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Places to see in ( Builth Wells - UK )
Places to see in ( Builth Wells - UK )
Builth Wells is a town and electoral ward in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh section of the Wye Valley.
The only remains of the castle are huge earthworks. Builth Castle was built under King Edward I, the construction taking nearly five years in the 1270s. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, often remembered as Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf came south from Gwynedd to the vicinity of Builth Castle in December 1282.
In the centre of Builth Wells there is a 1000 feet square mural (approx 35 feet high by 30 feet wide) depicting the final days of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last native Prince of Wales. The mural shows Llywelyn and his men, a scene depicting the fighting and a representation of Builth Castle, where Llywelyn was turned away when trying to flee from the English.
The White Bull of Builth may be a reference to a herd of White Park Cattle that lived in the area from Post-Roman times. Two herds survived in Wales to modern times. The town is served by Builth Road railway station on the Heart of Wales Line, which is located just over a mile to the north, having lost its more central (Builth Wells) railway station on the Mid-Wales Railway in the 1960s under the Beeching Axe. A dedicated cycle route linking the town with Swansea (NCR 43) has been proposed and a 13-mile section of the route from Swansea has already been developed.
The 18th-century bridge at Builth Wells carries heavy vehicles on the A470. It has six fine masonry spans, with relatively small round cutwaters, which are fitted on the upstream side with stout steel fenders to provide protection from debris. The centre of the bridge has a pedestrian refuge on each side. The arches have been reinforced by a layer of concrete in the soffit.
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Places to see in ( Rhayader - UK )
Places to see in ( Rhayader - UK )
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. Rhayader is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, 20 miles from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains. The town is one of the principal centres of population in the historic county of Radnorshire.
Rhayader is situated roughly midway between North and south Wales on the A470, 13 miles north of Builth Wells and 30 miles east of Aberystwyth on the A44 - two of Wales' most important trunk roads. The B4574 mountain road to Aberystwyth is described by the AA as one of the ten most scenic drives in the world. The name Rhayader is a partly-Englished form of its Welsh name Y Rhaeadr (the waterfall), or more fully, Rhaeadr Gwy (waterfall [on the] Wye). Strictly speaking, according to place-name spelling conventions in Welsh, the name of the town would be 'Rhaeadr-gwy', and the waterfall itself 'Rhaeadr Gwy', but it seems that this distinction is usually ignored.
Rhayader has always been a natural stopping point for travellers - the Romans had a stop-over camp in the Elan Valley, Monks travelled between the Abbeys of Strata Florida and Abbeycwmhir and drovers headed to the lucrative markets with their livestock. it wasn't until the 12th Century that documented history of the town began with the building of a Castle in 1177. Little remains today, with the exception of a dry moat that can be seen from Wauncapel Park.
One of the oldest buildings in Rhayader is the Old Swan, which stands on the corner of West and South Streets Rhayader. The original building was mentioned in 1676 as being one of the two inns in Rhayader at that date. Some changes were made in 1683, including the rebuilding of the three chimney stacks, and this date is carved into the old timbers inside the building.
In the 19th Century, turnpike roads were only passable on payment of extortionate tolls, imposing additional burdens on already poor communities. This led to the Rebecca Riots across South and Mid Wales from 1839–1842, with no less than six of Rhayader's tollgates being demolished with impunity by local farmers dressed as women. The actions of these 'Rebeccaites' led to a Commission of Inquiry being set up, and most of Rebecca's grievances were righted two years later.
In the 1890s the rapidly expanding city of Birmingham, 70 miles east, viewed the nearby Elan Valley as the ideal source of clean, safe water. This was to change the face of Rhayader forever, bringing thousands of workers involved in building this massive complex of dams and reservoirs to the area. A new railway was built connecting this huge area with the main network in Rhayader, and the construction of a new village to house the workers was built on the banks of the River Elan. Work started in 1894 and the scheme was officially opened in 1904 by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
The station on the Mid Wales Railway line that served the town was closed on 31 December 1962. The nearest station is now at Crossgates on the Heart of Wales Line, though connections are usually made at the more accessible Llandrindod railway station a similar distance away. An extensive bus service connects with outlying villages and neighbouring towns, with two-hourly daytime departures to Builth Wells, Llandrindod Wells, Aberystwyth and Newtown, with connections to Hereford, Shrewsbury, Cardiff and further afield.
Tourism and agriculture are the most important industries locally. Walkers and cyclists are drawn to Rhayader for the abundance of trails and bridleways surrounding the town, which is the gateway to a massive complex of reservoirs and dams (The Elan Valley). This vast area is home to some of Britain's rarest wildlife and plants, including red kites, along with magnificent feats of engineering. There are a number of hotels, bed and breakfasts and campsites to accommodate the large amount of visitors that travel to the area all year round. Rhayader is also home to a community founded art and heritage complex which includes a museum and gallery.
