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- lying at a natural crossroads, 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 Abbey-cwm-hir, and Drovers with their livestock. While Rhayader is known to date to 5th century, Neolithic remains suggest a much earlier settlement.
- near to Oak Wood Lodges, is of great historical significance. Little is known of its early history but the permanent foundation of the Abbey dates to 1176. From 1197 onwards the earlier wooden building began to be replaced by a stone structure, and, although never fully completed, at the time it was of a size that was only surpassed by those at Durham and Winchester.
- Further afield there is an Iron-Age encampment at Grug Hywel (“Howell’s Fort”), above Crickhowell in the Usk Valley, and some prehistoric standing stones on the Brecon Beacons. In the Brecknock Museum at Brecon are some ancient inscribed stones and Roman Artefacts.
- an historical cathedral town that lies on the banks of the River Usk and in the shadow of the Brecon Beacons. Brecon Cathedral has been the site of Christian worship for over 1,000 years. In 1093 a Benedictine Priory, linked to Battle Abbey,was established and continued in existence the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537. The building then became a Parish Church until 1923 when it became the Cathedral Church of the newly formed Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.
The South Wales Borderers’s Museum at Brecon outlines the history of some of the Regiment,including its involvement in the Marlborough campaigns, the America War of Independence, the Sikh wars, and the Zulu Wars - including the battles at Isandhlwana and Rorke's Drift.
- the ancient capital of Wales and the site of Owain Glyndwr’s Welsh Parliament in 1404. At Machynlleth there is Celtica which portrays the story of the Celts, and “The Celtica Experience”, which uses award winning audio visual techniques, takes the visitor on a journey through 8 galleries, provides an experience of Celtic culture and heritage.
- The Offa’s Dyke Centre with its interactive display giving information on the massive earthen dyke of the 8th Century English ruler King Offa of Mercia, is based at Knighton. It is the only town on the entire length of the Dyke, which running from the Severn Estuary to the North West coast, was the first official border between England and Wales, and now Britain’s longest man-made feature. The Offas Dyke Footpath, which passes through the Brecon Beacons National Park and other designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,is considered by many to be amongst the most picturesque of all the National Trails.
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- Wales and The Marches are also famous for the many castles.
- A National Trust property at Welshpool, in Powys - is a Medieval castle, built by Welsh princes and the home of the Earls of Powis. It has one of the finest collections of paintings and furniture in Wales, and a beautiful collection of treasures from India displayed in the Clive Museum
, Usk, Monmouthshire - the first castle at Raglan was a Norman motte and bailey which survived until the early 15th century when it came into the hands of Sir William ap Thomas, a Welsh knight who had fought at Agincourt (1415). About 1435 he began building the Great Tower, an unusual hexagonal keep, surrounded by its own moat. His son, William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, added a great gatehouse and lavish accommodation. The last major period of building was carried out by William Somerset, Earl of Worcester (1548-89), who was responsible for improvements to the Great Hall.
During the Civil War the castle was held for the king, and in June 1646 came under attack from the Parliamentary forces led by Sir Thomas Fairfax. After suffering heavy bombardment for several weeks, in one of the longest sieges of the war, the castle finally surrendered. The castle was slighted by the victorious Parliamentarians, and after considerable effort they managed to topple two sides of the Great Tower. Further damage was caused when the Duke of Beaufort ransacked the castle for fittings for his new home at Badminton, leaving Raglan a derelict ruin.
- a motte-and-bailey castle established during the Norman conquest of Brycheiniog. Shell-keep raised on the mound about 1150, and a round tower added in the early thirteenth century. Admission charge includes Tretower Court, which is a restored courtyard house with origins in the fourteenth century. It was rebuilt by Sir Roger Vaughan in the fifteenth century. Magnificent timberwork survive and there are later Classical-style windows dating to the 1630s. There is also a recreated fifteenth-century garden.
