Rhayader
Encyclopedia
Rhayader is a market town
and community
in Powys
, Mid Wales
. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye
, 20 miles (32.2 km) from its source on the Plynlimon
range of the Cambrian Mountains
.
The town is one of the principal centres of population in the predominantly rural
historic county of Radnorshire
.
It 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.
itself, having been destroyed in 1780 to make way for the bridge linking the town to Cwmdauddwr
and the Elan Valley
- the Lakeland of Wales.
The oldest town in Mid Wales, the abundance of cairn
s and standing stones bears witness that Man inhabited the area several thousand years BCE. Rhayader has always been a natural stopping point for travellers - the Romans had a stop-over camp in the Elan Valley
, Monk
s travelled between the Abbey
s of Strata Florida and Abbeycwmhir
and drovers
headed to the lucrative markets with their livestock. While Rhayader is known to date to the 5th Century, 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.
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 dam
s and reservoir
s 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.
on the Mid Wales Railway line that served the town was closed under the 'Beeching Axe
' programme of modernisation 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.
Due to the volume of traffic generated by the convergence of two of Wales's most important trunk roads, the construction of a bypass
to relieve congestion at the town centre crossroads
has been an ongoing debate for many years.
The town is also a popular cycling
centre and is on Route 8 of the United Kingdom
National Cycle Network
- Lôn Las Cymru.
), known as the 'Lakeland of Wales'. This vast area is home to some of Britain's rarest wildlife and plants, including red kite
s, 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 museum, a leisure centre
, numerous parks and all the amenities expected of a larger town. There are an abundance of shops, banks, restaurants, takeaways and supermarkets catering to both the local population and visitors to the area.
Rhayader is also renowned for being the town with the highest concentration of pubs and drinking establishments, per capita
, in the UK with one to each 173 people.
In nearby Llanwrthwl
the Living Willow Theatre
, an open air theatre constructed of living willow trees, was opened in 2007.
A carnival week is held every July.
, despite previously having some success in the League of Wales
- the top-tier of domestic Welsh football between 1997 and 2002, ceased to exist in the summer of 2006. The club has since reformed, and in its inaugural season gained promotion into the Spar Mid Wales League
. A subsequent promotion to the Cymru Alliance
followed, but a finishing position of 15th saw the team relegated after just one season. The town's rugby union
team play in the Cambrian Training Mid Wales League. There is also a cricket
club and thriving local darts
, dominos and pool
leagues.
The town is also well known by motocross
fans. Every summer a series of events take place at the nearby Cwmythig Hill
circuit, with many of Britain's top riders taking part. The race series regularly attracts over 5,000 spectators.
As part of the annual carnival celebrations, Rhayader also plays host to a number of World Championship events in lesser celebrated sports, including wheelbarrow racing
and rock-paper-scissors
.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Mid Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) from its source on the Plynlimon
Plynlimon
Plynlimon is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales, and the highest point in Mid Wales. It is a massif that dominates the countryside of northern Ceredigion....
range of the Cambrian Mountains
Cambrian Mountains
The Cambrian Mountains are a series of mountain ranges in Wales, reaching from, and including, the South Wales mountains of the Brecon Beacons, north Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, the Black Mountains of eastern Wales, to Snowdonia in North Wales...
.
The town is one of the principal centres of population in the predominantly rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
historic county of Radnorshire
Radnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
.
It is situated roughly midway between North
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
on the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
, 13 miles north of Builth Wells
Builth Wells
Builth Wells is a town 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 of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,352....
and 30 miles east of Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
on the A44
A44 road
The A44 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Oxford in southern England to Aberystwyth in west Wales.-History:The original route of the A44 was Chipping Norton to Aberystwyth. No changes were made to the route of the A44 in the early years...
- 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.
Etymology
The name "Rhayader" is corrupted from the Welsh "Rhaeadr Gwy", meaning Waterfall on the Wye. Little remains of the waterfallWaterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
itself, having been destroyed in 1780 to make way for the bridge linking the town to Cwmdauddwr
Cwmdauddwr
Cwmdauddwr is a village in Powys, Wales.It is contiguous with the town of Rhayader on the opposite side of the River Wye...
and the Elan Valley
Elan Valley Reservoirs
The Elan Valley Reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes and reservoirs in the Elan Valley in Powys, Mid Wales , using the rivers Elan and Claerwen...
