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Welshpool ( cy, Y Trallwng) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, historically in the county of
Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...
. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn; its Welsh language name ''Y Trallwng'' means "the marshy or sinking land". The community includes Cloddiau and Pool Quay. In English it was initially known as Pool but its name was changed to Welshpool in 1835 to distinguish it from the English town of
Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...
. The community had a population of 6,664 (as of the
2011 United Kingdom census A census of the population of the United Kingdom is taken every ten years. The 2011 census was held in all countries of the UK on 27 March 2011. It was the first UK census which could be completed online via the Internet. The Office for National ...
), with the town having 5,948. It contains much
Georgian architecture Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Georg ...
and is just north of Powis Castle.


History

St Cynfelin is reputed to be the founder of two churches in the town, St Mary's and St Cynfelin's, during "the age of the saints in Wales" in the 5th and 6th centuries. The parish of Welshpool roughly coincides with the medieval commote of
Ystrad Marchell Ystrad Marchell sometimes Strad Marchell ( en, Vale of Marchell) was a medieval commote (''cwmwd'') in the cantref of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. It roughly coincides with the parish of Welshpool. It lay at the east of the kingdom, bordering ...
in the
cantref A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divided into ''cantrefi'', which were ...
of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. The Long Mountain, which plays as a backdrop to most of Welshpool, once served as the ultimate grounds for defence for fortresses in the times when the town was just a swampy marsh. 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, by the prince of
Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...
; assistance from the English crown (enemies of the Gwynedd prince) restored the Wenwynwyn dynasty to their lands. Further disputes with Gwynedd again brought in the English; in 1284, the family strengthened their hold on Powys Wenwynwyn by converting it into a marcher lordship (via ''surrender and re-grant'') - the Lordship of Powys. Owain, the heir to the former principality, called himself Owen de la Pole, after the town. The town was devastated by the forces of
Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
(heir to Powys Fadog - North Powys) in 1400 at the start of his rebellion against the English king Henry IV. Today, the waymarked, 135-mile long-distance footpath and National Trail, Glyndŵr's Way, ends in Pont Howell Park, alongside the Montgomery Canal. In 1411 the priest at the church St Mary's was Adam of Usk.


Population

The population of Welshpool has been rising since 2001.


Historic buildings

St Mary's Church is a Grade I listed building. The original church dated from about 1250, there are remains of this church in the lower courses of the church tower. The nave was rebuilt in the 16th century, and the whole building was substantially restored in 1871. The 15th century chancel ceiling may have come from Strata Marcella Abbey, about away, and a stone in the churchyard is said to have been part of the abbot's throne. A memorial in the church commemorates Bishop William Morgan, translator of the Bible into Welsh, who was the vicar from 1575 to 1579. The Mermaid Inn, 28 High Street, was very probably an early 16th-century merchant's house, placed on a burgage plot between the High Street and Alfred Jones Court. The timber-framed building has long storehouse or wing to the rear. The frontage was remodelled 1890, by Frank H. Shayler, architect, of Shrewsbury. Early illustrations of the building show that prior to this it had a thatched roof and that the timbering was not exposed. There is a passage to side with heavy box-framing in square panels, with brick infill exposed in side elevation and in rear wing. The frontage was exposed by Shayler to show decorative timber work on the upper storey. An Inn by the 19th century when it was owned by a family named Sparrow. There is an octagonal brick cockpit in New Street, which was built in the early 18th century and was in continual use for cockfighting until the practice was outlawed by the Cruelty to Animals Act 1849. , it is the home of the town's Women's Institute. Welshpool Town Hall, which was completed in 1874, is a Grade II listed building.


