This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011)

Coordinates: 52°26′55″N 3°32′25″W / 52.4487°N 3.54021°W / 52.4487; -3.54021

Llanidloes
Llanidloes  Llanidloes shown within Powys
Population	2,314
OS grid reference	SN954845
- London	211 miles (340 km) ESE
Principal area	Powys
Ceremonial county	Powys
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LLANIDLOES
Postcode district	SY18
Dialling code	01686
Police	Dyfed-Powys
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Montgomeryshire
List of places: UK • Wales • Powys

Llanidloes is a town along the A470 road and B4518 road in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn), Mid Wales.

It is the first town on the River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren). The town's Member of Parliament since 2010 has been the Conservative Party's, Glyn Davies, for the constituency of Montgomeryshire.

Surroundings [link]

The town is close to the large dam and reservoir Llyn Clywedog. There is a scenic mountain road connecting Machynlleth and Llanidloes.

Llanidloes is popular with hikers who walk on the scenic footpaths surrounding the town, including Glyndŵr's Way, which in conjunction with the Offa's Dyke path forms a 160-mile circuit around Mid Wales and local passage over the spine of the Cambrian Mountains.

The Sarn Sabrina Walk - a 25-mile circular walk from Llanidloes to the source of the Severn and back - has been held yearly on the Saturday preceding the Late Spring Bank Holiday since 2006. In 2007 the Semi Sabrina, a 12-mile circular walk, was added. Information on the route can be found on the Llanidloes website.

The nearby Llyn Clywedog

The Hafren Forest is also used for car rallies such as Rally GB and motorcycle Enduro events throughout the year.

As of February 2007 there were 17 licensed drinking establishments in the town.^{[citation needed]}

History [link]

Llanidloes takes its name from the early seventh century Celtic Saint Idloes (Llan-Idloes = the Church of St Idloes), after whom its parish church is named. The town was given a charter to hold a market in 1289 but existed at least 400 years before that, during which time it was part of the cantref of Arwystli.

The area around Llanidloes was once important for the mining of lead and 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. During the unrest, three local people were arrested and held in a local hotel until the protesters forced their release. The town was controlled by the protesters until a detachment of Shropshire Yeomanry arrived and restored Government authority. Ringleaders were arrested, tried and sentenced to imprisonment or transportation.

Ex-GWR "Dean Goods" 2301 Class 0-6-0 No.2483 waits at Llanidloes railway station to work a summer afternoon stopping passenger train south towards Builth Wells and Brecon, 29 August 1949

Llanidloes railway station was opened in 1864 by the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway. Designed as a grand junction station, it was to connect the Mid-Wales Railway and the Manchester and Milford Railway in the south, with Newtown and the Oswestry and Newtown Railway to the north. Designed to hold the railway companies offices, the building is in the Georgian style and resembles an early 19th century Gentleman's country residence. Closer inspection reveals that the scale has been changed - imagine the Georgian gentleman to be 10 feet tall, and the building is then in perfect Georgian proportion. The Llanidloes and Newtown railway eventually formed part of the Cambrian Railway, linking it with Cardiff, but most of this was closed on 31 December 1962. The Llanidloes by-pass road runs along a section of the former railway, and the station still stands beside this road. It is now restored and occupied by small businesses.

The half-timbered Old 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 St Idloes Church has a 15th century hammerbeam roof with striking carved angels. When Cwmhir Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536, some of its 13th century arches were dismantled and reassembled in St Idloes Church, where they can still be seen. Other local attractions include a museum containing a famous two-headed sheep, and the nearby Hafren Forest, known for its red kites. Two masonry arch bridges, the Long Bridge and the Short Bridge, were designed by Thomas Penson.

The town formerly had a significant industrial component. Apart from textiles, the railway provided an outlet for the nearby Van lead mines and there was an iron-working company (finally closed in the early 1980s) that produced components for mining, railway and other machinery.

Results from a statistical analysis (2003) of the Y chromosome (genetic genealogy) of locals whose paternal grandfather was born within a thirty kilometre 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 this is not borne out in any documents.^{[citation needed]}

The headquarters of the Quilt Association is at the Minerva Arts Centre; here they hold workshops and an annual exhibition of quilts.

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 Save Llanidloes Hospital Action Group was formed in response.^[1]

Culture and Environmentalism [link]

Llanidloes has a reputation as a very "quirky" town, known for its liberal, counterculture atmosphere (even the police stationed in nearby Newtown call it "Planet Idloes"). Llanidloes is known as a popular home for ageing hippies.^[2] The alternative atmosphere is immediately apparent upon visiting, thanks to the presence of a wholefood shop, a volunteer-run organic shop and a vegetarian wholefood café.

In April 2006, Llanidloes was awarded Fairtrade Town status by the Fairtrade Foundation. Since October 2007 the annual Green Fair has attracted visitors to the town to listen to speakers on many 'green' issues and browse the stalls offering alternatives to energy expensive ways of life.

Each year the town hosts the Llanidloes Fancy Dress street party, described by local press as Wales' answer to the Notting Hill Carnival.

