

the same Sir Alfred Gilbert who was

responsible for Eros in Piccadilly, stands in the

village. It has been awarded the title of the

“Best Kept Village in Wales, Powys and

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Montgomeryshire” on a number of occasions.

During World War II, Gordonstoun School

was evacuated here. Don’t miss the Parish

Church of St Llonio. Though largely rebuilt

in the 19th century, it has a 13th-century

tower, two old tomb recesses and 17th-century

reredos and carved choir stalls.

CAERSWS

4 miles W of Newtown on the A470

E Llyn Mawr Reserve G John ‘Ceiriog’ Hughes

The village is built on the site of a 1st century

Roman fort that was strategically positioned

here by the Rivers Severn and Carno. To the

north of the village, the remains of an

earthwork fort can still be seen. In more

recent times, Caersws has become well-known

as the venue for trotting races. Trotting is

another name for the American version of

Harness Racing, in which straps called hobbles

are placed on the horses legs to prevent them

from galloping. The village also has an active

quoits team and has hosted the International

Quoits event.

Caersws was the home, for some 20 years,

of the poet John ‘Ceiriog’ Hughes, who was

then the manager of the local Van Railway.

Born at Llan Dyffryn Ceiriog in 1833, when

he was 17, he took employment on the

railways in Manchester. In 1865, he became

stationmaster at Llanidloes and six years later

took over at Caersws, managing the six-mile

railway that ran to the Van lead mines. It is

said that many people came to Caersws just

for the delight of having a chat to the affable

poet. Hughes lies buried in the graveyard at

the nearby village of Llanwnog. Near Caersws,

signposted off the A470 Machynlleth road,

Llyn Mawr Reserve is a 20-acre lake with a

wetland habitat noted for wetland birds such

as the great crested grebe, tufted duck, snipe

and curlew.

FEAST OF FOOD

2 Station Road, Caersws, Powys SY17 5EQTel: 01686 689149

Lavinia Vaughan opened her shop Feast of Food in

September 2007 with the intention of supporting local

producers. Since then she has developed a really positive

reputation in the area for the quality local produce she

sells. The stock is extensive; you’ll find Welsh cheeses

and beers, Shropshire bacon and sausages and locally

produced cider and apple juice, meat pies, quiches, cakes,

chocolates and organic vegetables. Lavinia says: ‘We

don’t stock local just for the sake of stocking local, or as

a marketing gimmick, we stock what is right - real food,

ethically produced and with low food miles whenever

possible.’

The delicatessen is always bustling with customers

and has a dedicated local following.

Lavinia is a strong promoter of local produce and has

even schoolyard farmers markets to help parents buy

local, reducing food miles and for children to know where

their food comes from. She also makes exciting and

delicious dishes for suppliers to take to the NEC food fair.

Feast of Food is open from 10am to 6pm, Monday - Saturday.

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Welshpool

A Strata Marcella A Cockpit

B Powysland Museum A Grace Evans’ Cottage

B Montgomery Canal Centre D Long Mountain

C Welshpool and Llanfair Railway

E Severn Farm Pond Nature Reserve

This bustling market town, which was granted

a charter in 1263 by the Prince of Powys, was

for a long time, known as Pool, - the Welsh

prefix was added in 1835 to settle the long

running dispute concerning its nationality, as it

sits no more than four miles from the English

border. As is typical with many places in the

upper Severn Valley, Welshpool has numerous

examples of picturesque, half-timbered

buildings, which alone makes the place well

worth visiting. There’s an indoor market on

Saturdays and Mondays, and the town boasts

the most modern livestock market in the UK.

Opened in 2009, it is believed to be the largest

prime lamb market in western Europe. Sales

are held every Monday in a building capable

of holding 1200 cattle and 15,000 sheep.

Housed in a former warehouse beside the

Montgomery Canal is the Powysland

Museum, which was founded in 1874 by

Morris Jones. Earlier, many of the artefacts

that formed the museum’s original collection

had been put together by the Powysland Club

– a group of Victorian gentlemen who were

interested in the history of mid-Wales. The

museum covers various aspects of the region:

the development of life in Montgomeryshire

from the earliest times to the 20th century;

local agriculture and farming equipment; and

the building of the first canals and railways in

the area.

Along with the museum, the old warehouse

is also home to the Montgomery Canal

Centre where the story of this waterway is

told. Completed in 1821, the canal carried coal

and food from Welshpool to the upper reaches

of the River Severn. As with other canals, its

decline came with the arrival of the railways

but the section of the canal around Welshpool

is once again open, and is now used for

pleasure cruises.

Near the town are the scant remains – no

more than a few bumps in a field – of Strata

Marcella, the Cistercian abbey founded

around 1170 by Owain Cyfeiliog, Prince of

Powys. It was one of the largest Cistercian

houses in Wales, with a church that was 273

feet long. When Henry VIII dissolved the

Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

Collot House, 20 Severn Street, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7ADTel: 01938 555654e-mail: [email protected]: www.montwt.co.uk

Montgomeryshire is home to some very special wildlife,

including the red kite, otter and dormouse. It is also a

landscape clothed with important habitats such as woodland, unimproved grassland and

moorland. The Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust is dedicated to conserving and enhancing

wildlife habitats and protecting threatened species for the enjoyment of this and future

generations. Why not enjoy the wildlife at any one of 13 fantastic nature reserves? Better

still, become a member! Contact the Trust for further details.

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CROMWELLS RESTAURANT

High Street, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7JPTel: 01938 552658

Welshpool is an attractive, thriving market town just four

miles from the English border. The town boasts many fine

buildings and on the High Street one of the finest, with a

striking Tudor frontage, houses Cromwells Restaurant. In

April 2010 David Rowlands took over the restaurant and is

enhancing the reputation it has earned over the last few

years. The basis of its success is wholesome, appetising

food, skilfully prepared, well presented and served with

friendly efficiency. Lunchtime brings a wide-ranging menu

that includes pasta, curries, pies, authentic Welsh rarebit

and always vegetarian options, along with excellent home-

made cakes and scones. Traditional roasts join the menu

for Sunday lunch. Cromwells is now open in the evening

for classic British dishes making fine use of top-quality

local meat, poultry and seasonal game. Among the

favourite orders are chicken dishes, steaks, beef in red

wine and minted lamb steaks. The enjoyment level

remains high with classic desserts such as apple tart and

sticky toffee pudding. Cromwells is fully licensed and

open seven days a week, and in fine weather patrons can

enjoy their food at outside tables.

LILLY MO BESPOKE GIFTS

26 Severn Street, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7ADTel: 01938 555908

Selling a wide variety of locally made gifts and accessories

LILLY MO BESPOKE GIFTS is the ideal shop to browse if

you are looking for a unique gift. Handbags, refurbished

deckchairs and pretty vintage fabrics are used to make

many beautiful items for the home or your friends.

The shop was opened to the public four years ago by

Sisters Sandra and Karen who now have a popular and

successful business on their hands. The girls have ten

years experience in altering and repairing clothes and the

making up of curtains and blinds. All work is carried out in

the sewing room at the back of the shop were they also

have a changing room.

Sandra and Karen also cover small chairs, stools and

they never say no to a challenge and are always happy to

help.

This unique little shop has a selection of painted and

reused tables, chairs, shelves and cupboards etc; which

you can buy or they will be happy to source items for you.

LILLY MO BESPOKE GIFTS can be found opposite the Royal Oak in the popular town of

Welshpool. It is well worth a visit.

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abbeys in 1536, his men turned up

at Strata Marcella to discover that it

had already been dissolved by the

monks themselves the year before.

They had sold it to Lord Powis,

who, by the time Henry’s men

turned up, had stripped it of

everything that was of value. Lord

Powis had even sold the stones

from, which it was built. They

ended up in many churches and

houses in the area.

The town is also home to two

other interesting buildings, the

Cockpit and Grace Evans’

Cottage. The only surviving cockpit on its

original site in Wales, this spacious brick-built

six-sided venue for the bloodthirsty sport was

built in the 18th century and remained in use

until the sport was banned in Britain in 1849.

Grace Evans is certainly one of the town’s best

known citizens as she was instrumental in

rescuing Lord Nithsdale (who was in disguise as

a lady) from the Tower of London in 1716. As

Lady Nithsdale’s maid, Grace fled with the

couple to France, but she returned to

Welshpool in 1735 and lived at the cottage,

which had been given to her by a grateful Lord

Nithsdale, until her death three years later.

At the southern edge of town, is the

Severn Farm Pond Nature Reserve.

Although it lies within an industrial estate, it

attracts many birds, animals and insects,

especially in the newly created ponds and

wetland areas. Long Mountain stretches four

miles along the Welsh side of the border east

of Welshpool. It is crossed by Offa’s Dyke and

on its highest point is an ancient hill fort

known as Beacon Ring. It was on Long

Mountain that Henry Tudor camped in 1485

before crossing the border, defeating Richard

III at Bosworth Field and ascending the

throne of England as Henry VII. Henry

Tudor had a Red Dragon as his standard, and

as king he incorporated the Welsh dragon into

the Royal arms. There it stayed until James I

displaced it with the Scottish unicorn. In 1901,

the Red Dragon was officially recognised as

the Royal Badge of Wales, and in 1959 the

Queen commanded that the Red Dragon on

its green and white field should be the official

Welsh flag.

Just to the southwest of the town stands

one of the best known places in the area –

Powis Castle (NT). Inhabited by the Herbert

family for around 500 years, the various

alterations that have taken place here over the

years now cause the castle to look more like a

mansion. Inside there’s a grand Elizabethan

Long Gallery and one of the finest collections

of paintings, sculpture, tapestries and furniture

in Wales; outside, the world-famous garden is

overhung by clipped yew trees and contains

many rare and tender plants.

From the town, the narrow gauge

Welshpool and Llanfair Railway takes

passengers on an 8-mile long steam train

Powis Castle, Welshpool

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journey through the Powis estates and the

delightful Banwy valley to the quiet village of

Llanfair Caereinion.

Around Welshpool

GUILSFIELD

2½ miles N of Welshpool on the B4392

A Parish Church of St Aelhaiarn C Gaer Fawr

The large 15th-century Parish Church of St

Aelhaiarn is well worth a second glance as,

not only does it have an unusual upper

chamber above the south porch, but there is

also a splendid panelled roof from the same

date and some fine 19th-century vaulting.

Off the B4392 just outside the village,

Gaer Fawr (it means Great Camp) covers

most of a hilltop and includes a scheduled

ancient monument. There are great walks

through woodland and grassland with some

splendid views.

LLANGEDWYN

10½ miles N of Welshpool on the B4396

A Sycharth Castle H Llangedwyb Mill Craft Centre

Just to the northeast of the village and close to

the English border, lies one of Wales’ most

nationalistic shrines, Sycharth Castle. A grassy

mound is all that remains of one of Owain

Glyndwr’s principal houses, immortalised in a

poem by Iolo Goch, which speaks of its nine

halls, many guest rooms and a church. The

poem appears in a translation by Anthony

Conran in the Penguin Book of Welsh Verse:

Here are gifts for everyone

No hunger, disgrace or dearth,

Or ever thirst at Sycharth!

Haply the best of Welshmen

Owns the land, of Pywer’s kin;

It’s a strong, lean warrior owns

This most lovable of mansions.

To the east of the village, the Llangedwyn

Mill Craft Centre occupies the site of a

former corn mill on the River Tanat, and now

has four craft shops, including a jeweller,

wood-turner and stained glass studio, as well

as a gift shop.

MIDDLETOWN

5½ miles NE of Welshpool on the A458

C Breidden Hill C Rodney’s Pillar

To the north of this village, which stands right

on the Welsh-English border, rises Breidden

Hill, which is thought to have been the venue

for a fierce battle between the Welsh and the

forces of Edward I in 1292. On the summit

stands an obelisk, Rodney’s Pillar, which

commemorates Admiral Rodney’s victory over

the French off Domenica in 1782.

VINEHOUSE

Oak Lane, Guilsfield, nr Welshpool, Powys SY21 9NHTel: 01938 554431 e-mail: [email protected]: www.vinehouse1829.co.uk / www.allartsandcrafts.co.uk

Eve Pearce welcomes guests to Vinehouse, which has been restored

and extended to provide a choice of accommodation. Bed & Breakfast

is the option in the main house, with two comfortably appointed en

suite bedrooms – a double and a twin – and a guest sitting room/dining room where a generous

breakfast starts the day. In the old stables, self-catering accommodation is available for weekly or

shorter stays. The house has a lovely quiet garden, and the area is rich in history.

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MEIFOD

5½ miles NW of Welshpool on the A495

A Parish Church of St Tysilio and St Mary

This picturesque village in the wooded valley

of the River Vyrnwy is remembered in Welsh

literature as being the location of the summer

residence of the princes of Powys. The Parish

Church of St Tysilio and St Mary, which

was consecrated in 1155, is home to an

interesting 9th-century grave slab that bears

old Celtic markings, as well as a Latin cross

and a Greek crucifix. According to legend, in

AD550, when St Gwyddfarch was asked

where he would like to build his first church,

he is said to have replied, in Welsh, “yma y

mae i fod” (“here it is to be”). So the village

got its name, and after his death the saint is

thought to have been buried a short distance

away. In the 9th century, while the princes of

Powys had their main residence close by,

Meifod became a religious centre and it is

thought that the grave slab is a memorial to

one of the princes.

LLANFIHANGEL-YNG-NGWYNFA

10½ miles NW of Welshpool on the B4382

A Parish Church of St Michael G Ann Griffiths

In the small, Victorian Parish Church of St

Michael there some old carved stones, and in

the churchyard a red granite memorial to the

Welsh hymn writer, Ann Griffiths. Born at a

farm near Dolanog, in 1776, where she lived

most of her short life, Ann only ever travelled

as far as Bala, where she went to hear Thomas

Charles preach. However, despite dying at the

early age of 29, Ann wrote over 70 Welsh

hymns, all dictated to a friend. In her home

village of Dolanog, about 3 miles down the

road, the Ann Griffiths Memorial Chapel was

erected in 1903 and there is a 7-mile walk

from Pontllogel to Pontrobert dedicated to

her memory.

CORNDEAN B&B

Moelygarth, Welshpool, Powys SY21 9DATel: 01938 553810Fax: 01938 553810e-mail: [email protected]: www.corndean.co.uk

A warm welcome awaits guests of all ages

to this deceptively spacious 19th century

house set among the beautiful unspoilt hills

of the Welsh border. Keen walkers and

naturalists often choose to stay and return to

Corndean because of the stunning

surrounding scenery, which is home to an

abundance of wildlife visitors are welcome to

stroll through the seven acre grounds, which

include woodland walks and an original mill stream. Guests have their own dining room where they

can enjoy a full Welsh breakfast from locally sourced products including Corndean’s own free range

eggs. Packed lunches and filled flasks can be arranged if required. There are numerous interesting

places within easy driving distance including Lake Vyrnwy, Bala Powys Castle and the Berwyn

Mountains. The market town of Welshpool, with its narrow gauge railway, shops and amenities are

just five minutes drive by car. Collection from Welshpool railway can be arrange by prior

agreement.

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LLANWDDYN

14 miles NW of Welshpool on the B4393

D Lake Vyrnwy C Hirnant Tunnel

H Sculpture Park

The village lies at the southern end of Lake

Vyrnwy (Llyn Efyrnwy), a four mile stretch of

water that was created, in the years following

1881, by the flooding of the entire Vyrnwy

Valley, to provide the people of Liverpool

with an adequate water supply. Close to the

dam, which is 390 yards long, and 144 feet

high, is a monument that marks the beginning

of the Hirnant Tunnel – the first stage of a

75-mile aqueduct that carries the water to

Liverpool. Another striking building is the

Gothic tower designed by George Frederick

Deacon, engineer to the Liverpool Water

Board. On higher ground is an obelisk that is a

monument to the 44 men who died during the

construction of the reservoir.

To construct this, the first of several

massive reservoirs in north and mid-Wales, the

original village of Llanwddyn, home to some

400 people, was flooded along with the valley.

On the hill south of the dam stands the ‘new’

village and the church, built by Liverpool

Corporation in 1887. Photographs in the Lake

Vyrnwy Hotel show the original village with its

37 houses, all now along with the church

submerged under the lake’s 13,000 million

gallons of water. The story of the

construction is told at the reservoir’s visitor

centre, which is also home to an RSPB centre;

there are four RSPB hides at various points

around the lake and guided tours can be

arranged for schools and groups.

A road circumnavigates the lake but walking

around it or on any of the nature trails is an

ideal way to observe the abundant wild and

bird life that live around the shores. Lake

Vyrnwy’s Sculpture Park was started in 1997

and has evolved constantly ever since, using

local timber and on-site materials. Local artists

have worked in partnership with sculptors

from Russia, Estonia, Lithuania and Australia.

The park’s key theme is wildlife, and the local

artists have been inspired by species found on

the site, while the international artists have

drawn inspiration from their homelands. One

particularly effective work can be found on the

beach near the Old Village. It is a sculpture of

dolphins, which, when the lake rises, gives the

impression that they are jumping out of the

water. The sculpture park is managed jointly

by Severn Trent Water, the RSPB and Forest

Enterprise Wales.

Bethania Adventure, based at the Boat

House, organises activities on and around the

lake, including sailing, windsurfing, kayaking,

canoeing, climbing and abseiling; the lake is

also a favourite spot for anglers. With its lovely

scenery and coniferous forests, the lake has

doubled in films for Switzerland or

Transylvania; it was also used for location

shots in The Dambusters.

LLANGYNOG


A Parish Church of St Melangell

D Pennant Melangell

Situated at the confluence of the Rivers Tanat

and Eirth and overlooked by the Berwyn

range, the village’s name recalls Cynog, the son

of King Brychan of Brycheiniog. The Parish

Church of St Cynog was built in the late 18th

century in fine Georgian style. Further up the

wooded valley of the upper River Tanat, in the

hamlet of Pennant Melangell, lies the Parish

Church of St Melangell, where there can be

seen two images that are said to be of a Welsh

prince and the 7th-century St Melangell. The

story goes that a hunted hare took refuge in

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the saint’s cloak and thus she became the

patron saint of hares. These creatures were

once treated as sacred in this lonely area. A

short distance further upstream is a small

waterfall that marks the start of the valley.

LLANRHAEADR-YM-MOCHNANT


A Parish Church of St Dogfan D Pistyll Rhaeadr

Despite its relative isolation, this village

attracts many visitors who pass through on

their way to Pistyll Rhaeadr, which lies up a

narrow road to the northwest of the village.

This is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales

and, with a drop of 240 feet, is the highest

waterfall in Britain south of the Scottish

Highlands. The English translation of the

name is Spout Waterfall, an obvious name as

the water drops vertically for 100 feet before

running into a cauldron, and on through a

natural tunnel in the rock before reappearing.

The Parish Church of St Dogfan dates

originally from the 14th century, though the

tower and parts of the main building are later.

It was while he was vicar here from 1578 to

1595 that Bishop William Morgan made his

famous translation of the Bible into Welsh. He

was granted permission to carry out this work

by Queen Elizabeth I, her father Henry VIII

having banned any official use of the Welsh

language.

The villagers here maintain a tradition that

was once common in the area- the Plygeiniau,

a form of Christmas carol service in which

groups of men wander from church to church

giving unaccompanied performances of Welsh

carols.

LLANFYLLIN

9 miles NW of Welshpool on the A490

A Parish Church of St Myllin A Council House

A Pendref Congregational Chapel

D St Myllin’s Well

This charming and peaceful hillside town lies

in the valley of the River Cain where it joins

the Abel. It was granted its charter as a

borough in 1293 by Llewelyn ap Gruffydd ap

Gwenwynwyn, Lord of Mechain. Welshpool is

the only other Welsh borough to have been

granted its charter from a native Welsh ruler.

To celebrate the 700th anniversary in 1993 of

the granting of the charter a large tapestry of

the town’s historic buildings was created. It

can be seen in the Parish Church of St

Myllin, a delightful redbrick building dating

from 1706.

Overlooking the town is the beauty spot of

St Myllin’s Well. Water from the well has,

from the 6th century onwards, been thought

to cure all manner of ailments - certainly the

view over the town and to the Berwyn

Mountains beyond is uplifting. St Myllin, a

7th-century Celt, is traditionally alluded to as

the first cleric to baptise by total immersion in

his holy well. Opposite the church is the brick

Council House, which has 13 wall paintings

in an upstairs room. These were all done by a

Napoleonic prisoner of war, one of several

billeted in the town between 1812 and 1814.

Ann Griffiths, the famous Welsh hymn writer,

was baptised in Pendref Congregational

Chapel, one of the oldest Non-Conformist

places of worship in Wales, established in

1640. The present building dates from 1829.

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IMAGE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS

Gregynog Hall, Tregynon © Dan Gregory pg 12

Montgomery Castle, Montgomery © Phillip Halling pg 13

Wisteria arch at Glansevern Hall, Berriew

© Row Haworth pg 14

Powis Castle, Welshpool © Val Vannet pg 19

Some images in this publicationhave been supplied by http://www.geograph.org.uk and

licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License. To view a

copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ or send a letter to

Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.

COPYRIGHT HOLDERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

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TOWNS, VILLAGES AND PLACES OF INTEREST

A

Abermule 15

Abermule Train Disaster 15

Dolforwyn Castle 15

B

Berriew 14

Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture 14

Glansevern Hall 14

Maen Beuno 14

Parish Church of St Beuno 14

C

Caersws 16

John ‘Ceiriog’ Hughes 16

Llyn Mawr Reserve 16

Carno 7

Carno Wind Farm 7

Parish Church of St John the Baptist 7

Church Stoke 14

Bacheldre Mill 15

Parish Church of St Nicholas 15

Simon’s Castle 15

D

Dylife 7

Dylife Gorge 8

Glaslyn Nature Reserve 8

G

Guilsfield 20

Gaer Fawr 20

Parish Church of St Aelhaiarn 20

K

Kerry 15

Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels 15

L

Llanbrynmair 7

Abraham Rees 7

Machinations 7

Parish Church of St Mary 7

Rev Samuel Roberts 7

Llandinam 15

David Davies 15

Parish Church of St Llonio 16

Llanfair Caereinion 12

Great Little Trains of Wales 13

Welshpool and Llanfair Railway 12

Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa 21

Ann Griffiths 21

Parish Church of St Michael 21

Llanfyllin 23

Council House 23

Parish Church of St Myllin 23

Pendref Congregational Chapel 23

St Myllin’s Well 23

Llangedwyn 20

Llangedwyn Mill Craft Centre 20

Sycharth Castle 20

Llangynog 22

Parish Church of St Melangell 22

Pennant Melangell 22

Llanidloes 8

Aber Biga Wildlife Walk 9

Bryn Tail Lead Mine 9

Cascades Trail 9

Clywedog Gorge Trail 9

Fan Hill 9

Llanidloes Castle 8

Llanidloes Museum 8

Llyn Clywedog 9

Llyn Clyywedog Scenic Trail 9

Market Hall 8

Minerva Arts Centre 8

Parish Church of St Idloes 8

Van Lead Mine 9

Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant 23

Parish Church of St Dogfan 23

Pistyll Rhaeadr 23

Llanwddyn 22

Hirnant Tunnel 22

Lake Vyrnwy 22

Sculpture Park 22

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M

Machynlleth 4

MOMA WALES 7

Owain Glyndwr 4

Parish Church of St Peter 4

Parliament House 4

Y Plas Machynlleth 4

Meifod 21

Parish Church of St Tysilio and St Mary 21

Middletown 20

Breidden Hill 20

Rodney’s Pillar 20

Montgomery 13

Fridd Faldwyn 13

Hen Domen 13

Montgomery Castle 13

Old Bell Museum 13

Parish Church of St Nicholas 13

Robber’s Grave 13

N

Newtown 10

Parish Church of St Mary 11

Pwll Penarth Nature Reserve 12

Robert Owen Memorial Museum 10

Textile Museum 10

WH Smith Museum 11

TOWNS, VILLAGES AND PLACES OF INTEREST

S

Staylittle 8

Hafren Forest 8

Plynlimon 8

T

Tregynon 12

Gregynon Hall Gardens 12

W

Welshpool 17

Cockpit 19

Grace Evans’ Cottage 19

Long Mountain 19

Montgomery Canal Centre 17

Powis Castle 19

Powysland Museum 17

Severn Farm Pond Nature Reserve 19

Strata Marcella 17

Welshpool and Llanfair Railway 19

Guide to Rural Wales - North Powys

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Transcript of Guide to Rural Wales - North Powys