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Claerwen Valley
Claerwen Valley maps
Historic maps of Claerwen Valley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Claerwen Valley maps
Claerwen Valley photos
We have no photos of Claerwen Valley, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Elan Valley| Rhayader| Abergwesyn
Claerwen Valley area books
Displaying 1 of 0 books about Claerwen Valley and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Claerwen Valley
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Powys memories
Brick Making in BRECON
My husband was born in Wales and is a descendant of farming stock going back to the 1700s, but it's only since retiring to Devon that he started Family History. It seems that his grandmother's parents were born and raised in Devon as agricultural labourers. They were the Blake family who moved to 4 Glancelle, Llanafan Fawr in the 1870s. He then strangly became a brick maker. His last child Edith Louisa Brake was born in Brecon in 1879. Now having researched part of his maternal side my husband then went on to his great-grandmother Elizabeth Brake whose maiden name was Lennard, again a Devon family, to find that at approximately the same time they had upped sticks and moved to Wales, Brecon no less. The brother-in-law, John Lennard, had several children so in total about 14 of them moved into the area. Two of his daughter had the following jobs: Charlotte Brake aged 15 was a general servant to the Powell family, corn merchants and farmer, address Garth Mill,... Read more
Beulah Land....
I was born in the schoolhouse in 1943 and lived there until 1957. My early memories go back to the firing of a huge gun in the field opposite by the Army, with the shells aimed to reach Plynlimon near Abersystwyth! Then in 1947 there was the prolonged snow which paralysed transport and bread was brought from Garth by my uncle via his Fordson tractor following its delivery by train. I remember a large branch of a tree cracking off under the weight of snow when my father and I went out for a walk through the high drifted snow. Other memories were the building of our bungalow/ the harvesting/ sheep shearing/ Eisteddfods/ Youth Club and going by bus to the Cinema in Builth Wells.
Mrmories of Newbridge on Wye
My grandparents, aunts and uncle (the Williams family) lived at Lower House before moving to Llandrindod Wells in the 1960s. I used to visit Newbridge with my parents for our annual 2 week holiday. I remember the trains passing along the end of the garden, and as a child waving to the engine driver. In those days Newbridge was a thriving village with several pubs, shops and even a bank. We used to go down to the river Wye (Llan cam sp?) and walk along the river bank, and then sit and throw pebbles into the water to see how many times we could make them bounce. In those days the old school and fountain were still opposite the New Inn. My dad and his siblilngs all went to that school - they had no excuse for being late to school as it was only a couple of minutes walk from Lower House. The house is still there but the outbuildings have been pulled down.... Read more
Family Tree
I am tracing my family tree back to to a Mr Thomas Jarman, born 1823, who lived at Llanfihangel, Bryn Pabuan, Brecknock. He married Eliza in 1847. He was a farmer and had 3 sons and 3 daughters.
Does anybody remember or can add or are related to Mr Jarman.
Regards
Paul
Builth Road Railway in The 1950s
My mother's family came from Builth, many from Builth Road, with several of the men working on the railway which was just beyond the front garden (they had a little house in Railway Terrace). I remember being taken to visit older relatives of the Bebb family, and in particular Auntie Beattie letting us try her home made wines - cowslip, rhubarb and others. Then out to watch the steam trains come puffing in as they returned from London Paddington.
There was a pump for water in the back garden, although by the 1950s some modernisation had taken place, and cold water was available in the kitchen.
I have several old photos of the house and my ancestral family, and also a lovely old album which is partially a musical box, but sadly I have not been able to identify the people in the photos, some of which seem to be printed on a metal backing.
Childhood Home
My grandfather, John James Lewis, was Station Master at Builth Road station and lived at Station Villa, (the first house in Railway Terrace). I was born at Station Villa myself, and lived there with my mother and sister, Helen, until the age of 16. My Uncle Ernie Lewis also lived at Station Villa and was a signalman at Builth Road High Level station during the years I lived there. I used to love visiting Uncle Ernie in the signal box and watching him at work and seeing the trains go by. My Aunt, Evelyn Lewis, also lived at Station Villa and was a school teacher at the Infant's School in Newbridge-on-Wye. My Aunt Doris Edwards and her daughter, Margaret, also lived at Station Villa. I have very happy memories of my childhood at Builth Road and of having the freedom to explore the wonderful surrounding countryside. There was a very close knit community at Builth Road, and I always felt safe when I was out playing in the fields or... Read more
Beatie Bebb
I remember Beattie Bebb from when I was a child growing up at Station Villa (1 Railway Terrace), Builth Road. She lived at about no 14 Railway Terrace and my cousins lived at no 17. I just remember her as an elderly lady when I was of primary school age.