Sport [link]

Llanidloes Town Football Club, established in 1875, play in the Mid Wales League Division 1.^[3]

Llanidloes rugby union team, Llanidloes RFC, play in the Welsh Rugby Union league.

Llanidloes Ladies F.C. play in both the Welsh National League and North Powys League

Education [link]

Llanidloes High School is a prolific bilingual secondary school; in 2009, 7% of its A-Level pupils were successfully accepted into Oxbridge colleges.

Llanidloes Primary school is a bilingual primary school.

Notable people [link]

See Category:People from Llanidloes

• Elinor Bennett (b. 1943), harpist
• Mickey Evans (b. 1947), footballer
• John Ceiriog Hughes (b. 1832), romantic poet and stationmaster

Town twinning [link]

• Derval, Brittany

See also [link]

• Sub-Roman Britain
• History of Wales
• The Celts

References [link]

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Llanidloes

• Llanidloes.com - Official town website
• powys.gov.uk - Llanidloes Museum
• St Idloes Church website
• ramblers.org.uk - The Ramblers Association
• Reducing the area's carbon footprint - Recycling and composting in the Llanidloes area
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Llanidloes and surrounding area
• Old photographs of Llanidloes

v t e Powys Principal settlements Brecon Builth Wells Crickhowell Hay-on-Wye Knighton Llandrindod Wells Llanfair Caereinion Llanfyllin Llanidloes Llanwrtyd Wells Machynlleth Montgomery Newtown Presteigne Rhayader Talgarth Welshpool Ystradgynlais Communities Abbey Cwmhir Aberedw Aberhafesp Beguildy Berriew Bettws Brecon Bronllys Caersws Carno Churchstoke Cilmery Clyro Duhonw Erwood Gladestry Glantwymyn Glasbury Guilsfield Kerry Knighton Llanbadarn Fawr Llanbrynmair Llanddew Llandinam Llandrindod Wells Llandrinio Llandysilio Llanelwedd Llanerfyl Llanfechain Llanfrynach Llangamarch Llangedwyn Llangors Llangunllo Llangurig Llangynidr Llangyniew Llangynog Llanidloes Llanigon Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Llansantffraid Llansilin Llanwddyn Llanwrthwl Llanyre Llywel Machynlleth Meifod Merthyr Cynog Montgomery New Radnor Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Old Radnor Painscastle Penybont Presteigne Rhayader St Harmon Talybont on Usk Trallong Trefeglwys Tregynon Trewern Welshpool Ystradfellte Ystradgynlais Towns and Villages Abbeycwmhir Aber Clydach Aberbechan Aberbran Abercegir Abercraf Aberedw Abergwesyn Abergwydol Aberhafesp Aberhosan Aberllynfi Abermule Abernant Abertridwr Aberyscir Adfa Aithnen Arddlin Bacheldre Beguildy Berriew Bettws Cedewain Beulah Bont Dolgadfan Boughrood Bronllys Builth Wells Burgedin Buttington Bwlch Caehopkin Caersws Capel-y-ffin Carno Cathedine Cemmaes Road Church Stoke Cilmery Clatter Clyro Coelbren Commins Coch Crickhowell Criggion Crossgates Cwmdauddwr Cwmdu Cwmtwrch Cwrt y Gollen Derwenlas Dolanog Dolfach Dolyhir Dylife Erwood Esgairgeiliog Forge Four Crosses Gladestry Glasbury Hay-on-Wye Heartsease Heol Senni Kerry Knucklas Libanus Llan Llanafan Fawr Llanbrynmair Llanddew Llandinam Llandrinio Llandysilio Llanelwedd Llanfair Caereinion Llanfechain Llanfihangel Nant Bran Llanfyllin Llangadfan Llangammarch Wells Llangedwyn Llangors Llangurig Llangynidr Llangynog Llangynyw Llanllwchaiarn Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant Llansantffraed Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain Llansilin Llanwchaiarn Llanwrin Llanwrthwl Llanwrtyd Wells Llanwrtyd Llanymynech Llanyre Llawryglyn Llyswen Llywel Meifod Milebrook Morben Nant Glas New Radnor Newbridge-on-Wye Old Church Stoke Painscastle Pandy Pant-y-Dwr Partrishow Penegoes Pennant Penwyllt Penybont Pilleth Plas Esgair Pont Crugnant Pontdolgoch Pontrobert Sarn Sennybridge St Harmon Staylittle Sycharth Talerddig Talgarth Talybont-on-Usk Tirabad Trecastle Trefeglwys Tregynon Trewern Tylwch Van, Llanidloes Ystradfellte Castles Aberedw Castle Castell Dinas Castell Du Cefnllys Colwyn Castle Dolforwyn Castle Llangoed Hall Mediomanum Montgomery Castle Painscastle Powis Castle Tretower Castle Reservoirs and lakes Cantref Reservoir Clywedog reservoir Elan Valley Reservoirs Llangorse Lake Lake Vyrnwy