81343_Brycheiniog_Vol_45:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:13 Page 1 BRYCHEINIOG Cyfnodolyn Cymdeithas Brycheiniog The Journal of the Brecknock Society CYFROL/VOLUME XLV 2014 Acting Editor JOHN NEWTON GIBBS Cyhoeddwyr/Publishers CYMDEITHAS BRYCHEINIOG A CHYFEILLION YR AMGUEDDFA THE BRECKNOCK SOCIETY AND MUSEUM FRIENDS 81343_Brycheiniog_Vol_45:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:13 Page 2 CYMDEITHAS BRYCHEINIOG a CHYFEILLION YR AMGUEDDFA THE BRECKNOCK SOCIETY and MUSEUM FRIENDS SWYDDOGION/OFFICERS Llywydd/President Mr Ken Jones Cadeirydd/Chairman Dr John Newton Gibbs Ysgrifenyddion Anrhydeddus/Honorary Secretaries Mrs Gwyneth Evans & Mrs Elaine Starling Aelodaeth/Membership Dr Elizabeth Siberry Trysorydd/Treasurer Mr Peter Jenkins Archwilydd/Auditor Mr Nick Morrell Golygydd/Editor Vacant Golygydd Cynorthwyol/Assistant Editor Mr Peter Jenkins Uwch Guradur Amgueddfa Brycheiniog/Senior Curator of the Brecknock Museum Mr Nigel Blackamore Pob Gohebiaeth: All Correspondence: Cymdeithas Brycheiniog, Brecknock Society, Amgueddfa Brycheiniog, Brecknock Museum, Rhodfa’r Capten, Captain’s Walk, Aberhonddu, Brecon, Powys LD3 7DS Powys LD3 7DS Ôl-rifynnau/Back numbers Mr Peter Jenkins Erthyglau a llyfrau am olygiaeth/Articles and books for review Dr John Newton Gibbs © Oni nodir fel arall, Cymdeithas Brycheiniog a Chyfeillion yr Amgueddfa piau hawlfraint yr erthyglau yn y rhifyn hwn © Except where otherwise noted, copyright of material published in this issue is vested in the Brecknock Society & Museum Friends 81343_Brycheiniog_Vol_45:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:13 Page 3 CYNNWYS/CONTENTS Swyddogion / Officers 2 Golygyddol / Editorial 5 Cyfrannwyr / Contributors 7 Adroddiadau / Reports: Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery 9 Powys Archives 11 William Gibbs John Varley and the Cooking of Brecon 15 Anthony Bell The 1915 Tredegar Estate Sales 17 in Breconshire Geoffrey Williams The puzzle of the ‘Spiteful Inn’ and 55 a lost ford over the river Usk Peter Jamieson A railway inheritance: family memories 71 of the Brecon & Merthyr Railway Nigel W Jones The Upper Hepste valley: 77 a Bronze age and later landscape Charles Gordon Clark Forestry Commission social policy 101 as illustrated by Brecon (later Brycheiniog) Forest Gwyneth Evans The drowning of Cwm Taf and the impact 115 on the way of life of its inhabitants Graham Cruse and Findings from the Brecon to Tirley 145 Daniel Hounsell Gas Pipeline – Archaeological Sites within Wales Brynach Parri Croes Hywel – a Brecon street name 167 81343_Brycheiniog_Vol_45:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:13 Page 4 81343_Brycheiniog_Vol_45:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:13 Page 5 GOLYGYDDOL / EDITORIAL I would like to record the thanks of the Society to Brynach Parri for editing this journal for the last five years. Brynach’s period as editor has been marked by a number of innovations. Firstly, he reintroduced to the journal poetry relating to Brecknock – both in English and in Welsh. And in connection with this, he developed the use of the Society’s website (http://www.brecknocksociety.co.uk/society.htm) to provide English translations of poems and other items that had appeared in the journal in Welsh. He introduced the idea of a colour picture on the dust-wrapper and most importantly he worked effectively with the National Library of Wales over the digitisation of back numbers of Brycheiniog and their appearance on line at http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/. Our arrangement with the Library is such that an issue of the journal is available in hard copy for at least five years and that it is then digitised, although the speed of this latter process depends on resources available at the Library. At the time of writing, volumes 1 to 35 (2003) are available on line. In preparing this volume for the printers, I have been greatly helped by a number of Society members, who have given generously of their time in reviewing manuscripts and, in a number of cases, helping to prepare them for publication. I think that we have gathered here a varied selection of papers, reflecting many different aspects of the historic county of Breconshire, and I very much hope that you will enjoy reading them. They include two on archaeology, one describing detailed evidence of ‘multi-period’ (principally pre-historic) activity on the moorland surrounding the upper reaches of the river Hepste, while the other describes research commissioned in conjunction with the establishment of the National Grid gas pipeline from Brecon to Hay. Then there are two papers dealing with ownership of land in Brecknock. One of these covers the events associated with the sale in 1915 of Breconshire part the Tredegar Estate, while the other uses the history of Brecon forest, near Llaneglwys, to evaluate the Forestry Commission’s attitude towards rural employment and housing over an 80 year period. There are interesting links between these two articles and one on the impact on the local inhabitants of the creation of the