( Rhayader - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Rhayader . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Rhayader - UK
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llandrindod-wells.flv
A brief video clip as a taster of Llandrindod Wells produced by Powys CC Tourism section. exploremidwales.com
Places to see in ( Knighton - UK )
Places to see in ( Knighton - UK )
Knighton is a small market town in Powys, Wales, on the River Teme and the English-Welsh border. Knighton railway station, as well as a small part of the town, is in Shropshire, England. The name derives from the Old English for A settlement of servants. This Anglo-Saxon settlement later became a Norman fortified town. Tref-y-clawdd, its Welsh name, means town on the dyke (i.e. Offa's Dyke) and was first recorded in 1262.
The name Knighton probably derives from the Old English words cniht and tūn meaning, respectively, ... a soldier, personal follower, young man, servant, thane, freeman and ... farm, settlement, homestead. This implies that the settlement was perhaps founded as the result of a grant of land to freemen.
Knighton is known for a well-preserved section of Offa's Dyke. Intriguingly, Wat's Dyke also runs parallel to Offa's Dyke and a few miles to the east. An earthwork that runs north-south along the English/Welsh border from Basingwerk near Holywell to Oswestry. The dykes aside, two Norman castles, constructed in the 12th century, are the oldest survivors in modern Knighton.
Knighton first prospered as a centre of the wool trade in the 15th century and was later an important point on the two drover routes from Montgomery to Hereford, and from London to Aberystwyth. Otherwise, Knighton was remote from the centres of commerce. It seemed likely that the railway revolution would also fail to reach the town; the 1840s and 1850s saw considerable railway building right across Great Britain but Radnorshire had a small population and little industry.
On the last Saturday in August the town holds its annual Carnival and Show, which attracts thousands of visitors to the town from all over the world. It features two parades, one at midday, and another at around 8 pm; these consist of various themed carnival floats and people dressed in fancy dress. The show takes place at the town's showground at Bryn-y-Castell; also home to Knighton Town F.C., Knighton Cricket Club and Knighton Hockey Club.
Knighton Community Centre is the towns largest venue and plays host to many events such as discos, performances, wrestling, bands, artists along with local clubs and organisations. Just outside Knighton and visible for many miles, is an observatory with a telescope, Europe's largest camera obscura and a planetarium.
Knighton is at the centre or the start of two National Trails; Glyndŵr's Way and Offa's Dyke Path. The Offa's Dyke Association has a visitors' centre in the town alongside the site of the ceremony at which John Hunt, Baron Hunt of Llanfair Waterdine inaugurated the long distance footpath in 1971.
Knighton is 137 miles (220 km) from the UK capital city, London; 86 miles (138 km) from the Welsh capital of Cardiff; and, 19 miles (31 km) from the county town, Llandrindod Wells. For the smaller part of Knighton that is in Shropshire, the district administrative centre of Ludlow is 16 miles (26 km) distant and the county town of Shrewsbury is 34 miles (55 km) away. The town is remote but is connected with the following towns and villages.
( Knighton - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Knighton . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Knighton - UK
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Mid Wales Constabulary Visit Llandrindod Wells Police Stations.
Visit to old and new Police Stations, Llandrindod Wells
Town Centre, Oswestry, Shropshire
Video of the Town Centre in Oswestry, Shropshire
Greentraveller Video of Drover Holidays, Powys, Wales
Drover Holidays offer walking, cycling and mountain biking holidays. For self-guided trips, they organise your accommodation, provide maps and directions and move your luggage while you walk or ride each day. Itineraries include popular long distance routes like Offa's Dyke, Lon Las Cymru and Sarn Helen as well as tours they've created themselves to bring you the best bits of Wales.
Guided walking, cycling and mountain biking tours. Escorted group tours are a great way to make new friends, and with your own tour leader to guide the way there's no need to worry about map-reading, trailside repairs or choosing which local beer to try in the pub!
Read about more fantastic activities in Powys in the Greentraveller guide to Mid Wales:
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This video is part of a series produced by Greentraveller showcasing green tourism businesses in Powys, Wales.
The Heart of Wales with 44871 & 45407
I returned to a location on the Heart of Wales Line where I had filmed in heavy rain & wind last year. This time the weather was far better although it was very cloudy.
The train was right on time! This first shot is 6.30 minutes long.
I then filmed the locos amongst the crowds of passengers & onlookers at Llandrindod Wells. The train was here for over 3 hours.
For my last location I returned to Penybont Tunnel where I had visited over 15 years ago. For me this turned out to be my best shot of the day. Right up close to the locos.
Enjoy!
North Beach and Pier, Aberyswyth, Wales
Video of the North beach and pier in Aberystwyth.