Powys Digital History Project

Rhayader and the Elan Valley
Gateway to the Welsh lakes
For more on the
local history of the
district see the
Rhayader & District History Archives.
Visit their website at
http://www.british-archives.co.uk
A beautiful setting
Rhayader location map
The small market town of Rhayader, in the north-west of the ancient county of Radnorshire, is the first town on the banks of the River Wye. It has long been a vital centre for the farming community with its flourishing livestock market serving a large rural area.
It also lies at the crossroads of important routes from south to north and east to west through central Wales.
This little town is best known for its location at the edge of the beautiful 'Lake District' of Wales, centred on the Elan Valley to the west of Rhayader.
Craig Goch dam  Pen-y-Gareg reservoir
  A series of huge dams and reservoirs were created in the valleys of the Rivers Elan and Claerwen about a hundred years ago. This was a massive civil engineering project to provide water supplies for the expanding industries and population of the city of Birmingham in the English Midlands, some 70 miles to the east.
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