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Elan Valley

Elan Valley photos

Displaying the first of 6 old photos of Elan Valley.   View all Elan Valley photos

6
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Elan Valley maps

Historic maps of Elan Valley and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Elan Valley maps

Elan Valley area books

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Elan Valley books
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Memories of Elan 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

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

The Crossing

Hi, all I seem to have left out of my previous writing about the Crossing is where it was, it was very close to Llandridnod Wells, but I see now that the name is on the heading for this memory.
I am now looking to see if I can put in some pictures so will keep coming back here. I have just read the biography for Mr Frith, what a terrific fellow he must have been,
Cheers,
Joe.

The Railway Crossing

Hi all. As a child of around 7 years or so I recall vising my grandad and grandma who lived at a small cottage near the railway crossing. I will look up the name of the road and add later to this story.
My grandad's name was surname of Carter and he worked on the railway as I believe, a ganger. He had a big family of, as I recall but will recheck later, 5 girls and 3 boys. I visited the place where the cottage was about 20 years ago and it was in ruins with just a few bricks and some flowers surviving from the garden.
I Googled the area  today and from a satellite map I see a big roundabout now and a concrete bridge has taken the place of the crossing.
I do have somwhere a pic of my brothers, 2 of them, and myself sitting on the side of the road  at the crossing. If I get some replies on this website then I... 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.

The Crossgates Gang

I have many memories of growing up in Crossgates between the years of 1964 through to the late 1970s. We were the original Railway Children. I am interested in the previous posting ref Ernie Lewis at Builth Road station as my grandfather was Ernest Lewis and was at the Station Cottage at the crossing at Llandrindod. Ian Collins

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.

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