Talybont-on-Usk

Talybont-on-Usk (Welsh: Tal-y-bont ar Wysg) is a village and community in Powys, Wales, in the historic county of Brecknockshire. It lies on both the Caerfanell river and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the River Usk. In 2001, it had a population of 743,[2] reducing to 719 at the 2011 census. The community includes the settlements of Llansantffraed, Scethrog, Aber Village, and Pencelli.

For other examples of the same place name, see Tal-y-bont (disambiguation).

Talybont-on-Usk
  • Welsh: Tal-y-bont ar Wysg
The White Hart Inn
Talybont-on-Usk is located in Powys
Talybont-on-Usk
Talybont-on-Usk
Location within Powys
Population719 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSO111226
Community
  • Talybont-on-Usk
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRECON
Postcode districtLD3
Dialling code01874
PoliceDyfed-Powys
FireMid and West Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament

History

Allt yr Esgair is a steep-sided hill to the north east of Talybont, and has an Iron Age settlement on the summit. There are other Iron Age and Bronze Age sites in the vicinity, and a Roman road flanks the slopes of Allt yr Esgair. A small castle was built at Pencelli during the Norman invasion, and this was later replaced by the sixteenth century Pencelli House. The canal was built around 1800 to transport lime, coal and iron to Newport. There are some lime kilns to the east of the village, and a tramroad was built to transport limestone from the crags above.[3]

The language of Talybont (and Crickhowell and Llangynidr) was originally Welsh. In his 1893 book Wales and her language, John E Southall, reports that over 60% of the population of the area spoke Welsh, although the town was only a few miles from more anglicised Abergavenny. Gravestones with Welsh inscriptions are found in and just outside Talybont.

The village

The village is located on the B4558 road about 6 mi (9.7 km) southeast of Brecon and 8 mi (13 km) northwest of Crickhowell. It is a mile from the River Usk and on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal and is connected to the A40 trunk road on the other side of the Usk by a short section of unclassified road.[4] The village has a shop and several pubs.[5] The valley one mile south of the village is dammed to form the Talybont Reservoir. This has a 380 metres (1,250 ft) dam and there are forest trails in its vicinity.[6] Talybont-on-Usk is a popular place for walkers and offers the Henry Vaughan walk through the nearby countryside where the 18th century poet once lived.[7] Another walk can be followed along the line of the former Brinore Tramroad which runs south from the canalside wharf in the village around the western flanks of Y Wenallt and Tor y Foel before heading to Trefil via the head of the Dyffryn Crawnon valley.[8]

Governance

The Talybont-on-Usk electoral ward covers Talybont-on Usk and the neighbouring communities of Glyn Tarell and Llanfrynach. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 1,923.[9] It elects one councillor to Powys County Council. As of 2022, the current councillor is Anita Cartwright of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.[10]

Talybont-on-Usk Community Council represents the community at the local level. Up to nine community councillors are elected or co-opted to the council.[11]

Notable residents

Tourism

In 2014, it was the venue for the Linux Bier Wanderung.

References
  1. "Community population 2011". Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  2. Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Powys Retrieved 2009-11-25
  3. "Talybont history". Talybont-on-Usk. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  4. "Ordnance Survey map 141: Brecon" (Map). One inch series. Ordnance Survey.
  5. Dragicevich, Peter; O'Carroll, Etain; Smith, Helena (2013). Lonely Planet Wales. Lonely Planet Publications. p. 219. ISBN 978-1-74321-816-7.
  6. "A walk beside Talybont Reservoir and in Talybont Forest". Brecon Beacons National Park. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  7. Brecon Beacons National Park Retrieved 2015-06-15
  8. "Brinore Tramroad". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  9. "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  10. "Your Councillors". powys.moderngov.co.uk (in Welsh). 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  11. "Members of the Community Council". Talybont-on-Usk Community Council. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  12. Kidd, Charles; Williamson, David, eds. (1990). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. New York: St. Martin's Press.
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