Brecon Beacons: air crash
On 12 January 1945 a Proctor NP216 (from RAF Madley, Hereford) left broken cloud for the pilot to get his bearings, and hit the ground at high speed. The pilot, a Nigerian, was killed, but a crew member was saved.
[Doylerush pp25]
[Doylerush pp25]
Brecon & Merthyr Tydfil Junction railway Company
See under Railways
Brecon Forest Tramroads
In 1817 the Great Forest of Brecon common land (Fforest Fawr) was enclosed and large parts of it became the property of Mr John Christie, a London businessman who saw an opportunity to “improve” the land and make a handsome return on his investment. He saw that the Swansea Valley to the south had iron ore, coal and limestone, and he owned a limestone quarry at Penwyllt which he had developed. He thought that he could make his own lime in kilns at Penwyllt using limestone from his own quarries. This could then be sold to the ironworks in the valley. He also though the lime could be used in the high upland areas to turn the wild mountain pasture into productive farmland by spreading it on the fields. To get the lime to both the upland farms and ironworks he built a horse-drawn tramway network called the Brecon Forest Tramroad.
Christie was convinced that connecting farms like Cnewr to the lime kilns by tramroad would enable his land to be more productive. However the exposed nature of the mountain farm land was never likely to make them very profitable and Christie spent a huge amount building a stone wall around his lands across the mountainsides.
The tramway was taken over by the Claypon brothers and did prove useful and – at least in the Southern stretches – profitable. The steep gradients on the Northern section meant the horses could only pull smaller loads making the journeys less cost effective.
The tramway was taken over by the Claypon brothers and did prove useful and – at least in the Southern stretches – profitable. The steep gradients on the Northern section meant the horses could only pull smaller loads making the journeys less cost effective.
Further south though the quarries of the Great Forest tramway provided large quantities of limestone which could be heated in new specially built kilns. The powdered lime could be sent downhill by tram to the growing iron industry in the Tawe valley, and to the wharfs of the Swansea Canal. This was more successful and profitable. The horse-drawn trams brought limestone to the kilns, and coal to burn in them. The hot and caustic powdered lime which came from the bottom of the kiln was shovelled into barrels which were then loaded onto trams.
[B; Hughes, Steven - The Archaeology of an early railway system]
[B; Hughes, Steven - The Archaeology of an early railway system]
Breconshire
Established by the Act of Union of 1536. The Act says:
"V. And it is enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Lordships, Townships, Parishes, Commotes and Cantreds of Brecknock, Creckhowel, Tretowre, Penkelly, English-talgarth, Welsh-talgarth, Dynas, the Haye, Glynebough, Broyulles, Cantrecely, Llando, Blaynllinby, Estrodew, Buelthe and Lingros. . . shall stand and be for ever, from the said Feast of All-Saints, guildable, and shall be reputed, accepted, named and taken as Parts and Members of the said County or Shire of Brecknock; (2) and that the said Town of Brecknock shall be named, accepted, reputed, used, had and taken, Head and Shire-town of the said Shire or County of Brecknock; (3) and that the Shire-court or County of and for the said Shire or County of Brecknock, shall be holden and kept in the said Town of Brecknock". [G.R.]
[Statutes at Large]
"V. And it is enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Lordships, Townships, Parishes, Commotes and Cantreds of Brecknock, Creckhowel, Tretowre, Penkelly, English-talgarth, Welsh-talgarth, Dynas, the Haye, Glynebough, Broyulles, Cantrecely, Llando, Blaynllinby, Estrodew, Buelthe and Lingros. . . shall stand and be for ever, from the said Feast of All-Saints, guildable, and shall be reputed, accepted, named and taken as Parts and Members of the said County or Shire of Brecknock; (2) and that the said Town of Brecknock shall be named, accepted, reputed, used, had and taken, Head and Shire-town of the said Shire or County of Brecknock; (3) and that the Shire-court or County of and for the said Shire or County of Brecknock, shall be holden and kept in the said Town of Brecknock". [G.R.]
[Statutes at Large]