reservoirs in the Cwmtaf valley on the southern slopes of the Brecon Beacons. There is a fascinating piece of detective work on the location of a lost inn in the Usk valley and a family memoir on the erstwhile Brecon and Merthyr Railway. Finally there is an examination of a recent acquisition by the Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery showing the way in which the water-colourist John Varley allowed his imagination to determine the appearance of the town of Brecon itself. Since the publication of the first volume of Brycheiniog in 1955, the world has changed immeasurably. To reflect this the Executive Council of the Brecknock Society & Museum Friends has decided that a review of Brycheiniog is timely, to ensure that it continues to follow high standards of research and to make a significant contribution to the archaeology, history, geology, natural history, arts and literature of the historic county of Brecknock. 81343_Brycheiniog_Vol_45:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:13 Page 6 8 Brycheiniog The issues being covered include: – The purposes of the journal: Is it sufficiently comprehensive in terms of coverage of the various features of Brecknock as outlined above? Does it meet the expectations of existing and potential researchers and readers, as individual subscribers and as library users? – The characteristics of the journal: for example, is there an appropriate balance between original pieces of research and review articles? Is the author base sufficiently wide? – The design and layout of the journal: Are appropriate decisions being made in respect of matters such as the relative use of colour and B&W photographs, the use of appendices etc. Other matters to be assessed include the continuing requirement (or otherwise) for a hard copy publication; If there is such a requirement, how long should it be before a volume goes on line? How does Brycheiniog compares with other current publications with a focus on a particular geographical area? What is the scope for widening the non-member subscriber base? The review will be conducted by a sub-group of Executive Council members and will report back to a Council meeting later this year. If you, as a reader, have thoughts on this matter, I would very much like you to let me have them. You can do this either by email at [email protected] or by post to the Society’s address for correspondence. Finally, I would like to record the thanks of the Society for the financial help that it receives towards the publication of Brycheiniog from the Brecon Town Council and from Powys County Council. 81343_Brycheiniog_Vol_45:44036_Brycheiniog_2005 27/4/16 12:13 Page 7 CYFRANNWYR / CONTRIBUTORS The late Anthony Bell was a long-standing and highly regarded member of the Brecknock Society & Museum Friends. He served on the Executive Council and held several offices, most notably that of Treasurer. His professional life was spent in education, ending as Assistant Director of Education for Powys County Council. A man of many interests, he was a distinguished local historian, as his article on the Tredegar Estate Sale bears witness. Charles Gordon Clark, a former Anglican clergyman, began the study reported here as part of an OU “Changing Countryside” course while a National Trust trainee living in Llaneglwys. He subsequently worked from there as a dry stone waller, and now lives in Herefordshire where he is secretary of the Bromyard Local History Society. Graham Cruse studied archaeology at Reading University and has subsequently worked in commercial archaeology both in the UK and abroad for nearly 20 years. Since 2006 he has worked for Network Archaeology, overseeing the field operations on a number of large infrastructure projects across the UK. Gwyneth Evans is Secretary to the Executive Council of the Brecknock Society & Museum Friends. She has had a teaching career in Merthyr Tydfil and Brecon, while at the same time holding a number of voluntary positions. She was born on a farm in Cwmtâf, Breconshire and this has provided the background for her article on the drowning of the valley William Gibbs was born in Crickhowell. Most of his life he has worked in schools and colleges overseas, in Sierra Leone, Zambia and the Solomon Islands before returning to teach in the School of Education at Leeds University. He now lives in Llangynidr and is Chair of the Brecknock Art Trust and of Walls of Llangynidr which is working to save the dry stone mountain walls on the surrounding hills. Daniel Hounsell studied Archaeology and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, gaining his PhD in 2000. He has worked as a full time archaeologist both in this country and abroad since then and now works as a Project Manager for Network Archaeology. Dan has overseen the archaeological work on a number of large scale infrastructure and development projects across the whole of the UK and has a particular interest in the Iron Age. Peter Jamieson is, through his mother, a member of the de Winton family of Llanfrynach, founders of Wilkins Bank in Brecon now a constituent part of Lloyds Bank.