Builth Wells

infobox UK place
country = Wales
welsh_name=Llanfair ym Muallt
constituency_welsh_assembly=
latitude= 52.14
longitude= -3.41
official_name= Builth Wells
unitary_wales= Powys
lieutenancy_wales= Powys
constituency_westminster= Brecon & Radnorshire
post_town= BUILTH WELLS
postcode_district = LD2
postcode_area= LD
dial_code= 01982
os_grid_reference= SO035505
population= 2,352 "(2001 census)" ["The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales". John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pg96 ISBN 9780708319536]

Builth Wells ( _cy. Llanfair ym Muallt) is a town in the modern day Welsh county of Powys, in what was the historic county of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying on the River Wye in the Welsh or upper section of the Wye Valley.

History

In Cilmery - a village close to Builth Wells - that Llywelyn ap Gruffudd "Ein Llew Olaf" was ambushed and killed as he tried to rally the men of the Lordship of Builth in December 1282. Builth first emerged in post-roman times, along with Powys.

chools

Builth Wells High School is the local bilingual secondary school. In 2000 it was placed 67th in Wales for its GCSE results (5 GCSEs, grades A-C) with a pass rate of 59%. However, according to the latest report by Estyn it now has a pass rate of 77% and is now the 9th best performing secondary school in Wales. Builth Wells High School is also the 2nd best performing secondary school in Powys after Llanidloes High School.

Royal Welsh Show

Builth Wells grew as a traditional Welsh market town and later a spa, and is well known nationally as the location of the Royal Welsh Showground, home to the Royal Welsh Show (although the showground is actually over the river Wye in Llanelwedd, Radnorshire).

Communications

The town is served by Builth Road railway station on the Heart of Wales Line, which is located just over a mile to the north, having lost its more central railway station on the Mid Wales Railway in the 1960s under the Beeching Axe. One of the main Wales north-south trunk roads, the A483 passes the town, using that former railway route. A dedicated cycle route linking the town with Swansea (NCR 43) has been proposed and a 13 mile section of the route from Swansea has already been developed.

port and leisure

Builth Wells is home to local rugby union team Builth Wells RFC also known as 'The Bulls'.

Builth Castle

Builth Castle was built under King Edward I, the construction taking nearly five years in the 1270's.

Owain Glyndwr's forces attacked Builth Castle [http://www.castlewales.com/builth.html] when it was in the charge of John Oldcastle during the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr and it was repaired in 1409, the bill being £400.

Rare Post Box

Builth Wells has the distinction of having one of the very few post boxes in the United Kingdom bearing the cypher of King Edward VIII, the uncrowned king whose abdication in 1936 caused a constitutional crisis.

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/builth_wells/ BBC Wales feature on Builth Wells life]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=2848692 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Builth Wells and surrounding area]