Newtown: Flannel exchange
Grand building at the southern end of the Long Bridge between 1830 and 1832 by public subscription. Like the adjacent bridge it was designed by county surveyor Thomas Penson, who also designed the parish church of St. David's in the town. The Exchange was where the flannel produced in the area was sold to dealers's who would export the flannel to other markets using the canal and later the railway. It was a two story building with Doric pilasters and a basement. It also served as the Assembly Rooms and the home of the Great Sessions.
[MC 83; Haslam]
[MC 83; Haslam]
Newtown: Royal Welsh Warehouse
The Flannel industry in the Severn valley grew throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries gradually changing from a domestic to a mechanised industry exploiting the better transport opportunities the canal offered. The opening of railway lines in 1859 and 1863 opened the local industry to markets even further away. Unfortunately the new railway network also opened up markets to larger more industrial manufacturing areas like Leeds and competition hit the Montgomeryshire manufacturers. One way to adapt to the competitive market was found by Pryce Jones of Llanllwchaiarn who established his own small drapery business just off Broad Street in Newtown. His innovation was to use mail order as a way of reaching new markets. He started in a small way by sending out patterns and stock lists to the local gentry, and by arranging for local woollen manufacturers and merchants to supply goods to meet the orders he obtained. By the 1870s his business was expanding and new premises were needed. He bought a site next to the railway station and there had built the Royal Welsh Warehouse which opened in October 1879. Within a year the new warehouse had around 100,000 customers and supplied many of the royal houses of Europe (a fact he made much of in his advertising).
Even the huge new Royal Welsh Warehouse in the town was not large enough by 1895, so another huge building was built just opposite for use as a factory. This was later known as Agriculture House, and the two buildings were connected by a high level bridge for many years.
In 1901 a post office was added to the Royal Welsh Warehouse to cope with the huge number of parcel deliveries sent all over the world from Newtown. The company continued to do well until the Great War of 1914-18, but suffered from the depressed world trade of the 1920s and 1930s. The business was taken over by a Liverpool firm in 1938.
[MC; Victorian Powys for Schools website]
Even the huge new Royal Welsh Warehouse in the town was not large enough by 1895, so another huge building was built just opposite for use as a factory. This was later known as Agriculture House, and the two buildings were connected by a high level bridge for many years.
In 1901 a post office was added to the Royal Welsh Warehouse to cope with the huge number of parcel deliveries sent all over the world from Newtown. The company continued to do well until the Great War of 1914-18, but suffered from the depressed world trade of the 1920s and 1930s. The business was taken over by a Liverpool firm in 1938.
[MC; Victorian Powys for Schools website]
Newtown: St. Mary's Church
The ruins of the old parish church for Newtown stand preserved by the River Severn today. This is the church which led to the original name for the market town Llanfair yn Nghedewain. The nave and south aisle of of roughly equal size each with a gabled roof. The strong tower is probably 13th century with other sections of the walls dateing from the century after. Regular flooding in the early nineteenth century combined with the increase in population in the town led to demand for a new church. The brick built St David's church, designed by Thomas Penson was erected away from the river in the 1840s. The old photograph (right) from a postcard at the County Archives Office shows the later roofless ruins of the church and the tomb of Robert Owen.
[Haslam; MC]
[Haslam; MC]