Our
locale
Llanidloes dates back to
the seventh century when a site by the river Severn was chosen to build a
church dedicated to Saint Idloes, a Celt. After the Norman Conquest, the
town, then dominated by a motte and bailey castle, began to take the shape
you find today: a cross of four broad roads meeting in the centre.
The countryside around was
rich in mineral sources and also suited to hill farming. For many decades,
Llanidloes was an important centre of lead and silver mining, as well as a
market for sheep and wool. Flannel weaving became a thriving industry, as
did leather working. The population at 5,000 was double what it is now.
The town was granted a
charter in 1280, and has the right to elect a mayor and corporation and hold
a borough court. Its most famous building, the Old Market Hall, is the only
one of its kind in Wales to survive. It was built for judicial purposes
about 1600, and has since been a library, a working men’s institute, a
museum and exhibition centre and an arts and crafts shop.
A few other fine Black and
White buildings survive. Otherwise, much of the architecture is Georgian and
Victorian, and protected under a conservation order (which includes the
exterior of Lloyds). Converted mills and weavers’ houses reflect earlier
industries.
The imposing
non-conformist chapels, built from private money, are a testament to the
flourishing commerce of the 19th century. The parish church of St Idloes was
extended at this time. It has a massive tower and the belfry is of the
Montgomeryshire type. The vast arches on the left of the interior are from
an earlier building, and this explains the width of the walls on the
southern side. The carved angels in the roof are some of the last created
during Henry VIII’s religiously volatile reign.
In the Crown and Anchor in
Long Bridge Street hangs a list of over 40 licensed establishments which
provided refreshments to thirsty miners, shepherds and mill workers during
the 19th century. There are fewer pubs now, nevertheless more than you might
expect for the town’s population. Five remain owned and run by their
licensees, as opposed to being managed or tenanted.
|
