LLANDINAM

Llandinam translates as 'church of a small fort enclosure'. The valley where the village is situated has been the scene of many a conflict and there are the remains of a Roman encampment on the western side of the valley. David Davies the man responsible for building Barry Docks and the Cambrian Railway in Mid-Wales who also became MP for Cardiganshire was born in Llandinam during the 19th Century. A statue of him stands in the centre of the village. The Davies family still live Plas Dinam. In 1904, Llandinam was one of the first rural parishes in Wales to have electricity at a charge of one shilling per light per year

LLANDRINDOD WELLS

Many think of Llandrindod Wells as a very "Victorian" town, one that came to prominence because of the upsurge of interest in "taking the waters" at Spa towns and, indeed, there is much to support this view. However, the health-giving properties of the local water were known to the Romans who had a settlement at Castell Collen, just outside the present town. Development into a town was slow and although several locations can be traced back to the thirteenth century it wasn't until the seventeen hundreds that a recogniseable town came into being. Its heyday coincided with the arrival of the railway in the mid to late 1800's and that period of prosperity which saw the buidling of many fine hotels and residences is reflected in the town's popular "Victorian Festival" held every August.

LLANFECHAIN

Llanfechain means 'church in the valley of the Cain'. The village church St. Garmons is early Norman and has a half timbered roof and stone walls. The parish register dates back to 1597. There are markings on the wall of the church outside the doorway which are said to have been made by men sharpening their arrows for archery practice. As well as the church there are two chapels in the village, the Wesleyan and the Calvinistic Methodist. Castell Domen is a fine example of a motte and bailey stronghold, that could possibly have been that of Owain Fychan, an early Lord of Mechain

LLANFYLLIN

St. Myllin a 6th century Celtic saint gives this village its name. It is set in the deep wooded valley of the river Cain. In the churchyard dedicated to the saint is the railed tomb of a Frenchman held as a prisoner during the Napoleonic wars, who subsequently returned to the village to marry his sweetheart the vicar's daughter. In the house opposite the church there are still paintings by other French prisoners. The infamous Dartmoor Shepard who spent 39 years in jail for rifling church offertory boxes was a resident of the village. The Pendref Congregational Chapel is one of the oldest non-conformist places of worship in Wales and was established in 1640.

LLANIDLOES

Llanidloes is named after the “the church of St. Idloes”, a seventh century Welsh saint who it is said was the son of Gwyddnabi ab Llawfrodedd. The oldest part of the church is its tower dating back to the fourteenth century, though the town was given its market charter as early as 1289 and a settlement existed as far back as the ninth century. foundations of a church on table land overlooking the Severn.

The town began to expand after the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066, when a motte and bailey castle was constructed at the then western end of the town, on the site where the Mount Inn and the town's Community Centre now stand. The Cambrian Railway came to the town in the 1860s and although the line closed in the 1960s, the impressive railway building still stands, used today by several local businesses. Llanidloes is the first town on the River Severn and has an industrial history that includes the flannel industry and lead mining which dates back to Roman times. Today, One of the highlights in the town’s calendar is the annual Fancy Dress night which is held on the first Friday in July.

LLANSANTFFRAID-YM-MECHAIN

One of the many Llansantffraids established by St Bride who came over to Wales from Ireland to preach is Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. 'The church of Saint Bride in the land of the river Cain' is the literal translation. There is a story as to why the church stands where it does today. Originally the inhabitants chose Foel Hill as they thought it was closer to God because of its height. However as soon as building began they found the stones had been moved to a hill on the other side of the road. They moved them back to Foel Hill, but again over night they were moved. The villagers saw this as 'the will of god' and built the church on the second site. The parish is almost entirely surrounded by the Vyrnwy, the Cain, the Tanat and their tributeries

LLANWRTYD WELLS

Llanwrtyd Wells is the smallest town in Britain and lies on the river Irfon surrounded by the Epynt and Cambrian Mountains. Celtic saints founded the church, St. David's which dates from the 11th century. More recently the local clergy have been famous for composing welsh hymns, including the popular Cwm Rhondda, 'Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah'. Llanwrtyd was a spa town after the discovery of waters with healing properties in 1732. These wells were called Ffynnon Ddrewllyd 'Smelly Wells' because of the sulphurous odour from the gases.

MACHYNLLETH

Machynlleth is at the head of the estuary of the river Dyfi., the name comes from 'maen', which means stone block or pointer stone, and 'cynlleth', which means wetness and no doubt refers to the river. Machynlleth began to prosper in the 13th century when it became an important market centre, and in 1863 with the introduction of the steam railway between Newtown and Machynlleth more changes were introduced bringing goods from other parts of the country, but sadly this meant local craftsmen had very little work. In Maengwyn Street stand Parliament House and the Owain Glyndwr Institute. Owain Glyndwr, proclaimed Prince in 1404, was the last Prince of Wales to rebel against the English. The Owain Glyndwr Institute was built in 1911 and made to look as old as Parliament House, a medieval town house built in the 16th century

MEIFOD

Meifod lies between Oswestry and Welshpool, its name meaning 'middle or halfway dwelling' or, as some say, 'summer dwelling', as historically it was a summer residence for the Princes of Powys. Dyffryn Hill dominates the village, where a number of wells are said to never run dry. In the woods is a healing well, associated with the old saints of Meifod, and is now a tourist attraction. Being the summer residence of Princes, there are strong associations with them, and some are said to be buried in the area. The palace of the princes was at Mathrafal, now a mound of earth surrounded by trees

MONTGOMERY

The name Montgomery comes from Roger de Montgomery, a Norman who was given the area after the Norman Conquest of 1066. As his name suggests his original home was also called Montgomery, a twon in the Pays d'Auge area of northern France. He and his family first built a fortification at nearby Hendomen, Montgomery Castle being built 150 years or so later, in 1221/3 when Henry lll ruled the kingdom. After the Battle of Bosworth (1485), the Castle and its lands were given to a powerful Welsh family, The Herberts who held it throughout the Civil War. However, its very being was subsequently sen as a potential threat to the stability of the country and an order was given in 1649 for its destruction.

Photos on this page courtesy of Charlotte Owen, CO Photography, Newtown -
01686 625989 http://www.cophotography.co.uk/