Transport

Welshpool railway station is on the
Cambrian Line The Cambrian Line ( cy, Llinell y Cambrian), also known as the Cambrian Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell y Cambrian) and Cambrian Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir y Cambrian), is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury, England, westwards to Aber ...
and is served by Transport for Wales. The town is also the starting point of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, a narrow-gauge
heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
popular with tourists, with its terminus station at Raven Square. The light railway once ran through the town to the Cambrian Line railway station, but today Raven Square, located on the western edge of the town, is the eastern terminus of the line. A small network of bus services link surrounding towns and villages, mainly operated by
Tanat Valley Coaches Tanat Valley Coaches operates bus and coach services in Montgomeryshire and Shropshire, in the United Kingdom. The family-run firm is based in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
to the east and Newtown and
Llanidloes Llanidloes () is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. The population in 2011 was 2,929, of whom 15% could speak Welsh. It is the third ...
to the south west, also service No D71 to
Oswestry Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads. The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...
via Guilsfield and
Llanymynech Llanymynech is a village straddling the border between Montgomeryshire/Powys, Wales, and Shropshire, England, about 9 miles (14 km) north of the Welsh town of Welshpool. The name is Welsh for "Church of the Monks". The village is on the ba ...
. 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 Welshpool Airport ( cy, Maes Awyr y Trawllng; also known as ''Mid-Wales Airport'') is located south of Welshpool, Powys, Wales. It has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P865) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for fly ...
which is also known as the Mid Wales Airport. Three major trunk roads pass through Welshpool: the A458, A483 and the
A490 The A490 is a road in the United Kingdom running from Churchstoke, Powys to Llanfyllin, also in Powys. The road runs for a short distance through Shropshire in England. The route The road starts in Churchstoke at a junction with the A489. From ...
.


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. Market days are on Mondays. The town's industrial estates are home to numerous different types of small industry, ranging from metal to food production. Due to the town's small size and population the attraction of high street stores and stores that cut keys is limited, meaning that many of the residents prefer to shop in neighbouring towns like
Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
. However Welshpool remains an important hub serving its agricultural hinterland. The town is home to the headquarters of the
Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust (Welsh: ''Ymddiriedolaeth Natur Maldwyn'') is one of six wildlife trusts in Wales. It covers the vice-county of Montgomeryshire. and is based in Welshpool. As at 2013 the trust had 20 reserves. They include: * Cors ...
and the
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Archeolegol Clwyd-Powys (YACP)) is an educational charity which was established in 1975. Its objective is ‘to advance the education of the public in archaeology’. CPAT is one of ...
.


Education

The town is the home of Ardwyn Nursery and Infants School, Oldford Nursery and Infants School, Gungrog Nursery and Infants School, Maes-y-dre Primary School.
Welshpool High School Welshpool High School is located in Welshpool, Powys. It is a combined secondary school and sixth form, catering for pupils aged 11 to 19. In 2022, a new headteacher was appointed. Motto and the school The school's motto is ''Raising Achievement ...
is a
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
which teaches a range of pupils from ages 11–18 and has a good standard of education throughout Key Stage 3 and 4 and
GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...
studies.


Sport

Welshpool has a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club (
Welshpool Town F.C. Welshpool Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Y Trallwng) is a football team, based in Welshpool, playing in the Mid Wales Football League. The club was founded as Welshpool Football Club on 28 August 1877 following a meeting at the National Sc ...
) and a rugby union club ( Welshpool Rugby Football Club). The football club was jointly managed for a period in the late 2010s by Chris Roberts and Neil Pryce but with little success. The town also has hockey and
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
clubs. The Montgomeryshire Marauders Rugby League Club are also nominally based in Welshpool, as this is where the majority of their home fixtures take place.


Notable people

* William Morgan (1545-1604) - Bible translator, Vicar of Welshpool 1575-79, ultimately
Bishop of St Asaph The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph. The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is loca ...
*
William Herbert Waring William Herbert Waring VC MM (13 October 1885 – 8 October 1918) was a Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth f ...
(1885 in Welshpool-1918), Victoria Cross recipient in World War I. * Ian Hutchinson (1964 in Welshpool- ) - county cricketer for Middlesex and Shropshire.


Gallery

File:Mermaid Inn, Welshpool.jpg, Mermaid Inn, Welshpool File:Montgomeryshire War Weapons Week (1511246) 1.jpg, Troops in Welshpool during Montgomeryshire War Weapons Week, 1941 File:Welch Pool, 1794.jpg, Welshpool, 1794


Notes


External links


Photos of Welshpool and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
* * Welshpool Seven Stars Halt railway station Welshpool's Seven Stars Halt. {{Authority control Populated places on the River Severn Towns in Powys Towns of the Welsh Marches Communities in Powys