In Monmouthshire are three castles - - which were built to protect one of the main routes through the border region between England and South Wales. In the late 1130's King Stephen brought all three castles together under a single Lordship that controlled the 'Three Castles' as one defensive unit. In the early 13th century Hubert de Burgh held the lordship. In 1267 the Three Castles were granted to Edmund 'Crouchback', earl of Lancaster.
, Grosmont, Abergavenny. The name “Grosmont” is derived from the French “gros mont” meaning “big hill”, an apt name for the large mound on which the castle is built. In 1404-5, during a Welsh revolt led by Owain Glyn Dwr, the castle played its last military role. In 1404 the Welsh were defeated in battle on Campston Hill near Grosmont. The following year they returned and laid siege to the castle, but with a relief force sent from Hereford by Prince Henry, the future King Henry V, the Welsh were defeated. The castles were no longer the homes of nobility and by the 16th century all three castles had been abandoned and were falling into ruin.
- in 1180’s appears to be the first of the 3 castles to be built in stonefirst of the Three Castles to be rebuilt in stone. Originally called Llantilio Castle, it gained its new name from the white plaster rendering that covered the walls. When in early 13th century Hubert de Burgh held the lordship,he built modern stone castles at Grosmont and Skenfrith, but left the existing stone defences at White Castle. Unlike the other two castles White Castle appears to have been mainly a military outpost rather than a home for a noble family.
, near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire - in the care of “Cadw”: (Welsh Historic Monuments), built in the thirteenth century by the banks of the River Minnow.
In Camarthenshire, South Wales, are:
- the ruins of this castle are perched on top of a 300ft limestone crag. Archaeological evidence shows that this site was in use at least as far back as the Roman period, probably earlier. The first mention of a medieval castle, of which nothing remains, is in 1248. The current buildings date back to the late 13th / early 14th centuries.
was the capital seat of the kingship of Deheubarth. Although legends provide it with a much longer history, there is no evidence that the castle existed before the reign of Rhys ap Gruffudd in the late 12th century.
, Llandeilo, stands on top of a hill overlooking the Tywi valley.
Three castles in Powys are:
, near Brecon - late eleventh/early twelfth-century motte with thirteenth-century round stone keep. Three floors, with fine views.
, near Abermule, in Powys - the remains of this castle, begun by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ('the Last') in 1273 and captured by the English in 1277, have recently been revealed by excavations.
, Montgomery, Powys, - begun by Henry III in 1223 and given to Hubert de Burgh in 1228. Held by the Mortimers in the fourteenth century, it was later demolished on the order of Parliament after the Civil War.
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properties include:
, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire -
an 18th-century landscape park, enclosing a medieval deer park with more than 100 fallow deer. A small herd of White Park Cattle and a number of scenic walks including a wooded boardwalk. The house is 17th-century with showrooms and exhibition rooms
, Taliaris, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, is a traditional Carmarthenshire farmhouse set inn the beautiful Cwm Dulais. Admission by guided tour and by arrangement only
, Monmouth, Monmouthshire - A landmark hill topped by two interesting Georgian buildings; two-storey circular Georgian banqueting house and naval temple; spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
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- In addition to the South Wales Borderers’ Museum in Brecon,there are a number of museums in the area run by the Powys Museum Service: The Brecknock Museum in Brecon; the Newtown Textile Museum; the Llanidloes Museum, the Powysland Museum at Welshpool; and the Radnorshire Museum in Llandrindod Wells.
at St. Fagans, Cardiff, is a famous open-air, museum showing how the people of Wales have lived and worked over the last five hundred years. Founded in 1948, it is set in the grounds of the magnificent St. Fagans Castle, a late 16th century manor house, the 100-acre parkland has over thirty original buildings, from various periods of history, moved from various parts of Wales and re-erected. These include a school, a chapel and a Workmen's Institute, as well as several workshops where craftsmen, including a blacksmith and a cooper, demonstrate their skills.
in Presteigne has been voted one of the Top Ten Museums and Galleries in the Best of British Awards.
Click here to make a reservation
Or please give us a call on 01597 811422
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