CAMBRIDGE COUNTY GEOGRAPH IES GU I LLEMARD M A . M. D . G : . eneral Editor F H H , , B RECO NS H IRE C A MB RI DGE UNIVE RS ITY P RE S S F E T N u n h o n z TE R A E . C . il L E , F . NA R C . Y MA GE CLA , l o o P RIN E S S TRE E T QEDmb u rgb , C H E R AND l . S CO . B a m . A A F B R K H 1 8 mm} : . A . OC AU S ’ fi sh) Q u rk : G P P UTNAM S S O NS ‘ t tt MAC MI LLAN AND LT B u mb ag an b Qial u a: CO D. ' ’ Cam ér z ag e C o u n ty Geog r aph er B R E C O N S H I R E CH RISTOPH E R J E VANS l l ‘ M With aps, Diagrams and Illustrations Cam b ridge at th e U n iv e rsity Pr e ss P RE FACE HE author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to several works on the history and antiquities ' The B ir ds o B r eco m b z r e of B reconshire , especially to f Mr by E . Cambridge Phillips . His thanks are also Mr due to John Ward, for his great assistance during the photographing of exhibits in the Welsh M ' ifi Mr . Car d . useum , ; to C H Priestley, for plans and information supplied ; to Dr W . Black Jones of Llangammarch Wells for kindly furnishing sunshine ' statistics ; to the Principal of the Cardiff University College for permission to photograph the Celtic handbell ; and to several ladies and gentlemen of B reconshire who readily gave permission for photographs to be taken when they understood the obj ect for which they were intended . ANS c . J . EV . n u r 2 ya a y 1 9 r . SIR FRYC HEINIO G Wr th o c h r h o n S ir F r c h e in io mae y g , M n ddo e dd m an n au c r ibo y y mawr a g , Ym M u allt r h o s dd tir dd o e r ll d y o e y , Rh ai m n ddau c h o e d h f y y a ydd e yd . Tiro e dd ddio e l da a choed g , ’ O r i Dal ar th Gelli g Cerrig Hywel , A c 0 wm as Ab e r h o n ddu g p , ’ Dyna r dr e f g yf o e th o c a yn Ng h ym r u A c y n h o n mae P r o te s tan iaid idd n t f n e d A thair eglwys y y , 0 w lad m e w n am r w fan n au nd hyd eu g y , ’ r h ai n r e e th u Mae p g hyd eu teian . H aidd we n ith h e f d r au a g , a y yg ’ Caws a m e n yn s ydd m e w n mannan ; P u r io n c e ir c h dio e l bara g , Y n N h wm wd M u all g t ac y n Llywel . ’ G w n a r h n n o f u s fan merched y y g g y , B o b g waith h ys w i i m e w n ac allan ; ’ ’ Gwau r h o s an au dr w r fl w dd n y holl y y , l O — n - we s n Lan Fair hyd y Aber G y . ’ 1 1 T H O MAS A I A T 8 4 . D . C N . 1 o u o u s to Ra o s e e s B e c o s e m o u a o u s m a y C ntig dn r hir li r n hir , nt in with n B u h m m o as m e a o s x s a s s e c o u s ac e s . t e c o t h e o e o m e pr ipit pl ilth ( ) d w , p d l nd , s an d a s o fo s m o u ntain l re s t . Go o d land s an d pl e nte o u s fo re s ts e xte nd fro m G e lli to Talgarth an d ic o e an d a s o a o u B e c o :— a is th e e a e s o in Cr kh w ll, l r nd r n th t w lthi t t wn s 'Val e . Th e P o e s ta s e e a e e e c u c e s b u t o e th e c o u s e in r t nt h r h v thr h r h , v r ntry id , s e e a ac e s s o m e e ac f o m o u s e to o u s e . v r l pl , pr h r h h B a e an d e a an d a s o r e c e e s e an d b u e are to b e fo u in rl y wh t l y , h tt r, nd a s P e o f o o o a e b e a in th e c o m m o o f B u an d in s o m e pl c e . l nty g d t n r d t ilth Llyw e l . Th e m aid s o f Bre c o n s hire atte nd c are f u lly to d u ti e s Within an d with o u t th e o u s e an d o u th e o e e a in th e s c b e e e L a fa an d h , thr gh wh l y r, di tri t tw n l n ir Abe r w e s s n e s o c s . g y , th y knit t king CO NTE NTS PAGE s . Siluria . Its divi ion into Principalities Garth c c Madryn , Bry heiniog , Breckno k , and Breconshire s n General Characteristic . Position and Natural Co ditio n s z S . S i e . hape Boundaries S urface and General Features — ' a ft S Rivers ( ) Nedd , Ta , Tawe , Rhymney , irhowy , Towy — Rivers (bl The U s k and its Basin — Rivers (c) The Wye and its Basin Lakes and Waterfalls Geology and Soil Natural History Climate and Rainfall — People Race , Lang uag e , Population — S Ag riculture Main Cultivations , Woodland , tock Industries and Manufactures viii CONTENTS Mines and Minerals S pas The Breconshire Reservoirs H istory o f Breconshire — c S Antiquities Prehistori , British , Roman , axon Ancient Stones o f Breconshire —a Architecture ( ) Ecclesiastical . Abbeys and Churches — b r r Arc hitecture ( ) Military . Castles o — Architecture (c) Dome s tic — c . Communi ations Past and Present Roads , Railways , and Canals Administration and Divisions—Past and Present Roll o f Honour The Chief r To wn s and Villages o f Breconshire ILLU STRATIO NS Cri c khowell Bridg e The Blue Pool and Gorge o n Taff Fechan The Brecon Beacons In the Vale o f Neath O n the Senni The Usk near Brecon The Wye at Builth The Ir fo n in flood Upper Ff r wdg r ec h Waterfalls Bwa Maen Striated Boulder Glacial Boulder O utc rop o f S ilurian Rock Llangorse Lake Prehistoric Implements found in Breconshire Neolithic Implement found near Devynock c Coed Farm , near Bre on Cattle Fair , Devynock Limestone Q uarries near Vaynor t aw Talgar h S mills . Plan and Section o f Cardiff Water Sy s tem x ILLUSTRATIONS Craig Goch Dam Ban n iu m Roman Wall , ’ - - Llewelyn s Monument , Cefn y Bedd Remains o f Cromlech near Cric khowell An c ient Bron z es found at Llwyn fawr Mound o n Site o f Roman Station near Cric khowell Celtic Handbell Maen y Mo rwyn io n Ancient Carved Stones from Breconshire Brecon Priory Church Bronllys Church St ’ Mary s Church , Brecon Llan g as ty Talyllyn Church Brecon Honddu Mill and Castle Bronllys Castle Earthworks , Builth Castle Crickhowell Castle Tretower Castle : th e Keep Tr e b e r fe dd Po r th m aw r Gate , Crickhowell Cottages o n Silurian Rock The Canal at Brecon ’ Cefn Brith : J ohn P e n r y s Birthplace Theophilus Evans Sir Bartle Frere Mrs Siddons c Christ College , Bre on Vaynor Viaduct Devynoc k Llanelieu Church Henry Vaughan ’ s Tomb Sc Rood reen , Partrishow Church Diagrams ILLUSTRATIONS MAP S c c Bre onshire , Physi al Geological Annual Rainfall o f England and Wales Sketch M ap showing th e Chief Castles o f Wales Border Counties S ketc h Map showing British Camps and Roman and Roads o n . 1 1 2 6 1 0 1 1 8 1 2 8 1 6 The illustrations pp 4 , 3 , 9 , , 45 , 3 , , , 3 , 1 2 ar e s .