Llanidloes is a town in Powys, traditional county of Montgomeryshire, mid Wales. It is the first town on the River Severn. It was given a charter to hold a market in 1289 but existed at least 400 years before that.
The town is close to the large dam and reservoir Llyn Clywedog. There is a scenic mountain road connecting Machynlleth and Llanidloes. With a population of 2314 there are 17 licensed drinking establishments in a town where half the population are either too young or too old to drink and where the strong Methodist and Baptist tradition stops another large section from taking alcohol!
The town has made the headlines recently, when in September 2006 the 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 proposals have angered some local people, many of whom have formed the Save Llanidloes Hospital Action Group in response.
Llanidloes is popular with hikers who walk on the many scenic footpaths surrounding the town, including Glyndwr's Way, which in conjunction with the Offa's Dyke path forms a one hundred and sixty 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.
The area around Llanidloes was once very important for the mining of lead and even 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.
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.
The town, home to the famous Llanidloes Fancy Dress festival, has strong connections with Laura Ashley (the town is home to the second Laura Ashley store to be established in Wales). Headquarters of the Quilt Association is at the Minerva Arts Centre; here they hold workshops and a very impressive annual exhibition of quilts.
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 strangely this is not borne out in any historical documents.
Llanidloes has been known for many years as a place where old hippies go to die. A very quirky town, even the police stationed in nearby Newtown call it "Planet Idloes".
Llanidloes Town FC play in the Spar Mid Wales League. |
Pubs/Bars:
Golf:
