Talybont-on-Usk () is a village and

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 ...

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 ...

, Wales, 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 ...

. It lies on both the Caerfanell river and the

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal () is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its currently (2018) navigable length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its ...

, about from the

River Usk The River Usk (; ) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it flows north int ...

. In

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, it had a population of 743, reducing to 719 at the 2011 census. The community includes the settlements of

Llansantffraed Llansantffraed (Llansantffraed-juxta-Usk) is a parish in the community of Talybont-on-Usk in Powys, Wales, near Brecon. The benefice of Llansantffraed with Llanrhystud and Llanddeiniol falls within the Diocese of St Davids in the Church in Wal ...

, Scethrog, Aber Village, and Pencelli.

History

Allt yr Esgair is a steep-sided hill to the north east of Talybont, and has an

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

settlement on the summit. There are other Iron Age and

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

sites in the vicinity, and a Roman road flanks the slopes of Allt yr Esgair. A small castle was built at Pencelli during the Norman invasion, and this was later replaced by the sixteenth century Pencelli House. The canal was built around 1800 to transport lime, coal and iron to Newport. There are some

lime kilns A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime (material), lime called ''quicklime'' (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this chemical reaction, reaction is: Calcium carbonat ...

to the east of the village, and a tramroad was built to transport limestone from the crags above. The language of Talybont (and Crickhowell and Llangynidr) was originally Welsh. In his 1893 book ''Wales and her language'', John E Southall, reports that over 60% of the population of the area spoke Welsh, although the town was only a few miles from more

anglicised Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

Abergavenny Abergavenny (; , , archaically , ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a "Gateway to Wales"; it is approximately from the England–Wales border, border with England and is loca ...

. Gravestones with Welsh inscriptions are found in and just outside Talybont.

The village

The village is located on the B4558 road about southeast 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 northwest of

Crickhowell Crickhowell (; , non-standard spelling ') is a town and community (Wales), community in southeastern Powys, Wales, near Abergavenny, and is in the historic counties of Wales, historic county of Brecknockshire. Location The town lies on th ...

. It is a mile from the

and on the

and is connected to the A40

trunk road A trunk road is a major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom, Sweden and formerly Ireland. Trunk roads are planned and managed at the national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk ro ...

on the other side of the Usk by a short section of unclassified road. The village has a shop and several pubs. The valley one mile south of the village is dammed to form the Talybont Reservoir. This has a dam and there are forest trails in its vicinity. Talybont-on-Usk is a popular place for walkers and offers the

Henry Vaughan Henry Vaughan (17 April 1621 – 23 April 1695) was a Welsh metaphysical poet, author and translator writing in English, and a medical physician. His religious poetry appeared in ''Silex Scintillans'' in 1650, with a second part in 1655.''Oxfo ...

walk through the nearby countryside where the 18th century poet once lived. Another walk can be followed along the line of the former Brinore Tramroad which runs south from the canalside wharf in the village around the western flanks of Y Wenallt and Tor y Foel before heading to

Trefil Trefil is a small village in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, south Wales. It lies at the top of the Sirhowy Valley, near to Brecon Beacons National Park. It is three miles northwest of Tredegar. With one public house, The Top House, serving ...

via the head of the Dyffryn Crawnon valley.

Governance

The Talybont-on-Usk

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 ...

covers Talybont-on Usk and the neighbouring communities of Glyn Tarell and

Llanfrynach Llanfrynach is a village and community in the county of Powys, Wales, and the historic county of Brecknockshire. The population of the community as taken at the 2011 census was 571. It lies just to the southeast of Brecon in the Brecon Beacon ...

. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 1,923. It elects one

councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...

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 ...

. As of 2022, the current councillor is Anita Cartwright of the

Welsh Liberal Democrats The Welsh Liberal Democrats () is a Liberalism, liberal, Federalism, federalist political party in Wales, part of UK Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats. The party is led by Jane Dodds, who has served as an Member of the Senedd, MS for Mid ...

. Talybont-on-Usk

Community Council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. ...

represents the community at the local level. Up to nine community councillors are elected or co-opted to the council.

Notable residents

* Fred Miller (born 1873; date of death unknown), Welsh international rugby player, born in Talybont-on-Usk * David Lewis, 1st Baron Brecon, (1905–1976), a Welsh businessman and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician * Roland Mathias (1915-2007), poet and short story writer. * Patrick Duff (born 1966), singer-songwriter, wrote much of the Strangelove album '' Love and Other Demons'' whilst living in a cottage just outside the village

Tourism

In 2014, it was the venue for the Linux Bier Wanderung.

References

External links

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Talybont-on-Usk and surrounding areaTalybont-on-Usk
{{authority control Villages in Powys Brecon Beacons Communities in Powys