Talgarth is a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...
,
community
A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...
and
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
in southern
Powys
Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...
,
Mid Wales
Mid Wales ( or simply ''Y Canolbarth'', meaning "the midlands"), or Central Wales, is a region of Wales, encompassing its midlands, in-between North Wales and South Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the Senedd covered the unitary autho ...
, about north of
Crickhowell, north-east of
Brecon
Brecon (; ; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the county town of Breck ...
and south-east of
Builth Wells
Builth Wells (; ) is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of the Wye Valley. In 20 ...
. Notable buildings in the town include the 14th-century
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
and a defensive
tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...
. According to traditional accounts, Talgarth was the capital of the early
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
kingdom of
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans ...
. It is in the
historic county of
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire ( or ), also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon, was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was created in 1 ...
. In 2011, it had a population of 1,724.
Name
The town's name derives from the Welsh words ''tâl'' (forehead or brow of a hill) and ''garth'' (mountain ridge or promontory), thus meaning "end of the ridge". It appears as Talgart in 1121, as Talgard after 1130, and in its present form in the years between 1203 and 1208.
The church of Talgarth is recorded in 1488 as dedicated to ''Sce Wenne Virginis'', explained as Gwen (granddaughter of
Brychan
Brychan ap Anlach of Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales.
Name variations
Brychan had Irish ancestry and came from Ireland to Wales, therefore his original name ...
).
Culture and community
The
Talgarth Festival
Talgarth Festival of the Black Mountains is an annual event which takes place in the small market town of Talgarth
Talgarth is a market town, community (Wales), community and electoral ward in southern Powys, Mid Wales, about north of Crick ...
of the
Black Mountains, a popular countryside event, is held each August. Talgarth Walking Festival takes place in May, making use of the town's position at the foot of the Black Mountains.

Talgarth was an important healthcare location for many years, as the home of the large psychiatric hospital, the
Mid Wales Hospital and the Mid and West Wales College of Nursing and Midwifery. Changes in health legislation in the 1980s saw such hospitals closed. The Mid Wales Hospital closed permanently in the 1990s. Since the early 2000s, regeneration efforts have been in place to support Talgarth's future. A
relief road has reduced road traffic in the town centre, allowing new businesses to open and buildings to be renovated and restored. The historic mill in the centre of town featured on the BBC's ''Village SOS'' television series.
History
Roman period
A fort near Cwmdu (Pen-y-Gaer) is of significance to Talgarth, as it was the site where a 1st-century AD
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
chieftain,
Caratacus
Caratacus was a 1st-century AD British chieftain of the Catuvellauni tribe, who resisted the Roman conquest of Britain.
Before the Roman invasion, Caratacus is associated with the expansion of his tribe's territory. His apparent success led ...
(of the
Catuvellauni
The Catuvellauni (Common Brittonic: *''Catu-wellaunī'', "war-chiefs") were a Celtic tribe or state of southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century.
The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and thei ...
tribe), fought with the
Romans.
The Dark Ages
Talgarth was the royal residence of
Brychan
Brychan ap Anlach of Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales.
Name variations
Brychan had Irish ancestry and came from Ireland to Wales, therefore his original name ...
, King of
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans ...
, in the 5th century AD. With three wives, 24 daughters and 24 sons, the family was an important force in Wales and responsible for the spread of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
throughout the region.
The Normans
Talgarth (and Brycheiniog in general) was seized by the Norman
Bernard of Neufmarché, who issued an undated charter concerning the district. The town became part of Bernard's
Lordship of Brecknock (a
Marcher lord
A marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales.
A marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in Fra ...
ship – an almost sovereign state). The Normans established
Castell Dinas to control the passes on both sides.
In the reign of
King John,
the then Lord fell out with the king, and the east of the lordship was detached in punishment, forming a new
Marcher Lordship of Blaenllynfi, ruled by
Peter FitzHerbert
Peter FitzHerbert, also known as Piers FitzHerbert, (died 1235) Lord of Blenlevenny, was a 13th-century nobleman and High Sheriff of Yorkshire, Sheriff of Yorkshire. FitzHerbert was one of the Counsellors named in Magna Carta in 1215. He was the ...
. Although the caput of the latter lordship was officially Blaenllynfi Castle, Talgarth was its principal town, and the lordship was sometimes called the Sub-Lordship of Talgarth as a result.
The Lordship of Blaenllynfi eventually found its way back to the descendants of the last Welsh princes of Brycheiniog (in the person of Rhys ap Hywel).
Rhys played a significant part in the implementation (though not the planning) of the final coup against
Edward II, and consequently Edward's son,
Edward III
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
, was not well disposed towards him; he dispossessed Rhys' heir, and merged the Lordship of Blaenllynfi back into the Lordship of Brecknock (which, with the Lordship of
Buellt
Buellt or Builth was a cantref in medieval Wales, located west of the River Wye. Unlike most cantrefs, it was not part of any of the major Welsh kingdoms for most of its history, but was instead ruled by an autonomous local dynasty. During the ...
, eventually became
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire ( or ), also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon, was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was created in 1 ...
