Llanidloes

infobox UK place
country = Wales
official_name= Llanidloes
latitude= 52.4487
longitude= -3.54021
population= 2,314
unitary_wales= Powys
lieutenancy_wales= Powys
constituency_westminster= Montgomeryshire
post_town= LLANIDLOES
postcode_district = SY18
postcode_area= SY
dial_code= 01686
os_grid_reference= SN954845
london_distance=convert|211|mi|km|0 ESE

Llanidloes is a town in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( _cy. Sir Drefaldwyn), mid Wales. It is the first town on the River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren).

Llanidloes is in the parliamentary constituency of Montgomeryshire. Its Member of Parliament has been Liberal Democrat Lembit Opik since 1997.

Surroundings

The town is close to the large dam and reservoir Llyn Clywedog. There is a scenic mountain road connecting Machynlleth and Llanidloes.

Llanidloes is popular with hikers who walk on the scenic footpaths surrounding the town, including Glyndwr's Way, which in conjunction with the Offa's Dyke path forms a 160-mile circuit around Mid Wales. The section of the route between Llanidloes and Machynlleth, with its passage over the spine of the Cambrian Mountains, forms perhaps the highlight of the whole route. Janet Street Porter, writer, broadcaster and Vice President of the Ramblers Association refers to Llanidloes as a 'Georgian gem'.Fact|date=February 2007

The Sarn Sabrina Walk - a 25 mile circular walk from Llanidloes to the source of the Severn and back - has been held yearly on the Saturday preceding the Late Spring Bank Holiday since 2006. In 2007 the Semi Sabrina, a 12 mile circular walk, was added. Information on the route can be found on the Llanidloes website.

The Hafren Forest is also used for car rallies such as Rally GB and motorcycle Enduro events through out the year.

As of February 2007 there were 17 licensed drinking establishments in the town.

History

Llanidloes was given a charter to hold a market in 1289 but existed at least 400 years before that.

The area around Llanidloes was once important for the mining of lead and silver, and the town had a thriving flannel industry. It was also notorious as a focus of industrial unrest during the 19th century Chartist revolt in 1839, a campaign for democratic rights prompted by the collapse of the local textile industry.

Llanidloes formerly had a railway station, opened in 1864 by the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway. The station building contained the railway company offices. The building is in the Georgian style and resembles an early 19th century Gentleman's country residence. Closer inspection reveals that the scale has been changed - imagine the Georgian gentleman to be 10 foot tall and the building is then in perfect Georgian proportion. The Llanidloes and Newtown railway eventually formed part of the Mid Wales line of the Cambrian Railway, linking it with Cardiff, but most of this was closed on 31 December 1962. The Llanidloes by-pass road runs along a section of the former railway, and the station still stands beside this road. It is now restored and occupied by small businesses.

The ancient half-timbered market hall stands at the crossroads of the four streets of the original medieval town. Built around 1600, it is the only surviving building of this type in Wales. Assize courts were held in the hall around 1605, and John Wesley preached from a pulpit stone on the open ground floor in 1748.

There are many notable timber framed buildings in the town and a parish church with a fifteenth century hammerbeam roof. Other attractions include a museum containing a famous two-headed sheep, and the nearby Hafren Forest, known for its red kites. Two masonry arch bridges, the Long Bridge and the Short Bridge, were designed by Thomas Penson.

Results from a statistical analysis (2003) of the Y chromosome (genetic genealogy) of locals whose paternal grandfather was born within a thirty kilometer radius of the town suggests that there was a significant and unique German/Danish (Anglo-Saxons) presence in the area over 1500 years ago but this is not borne out in any documents

The town is home to the famous Llanidloes Fancy Dress festival. It has strong connections with Laura Ashley (the small shop on the main street where she first started her business closed in January 2008). Headquarters of the Quilt Association is at the Minerva Arts Centre; here they hold workshops and an annual exhibition of quilts. The town is also known as a popular home for ageing hippies. [cite book |title=The Rough Guide to Britain |last=Andrews |first=Robert |year=2004 |publisher=Rough Guides Ltd |isbn=978-1843533016 |pages=838]

In April 2006, Llanidloes was awarded Fairtrade Town status by the Fairtrade Foundation.

Recently Powys Local Health Board (LHB) announced that it wanted to make cuts at Llanidloes which would result in the downgrading and even closure of Llanidloes War Memorial Hospital. The Save Llanidloes Hospital Action Group was formed in response. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/healthandfitness/pages/patswallow.shtml bbc.co.uk/wales] ]

Sport

Llanidloes Town Football Club, established in 1875, play in the 'Spar' Mid Wales League. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/sport/pages/spar_fixtures.shtml bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/sport] ]

Llanidloes rugby union team, Llanidloes RFC, play in the Welsh Rugby Union league.

Education

Llanidloes High School is a bilingual secondary school.

Town twinning

*flagicon|France Derval, Brittany

References

ee also

*Sub-Roman Britain
*History of Wales
*The Celts

External links

* [http://www.llanidloes.com Llanidloes.com] - Official town website
* [http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=2115&L=0 powys.gov.uk] - Llanidloes Museum
* [http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=2115&L=0 powys.gov.uk] - Llanidloes Museum
* [http://www.ramblers.org.uk/ ramblers.org.uk] - The Ramblers Association
* [http://www.enviroforest.co.uk Reducing the area's carbon footprint] - Recycling and composting in the Llanidloes area
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2801225 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Llanidloes and surrounding area]