- the Lakeland of Wales.
History
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s and standing stones bears witness that Man inhabited the area several thousand years BCE. Rhayader has always been a natural stopping point for travellers - the Romans had a stop-over camp in the Elan Valley
Elan Valley
The Elan Valley is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader, in Powys, Wales, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers of lake and countryside....
, Monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s travelled between the Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
s of Strata Florida and Abbeycwmhir
Abbeycwmhir
Abbeycwmhir or Abbey Cwmhir is a village in the valley of the Clywedog brook in Powys, Wales.- The Abbey :The village is named after Cwmhir Abbey, the Cistercian abbey built there in 1143. It was the largest Abbey in Wales but was never completed. Its fourteen bay nave was longer than Canterbury...
and drovers
Droving
Droving is the practice of moving livestock over large distances by walking them "on the hoof".Droving stock to market, usually on foot and often with the aid of dogs, has a very long history in the old world...
headed to the lucrative markets with their livestock. While Rhayader is known to date to the 5th Century, it wasn't until the 12th Century that documented history of the town began with the building of a Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in 1177. Little remains today, with the exception of a dry moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
that can be seen from Wauncapel Park.
In the 19th Century, turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
roads were only passable on payment of extortionate tolls
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
, imposing additional burdens on already poor communities. This led to the Rebecca Riots
Rebecca Riots
The Rebecca Riots took place between 1839 and 1843 in South and Mid Wales. They were a series of protests undertaken by local farmers and agricultural workers in response to perceived unfair taxation. The rioters, often men dressed as women, took their actions against toll-gates, as they were...
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
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, 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 dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s and reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s 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.
Transport
The stationRhayader railway station
Rhayader railway station was a station serving the town of Rhayader, Powys, on the Mid Wales Railway line.It was opened in 1864 in Cwmdauddwr, a village on the opposite bank of the River Wye. The 'Beeching Axe' modernisation program viewed rural Wales as an area in decline and therefore advocated...
on the Mid Wales Railway line that served the town was closed under the 'Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
' programme of modernisation on 31 December 1962. The nearest station is now at Crossgates
Pen-y-Bont railway station
Pen-y-Bont railway station is a railway station serving the village of Penybont, in mid Wales. It is situated on the Heart of Wales Line. The station is located closer to the villages of Crossgates and Fron than it is to Penybont itself, and is now the closest station to the town of Rhayader, about...
on the Heart of Wales Line
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
, though connections are usually made at the more accessible Llandrindod railway station
Llandrindod railway station
Llandrindod railway station serves the town of Llandrindod Wells in Mid Wales. It is located on the single line Heart of Wales Line and is served by four trains each way on Mondays to Saturdays, two each way on Sundays. Passenger services are operated by Arriva Trains Wales. The facility to pass...
a similar distance away.
An extensive bus service connects with outlying villages and neighbouring towns, with two-hourly daytime departures to Builth Wells
Builth Wells
Builth Wells is a town 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 of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,352....
, Llandrindod Wells
Llandrindod Wells
Llandrindod Wells , colloquially known locally as "Llandod", is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, mid Wales, United Kingdom. It was developed as a spa town in the 19th century, with a boom in the late 20th century as a centre of local government. Before...
, Aberystwyth and Newtown
Newtown
-Australia:*Newtown, New South Wales*Newtown, Queensland *Newtown, Queensland *Newtown, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong*Newtown, Victoria , a locality near Ballarat-Ireland:* Newtown, County Cork* Newtown, County Laois...
, with connections to Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and further afield.
Due to the volume of traffic generated by the convergence of two of Wales's most important trunk roads, the construction of a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
to relieve congestion at the town centre crossroads
Junction (road)
A road junction is a location where vehicular traffic going in different directions can proceed in a controlled manner designed to minimize accidents. In some cases, vehicles can change between different routes or directions of travel.-Origins:...
has been an ongoing debate for many years.