, centuries later).
The Welsh Jacobites
During the
Jacobite revival, support in Talgarth was strong. The town was a Jacobite hotspot, backing
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (31 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, making him the grandson of James VII and II, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, ...
in his attempt to retake the crown for the
Stuarts. In 1727 a meeting of local Jacobite sympathisers in Talgarth ended with members having to appear before a local magistrate to explain their actions.
During the
Jacobite rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...
, Bonnie Prince Charlie had expected the Welsh Jacobites to offer support, but after the Jacobite
David Morgan was
hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was a method of torture, torturous capital punishment used principally to execute men convicted of High treason in the United Kingdom, high treason in medieval and early modern Britain and Ireland. The convi ...
for treason, the Welsh feared persecution. The failure of the Welsh Jacobites to join the
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart, originally spelled Stewart, also known as the Stuart dynasty, was a dynasty, royal house of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and later Kingdom of Great Britain, Great ...
prince in
Derby
Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
was one of the main failures of the Jacobite uprising.
The Methodist revival
In 1735, Talgarth saw the birth of the
Welsh Methodist revival when
Howel Harris, probably the most influential person to come from Talgarth, was converted in Talgarth church while listening to a sermon by the Reverend Pryce Davies. The revival would sweep across Wales, leading to the development of one of the most influential Welsh denominations, that of the
Calvinistic Methodists
Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...
. It was at Talgarth that
William Williams Pantycelyn
William Williams, Pantycelyn (c. 11 February 1717 – 11 January 1791), also known as William Williams, Williams Pantycelyn or simply Pantycelyn, was generally seen as Wales's premier hymnwriter, hymnist. He is also rated among the great litera ...
converted, leading him to become one of Wales' most important hymn writers. Nearby is
Trevecca, the location of the famous college that Harris established. Hywel Harris is buried in Talgarth at St Gwendoline's Church and his tombstone is still visible today. Talgarth is also thought to be the birthplace of the religious poet
Jane Cave.
[Isobel Grundy, ‘Cave, Jane (b. 1754/5, d. in or before 1813)’, ]Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 10 December 2015
/ref>
Buildings and other sites of note
* Talgarth Town Hall (1878) with a memorial clock tower, overlooking the Square
*Tower House
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...
, also overlooking the Square, now the location of the Tourist Information Centre. The present building is probably 18th century, but it may incorporate a 14th-century or later defensive tower. The tower was used as a prison or a lock-up.
*The Tower Hotel was built in 1873 for gentleman farmers to attend the livestock market
*St Gwendoline's Church, a Grade II* listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
*Nearby Bronllys Castle
Talgarth Mill
Talgarth Mill is an 18th-century water mill
A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production ...
in the centre of the town. In 2010 the mill, which had been unused since 1946, was fully restored using National Lottery funding to create the only working watermill in the Brecon Beacons National Park
Brecon Beacons National Park, officially named Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (), is a National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Wales. It is named after the Brecon Beacons (), the mountain range at its centre. The national park ...
. The mill is run by volunteers as a community initiative; it includes a bakery and a cafe and sells locally made food and crafts.
Railway station
Talgarth was served by a station on the Mid-Wales Railway. This has since closed.
Chambered tomb – Penyrwrlodd
A Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
long cairn and chambered tomb
A chambered cairn is a burial monument, usually constructed during the Neolithic British Isles, Neolithic, consisting of a sizeable (usually stone) chamber around and over which a cairn of stones was constructed. Some chambered cairns are also pas ...
at Penyrwrlodd, south of Talgarth, was discovered in June 1972 by a farmer when clearing a stone mound from a field for use as hard-standing in the farmyard. The cairn measures 5m by 22.5m and a maximum 3m high, and has been carbon dated to 3,900 BC, making it an early example of its type. The discovery led to archaeological excavation of the site by Dr Savory of the National Museum of Wales
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
. During the excavation a number of human remains were found along with a bone flute
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
, a human rib and some worked flints and stone. The flute was made from a sheep metapodial bone, has three holes and may either have been a simple flute or whistle.
The Old Post Office Museum
The former Post Office was restored in 2019.
Outdoor activities
Gliding
The Black Mountains Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sports, air sport in which pilots fly glider aircraft, unpowered aircraft known as Glider (sailplane), gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmospher ...
Club is based on the hillside to the southeast of the town. It operates year-round using mountain lift, ridge lift
__NOTOC__
Ridge lift (or slope lift) is created when a wind strikes an obstacle, usually a mountain ridge or cliff, that is large and steep enough to deflect the wind upward.
If the wind is strong enough, the ridge lift provides enough upward f ...
and wave lift mechanisms.
Pony trekking
Talgarth's position next to the Black Mountains meant that it was once a popular location for pony trekking, with the sights of horses tied up outside local pubs well into the 1990s. There remain a number of riding operators in the area who hire out horses for both experienced and novice riders.
Walking
The Black Mountains above the town are used for upland hiking and hill-walking. The mountain ridges are around 2,000 feet high, with the highest point being Waun Fach at . A walking festival based on the town and its hinterland was established in 2013. The event attracts visitors at the start of May each year.
