Brecon Welsh - Aberhonddu
Population	7,901
OS grid reference	SO045285
Principal area	Powys
Ceremonial county	Powys
Constituent country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRECON
Postcode district	LD3
Dialling code	01874
Police	Dyfed-Powys
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Brecon & Radnorshire
European Parliament	Wales
List of places: UK • Wales • Powys

Coordinates: 51°′″N 3°′″W / 51.94677, -3.39086

Brecon (Welsh: Aberhonddu) is an historic market town in mid Wales, with a population of roughly 8,000 with around 6,000 in the surrounding area. It is the traditional County Town of Brecknockshire, although its role as a County Town has diminished with the formation of Powys.

Early Welsh History

It is said that the Welsh name of 'Brycheiniog', anglicised to Brecknockshire or Breconshire, derives from the Welsh Prince Brychan, and the ancient Welsh Kingdom and the English name of Brecon town is a back formation from that of the county.

The Welsh name, Aberhonddu, means 'mouth of the Honddu'. It is derived from the River Honddu, which meets the River Usk near the town centre, a short distance away from the River Tarrell which enters the Usk a few hundred metres upstream.

Before the building of the bridge over the Usk, Brecon was one of the few places where the river could be forded.

Coming of the Normans

The confluence of the Honddu and the River Usk made for a valuable defensive position for the Norman castle which overlooks the town, built by Bernard de Neufmarche in the late 11th century.

Priory & Cathedral

Less than a mile from the castle stands Brecon Cathedral, a fairly modest building compared to many cathedrals. The role of Cathedral is a fairly recent one, and was bestowed upon the church in 1923 with the formation of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon from what was previously the Archdeaconry of Brecon - a part of the diocese of St David's.

Present Day Brecon

The Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal basin at Brecon, the starting point of the Taff Trail.

Today Brecon is a thriving community, and is popular as a holiday destination, being on the Northern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, affording among the best views of the Brecon Beacons themselves, a range of hills, including Pen-y-Fan, the highest point in southern Britain at 886m.

August sees an annual Brecon Jazz Festival held in the town centre, with several open air venues and indoor concerts held in several venues, including the town's market hall and the recently opened 400-seat Theatr Brycheiniog next to the redeveloped Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal basin to the east of the town centre.

Military Town

The east end of town also has two military establishments:

• Dering Lines, home to the Infantry Battle School formerly Infantry Training Centre Wales,^[1] where Infantry Officers and Other Ranks are trained, and
• The Barracks, home to 160 (Wales) Brigade.

Eight miles to the west of Brecon is Sennybridge Training Area, an important training facility for the British Army.^[2]

Cattle Market

The west end of Brecon has a small industrial area, and recent years have seen the cattle market moved from the centre of the town to this area, with markets held several times a week.

Education

Brecon has many primary schools, with a secondary school and further education college (Coleg Powys) on the northern edge of the town. Due to Brecon being a rural area, bus trips of over an hour are not uncommon for pupils making their way to school. The town is also home to Christ College, a private boarding school.

Transport

Brecon is located near where the A40 meets the A470.

Railways

The Neath and Brecon Railway reached Brecon in 1867, terminating at Free Street. By this point, Brecon already had two other stations:

• Watton - from 1 May, 1863 when the Brecon and Merthyr Railway to Merthyr Tydfil was opened for traffic
• Mount Street - in September 1864, with Llanidloes by the Mid Wales Railway which linked to the Midland Railway at Talyllyn Junction

The three companies consolidated their stations at a newly rebuilt Free Street Joint Station from 1871^[3]. Through services from the Midlands ceased in 1930, while services to Neath ceased in October 1962.

Town twinning

• Saline, Michigan
• Blaubeuren, Baden-Württemberg
• Gouesnou, Brittany

Points of interest

• Brecon Beacons
• Brecon Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon
• Brecon Jazz Festival
• Brecon Museum
• South Wales Borderers Museum
• Theatr Brycheiniog (Brecon Theatre)

Trivia

• Brecon was the birthplace of Roger Glover and Sarah Siddons.
• Brecon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1889.
• Brecon is a regular for the popular Indie music band The Automatic

Additional photographs

Brecon shopping centre

Main square in Brecon

References

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