The town is also a popular cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
centre and is on Route 8 of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
- Lôn Las Cymru.
Amenities
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 ValleyElan Valley Reservoirs
The Elan Valley Reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes and reservoirs in the Elan Valley in Powys, Mid Wales , using the rivers Elan and Claerwen...
), known as the 'Lakeland of Wales'. This vast area is home to some of Britain's rarest wildlife and plants, including red kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
s, 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 museum, a leisure centre
Leisure centre
A leisure centre in the UK and Canada is a purpose built building or site, usually owned and operated by the city, borough council or municipal district council, where people go to keep fit or relax through using the facilities.- Typical Facilities :...
, numerous parks and all the amenities expected of a larger town. There are an abundance of shops, banks, restaurants, takeaways and supermarkets catering to both the local population and visitors to the area.
Rhayader is also renowned for being the town with the highest concentration of pubs and drinking establishments, per capita
Per capita
Per capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person...
, in the UK with one to each 173 people.
In nearby Llanwrthwl
Llanwrthwl
Llanwrthwl is a village in Powys, Mid Wales. Llanwrthwl lies off the A470 road, north by road from Builth Wells and Newbridge-on-Wye and south of Rhayader. It lies on the River Wye and River Elan and the village is accessed by a bridge over the Wye...
the Living Willow Theatre
Living Willow Theatre
The Willow Globe Theatre is an open air community theatre in Powys, Mid Wales.It is a scaled down version of the Globe Theatre in London, about a third of its size in diameter and similar to the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in London. The theatre is formed from living willow trees that have...
, an open air theatre constructed of living willow trees, was opened in 2007.
A carnival week is held every July.
Sport
Rhayader Town F.C.Rhayader Town F.C.
Rhayader Town FC are a Welsh football team. The club dates from around 1884 and their ground is called Y Weirglodd, which accommodates 435 seating spectators....
, despite previously having some success in the League of Wales
League of Wales
The Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales. It has both Professional and Semi-Professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal...
- the top-tier of domestic Welsh football between 1997 and 2002, ceased to exist in the summer of 2006. The club has since reformed, and in its inaugural season gained promotion into the Spar Mid Wales League
Mid Wales League
The Mid Wales Football League, currently styled as the SPAR Mid Wales Football League under a sponsorship deal, is a football league in Wales, consisting of 31 teams, 15 in Division One and 16 in Division Two. Division One sits at the third tier of the Welsh football league system, and promotes...
. A subsequent promotion to the Cymru Alliance
Cymru Alliance
The Huws Gray Alliance is a football league and forms the second level of the Welsh football league system in north and central Wales....
followed, but a finishing position of 15th saw the team relegated after just one season. The town's rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team play in the Cambrian Training Mid Wales League. There is also a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club and thriving local darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
, dominos and pool
Pocket billiards
Pool, also more formally known as pocket billiards or pool billiards , is the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table having six receptacles called pockets along the , into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Popular versions include eight-ball and nine-ball...
leagues.
The town is also well known by motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
fans. Every summer a series of events take place at the nearby Cwmythig Hill
Cwmythig Hill
Cwmythig Hill is a motocross circuit situated approximately from the town of Rhayader, Powys. As the name suggests, the circuit is predominantly a hillside circuit, with steep, natural hills mixed with man-made supercross inspired table-top jumps, along with a spectacular 'wall of death' banked...
circuit, with many of Britain's top riders taking part. The race series regularly attracts over 5,000 spectators.
As part of the annual carnival celebrations, Rhayader also plays host to a number of World Championship events in lesser celebrated sports, including wheelbarrow racing
Wheelbarrow race
A wheelbarrow race is a competitive game in which teams of two players race with one teammate playing the role of the driver, and the other playing the role of the wheelbarrow. The driver holds on to the other player's ankles, while the other player walks with his hands. It is commonly played at...
and rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people. The game is also known as roshambo, or another ordering of the three items ....
.