Landscape and natural history
Geology
The bedrock geology beneath Talgarth and its immediate neighbourhood consists of mudstone
Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from ''shale'' by its lack of fissility.Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology.'' New York, New York, ...
s and siltstone
Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.
Although its permeabil ...
s together with occasional sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
s, which comprise a part of the lower Old Red Sandstone
Old Red Sandstone, abbreviated ORS, is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region largely of Devonian age. It extends in the east across Great Britain, Ireland and Norway, and in the west along the eastern seaboard of North America. It ...
succession. The rocks directly beneath the town itself are assigned to the late Silurian
The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 23.5 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the third and shortest period of t ...
/ early Devonian
The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...
age Raglan Mudstone Formation, whilst higher ground to the south and east of the town is formed by the overlying St Maughan's Formation. At the boundary between these two formations is a thick unit of erosion-resistant limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
, which forms features in the courses of the River Ennig and other streams. Known traditionally as the Psammosteus Limestone, it was later referred to as the Bishop's Frome Limestone and more recently as the Chapel Point Limestone. This and similar limestone beds in the area are examples of calcretes, effectively carbonate-rich fossil soils, formed over thousands of years at times of non-deposition of sand and mud. Fish fragments are abundant in some strata exposed in local streamsides.
Within the Raglan Mudstone, and exposed in certain watercourses, is a distinctive rock layer known as the Townsend Tuff Bed, a tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock co ...
being a deposit of volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, produced during volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used to r ...
which has fallen from the sky, likely following a Plinian
Plinian eruptions or Vesuvian eruptions are volcanic eruptions characterized by their similarity to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The eruption was described in a le ...
volcanic eruption
A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior h ...
in this instance.
Pwll-y-Wrach
The Pwll-y-Wrach woodland stretches along both banks of the River Ennig at Pwll-y-Wrach to within of Talgarth town centre. It is designated in part as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI) due to various uncommon plants, including the small-leaved lime tree and the lesser butterfly-orchid
''Platanthera bifolia'', commonly known as the lesser butterfly-orchid, is a species of orchid in the genus ''Platanthera'', having certain relations with the genus ''Orchis'', where it was previously included and also with the genus ''Habenari ...
, both regarded as indicators of ancient woodland. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales manage of the SSSI as a nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
. Rare species present include toothwort and bird's nest orchid. Initially smaller in extent, the reserve was established by the former Brecknock Wildlife Trust in 1984. In spring, wildflowers include bluebells followed by ramsons
''Allium ursinum'', known as wild garlic, ramsons, cowleekes, cows's leek, cowleek, buckrams, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, Eurasian wild garlic or bear's garlic, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the amaryllis family, Ama ...
. The wood is home to the most important colony of dormice
A dormouse is a rodent of the family (biology), family Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their ...
in the region and is also home to the lesser horseshoe bat.
There are a series of waterfalls within the wood, of which the largest is Pwll-y-Wrach, formed by a cap of the Chapel Point Limestone overlying of siltstones. The name means 'witch's pool'.
Governance
Talgarth Town Council has twelve councillors representing the views of the community.
The Talgarth ward elects a county councillor to Powys County Council
Powys County Council () is the local authority for Powys, one of the 22 principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall in Llandrindod Wells.
History
The county of Powys was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act ...
. Since May 2004 it had been represented by Liberal Democrat councillor, William Powell
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor, known primarily for his film career. Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the ''The Thin Man (film), Thin M ...
(who also sits on the Town Council). He was re-elected unopposed in 2008 and 2012. Powell was also an elected Assembly Member of the National Assembly for Wales
The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...
from 2011 to 2016.
Notable people
* Edward Edwards (ca.1726 – 1783), scholar and clergyman
* Jane Cave (ca.1754 – 1812), poet, known for her poetry on religious subjects and on her headaches
* Llewela Davies (1871–1952), pianist and composer who toured with Dame Nellie Melba
Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the f ...
* Geoff Lewis
Geoff Lewis (born 21 December 1935) is a Welsh retired jockey who was born in Talgarth, Breconshire.
He moved to London with his family (he was one of thirteen children) in 1946. After initially working as a hotel page boy, he ...
(born 1935), jockey
In media
Filming
A number of films and dramas have been filmed in and around Talgarth, notably '' On the Black Hill''. Others include ''Morgan's Boy'', ''Nuts and Bolts'' (filmed at the old hospital), and ''Hearts of Gold'' (where the town was assumed to be Pontypridd
Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre.
Geography
Pontypridd comprises the ...
).
Books
Talgarth features as a location in Alfred Walter Stewart's 1931 novel ''The Boathouse Riddle'', written under the pen name J. J. Connington.
Town twinning
Talgarth is twinned with Pizzoferrato, Italy.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
Talgarth Town Council website
Talgarth and District Historical Society
Photos of Talgarth and surrounding area on geograph
Black Mountains Gliding club
{{authority control
Towns in Powys
Communities in Powys
Black Mountains, Wales
Wards of Powys