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Updated live from Wikipedia, last check: May 20, 2013 18:20 UTC (46 seconds ago)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Welshpool (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 52°39′35″N 3°08′50″W / 52.65966°N 3.14725°W / 52.65966; -3.14725

Welshpool
Welsh: Y Trallwng
Welshpool Town Hall.jpg
Welshpool Town Hall
Welshpool is located in Wales2
Welshpool

 Welshpool shown within Wales
Population 6,269 (2001)
OS grid reference SJ225075
Principal area Powys
Ceremonial county Powys
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town WELSHPOOL
Postcode district SY21
Dialling code 01938
Police Dyfed-Powys
Fire Mid and West Wales
Ambulance Welsh
EU Parliament Wales
UK Parliament Montgomeryshire
Welsh Assembly Montgomeryshire
List of places: UK • Wales • Powys

Welshpool (Welsh: Y Trallwng) is a town in Powys, Wales, 4 miles (6 km) from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'. Welshpool is the fourth largest town in Powys.

In English it was initially known as Pool but its name was changed to Welshpool in 1835 to distinguish it from Poole in Dorset. It has a population of 6,269 (United Kingdom Census 2001), contains much Georgian architecture and is just north of Powis Castle.

Contents

History

Welshpool served briefly as the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn or South Powys after its prince was forced to flee the traditional Welsh Royal site at Mathrafal in 1212. After 1284 Powys Wenwynwyn ceased to exist. The Long Mountain plays as a backdrop to most of Welshpool, which once served as the ultimate grounds for defence for fortresses in the times when the town was just a swampy marsh.

The town was devastated by the forces of Owain Glyndwr in 1400 at the start of his rebellion against the English King Henry IV. Today the waymarked long-distance footpath and National Trail Glyndwr's Way runs through the town.

In 1411 the priest at the church of St. Mary's & St. Cynfelin's was Adam of Usk.

St Cynfelin (he is also known as St Matu) is reputed to be the founder of the church in "the age of the saints in Wales" in the 5th and 6th centuries.

There is a six-sided, brick cock-pit which was built in the early 18th century and was in continual use for cockfighting until the practice was outlawed in 1849. This is the only unaltered cockpit preserved on its original site in Britain.

Transport

Welshpool railway station is on the Cambrian Line and served by Arriva Trains Wales. The town is also the starting point of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, a narrow-gauge heritage railway popular with tourists. A small network of bus services link surrounding towns and villages, mainly operated by Tanat Valley Coaches. Notable is service No X75, serving Shrewsbury to the east and Newtown and Llanidloes to the south west, also service No D71 to Oswestry via Guilsfield and Llanymynech. In addition there is a local town service operated by Owen's Coaches. The semi-disused Montgomery Canal also runs through Welshpool. To the south of the town is Welshpool Airport which is also known as Mid Wales Airport.

Economy

The local economy is primarily based upon agriculture and local industry. The Smithfield Livestock Market is the largest one-day sheep market in Europe, whilst the town's industrial estates are home to numerous different types of small industry. Due to the town's small size and population the attraction of high street stores is limited, meaning many of the residents are forced to shop in neighbouring towns like Newtown and Shrewsbury.

Education

The town is the home of Ardwn Primary School, Oldford Primary School,Gungrog Primary School, Maes-y-dre School and Welshpool High School is a secondary school which teaches a range of pupils from ages 11-18 and is consistently set to a very high standard of education throughout Key Stage 3 and 4 and A Level studies. It has one of the highest results average for GCSEs in Wales.

Sport

Welshpool has a football club and a rugby union club, the former being Welshpool Town F.C. and the latter, Welshpool Rugby Football Club. The town also has hockey and cricket clubs.

External links

Major Settlements on the River Severn, United Kingdom
Settlements on the River Severn from its source to Llandrinio (heading downstream)

Travel guide

Up to date as of January 14, 2010

From Wikitravel

Welshpool[1] (Welsh: Y Trallwng) is a town in Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales.

Get in

By Car

Welshpool is at the cross-roads of the A483 (north/south) and the A458 (east/west). The A458 connects to the UK Motorway network at the M54 near Shrewsbury

By Rail

Welshpool is on the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth line.

By Air

Light aircraft can use Mid Wales Airport, just to the south of the town.

By Water

The Montgomery Canal passes through the town. Currently, a few miles either side of the town are navigable, but restoration work continues on the rest of the canal.

  • Powis Castle, (a short distance out of town on the Newtown road), [2]. Medieval fortress turned grand manor house, now in the care of the National Trust. The castle has a large collection of important paintings and furniture, as well as numerous treasures from India in the Clive Museum. The extensive gardens look much as intended when they were laid out in the 1770s are an attraction in their own right.  edit
  • Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway[3]. This steam-hauled, narrow gauge railway links Welshpool with the village of Llanfair Caireinion, 8.5 miles away.
  • The Offas Dyke Path national walking trail passes through the town. This is a long distance walking trail following the length of the England/Wales border from Prestatyn to Chepstow
  • The Old Station, Severn Road, Welshpool (Follow signs to the station from the town centre), ☎ 01938 556622 (fax: 01938 554288). When the railway line was moved to accommodate a new bypass road in the early 1990s, the historic station building was left redundant. Now it has been turned into a kind of mini department store, with gifts, clothes, woollens, golf equipment and a coffee shop and restaurant.  edit
  • Coed y Dinas, (About a mile out of town on the Newtown road), ☎ 01938 555545. Mon-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm; Sun 10am-4pm. Sprawling retail mecca in converted Victorian farm buildings. Garden Centre, equestrian store, pet shop, food hall, furniture outlet, kitchenware. Part of the same group as Cheap Charlies, whose shops in Aberystwyth and Newtown have been popular with local bargain hunters for years.  edit
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1911 encyclopedia

Up to date as of January 14, 2010
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From LoveToKnow 1911

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