77-453: The Welsh Not was a token used by teachers at some schools in Wales in the 19th century and early 20th century to discourage children from speaking Welsh at school, by marking out those who were heard speaking the language. Accounts suggest that its form and the nature of its use could vary from place to place, but the most common form was a piece of wood suspended on a string that was put around
154-653: A first or second language are compulsory whilst some schools may also make other subjects compulsory. Pupils in secondary school take part in the compulsory GCSE and the non-compulsory A-level or BTEC qualifications at ages 15/16 and 17/18 respectively. Since 2007 the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification has also been available as an option although it was ungraded until 2015. In 2014/15 there were 207 secondary schools (a drop of six since 2013/14) in Wales with 182,408 pupils and 11,269 FTE teachers (a drop of 310 since 2013/14). The pupil/teacher ratio
231-424: A secondary school and further education college (Brecon Beacons College) on the northern edge of the town. The secondary school, known as Brecon High School, was formed from separate boys' and girls' grammar schools ('county schools') and Brecon Secondary Modern School, after comprehensive education was introduced into Breconshire in the early 1970s. The town is home to an independent school, Christ College , which
308-687: A charity with close oversight from the local authority, the Voluntary aided schools are owned by a charity with a greater degree of self-governance and the Foundation school is owned by a governing body or charity organisation with limited local authority oversight. In the second and third case the charity is usually a religious organisation, typically the Church in Wales or the Roman Catholic Church . The curriculum being rolled out in Wales from 2022 onwards
385-471: A cost of £2,000. The tower has eight bells which have been rung since 1750, the heaviest of which weighs 810 kg (16 long hundredweight). They were cast by Rudhall of Gloucester . In March 2007 the bells were removed from the church tower for refurbishment. When the priory was elevated to the status of a cathedral, St Mary's became the parish church. It is a Grade II* listed building . The Church of St David , referred to locally as Llanfaes Church,
462-406: A half. This age was traditionally much earlier than in most other Western nations, but in recent years many European countries have lowered their age of compulsory education, usually by making one or more years of kindergarten compulsory. In 2014/15, there were 1,330 primary schools in Wales with 273,400 pupils and 12,240 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers. The teacher/pupil ratio was 1:22 and
539-433: A small segment of the population. In the 17th and 18th Centuries significant efforts were made, mainly by charitable causes, to expand access to basic education. In the 19th Century a state education system developed. By the end of the period education had become free and compulsory for children aged 5- to 12-years-old. Further increases to the school leaving age and the development of a system of secondary schools led by
616-489: A total of 10,140 full-time and part-time staff. Unlike in England, where state schools are increasingly run in an Academy model where they are funded directly by the central government, state schools in Wales are overseen by local authorities . Local authority funded or maintained schools come in various different models. The Community school is owned and run by the local authority, the Voluntary controlled schools are owned by
693-778: A way of ensuring that their children made daily use of English". The use of the Welsh Not created a stigma in using the Welsh language. However, work from groups such as the Society for the Utilisation of the Welsh Language (of 1885) after the passing of the Education Act 1870 tried to fight for the right to speak Welsh and learn through the medium of Welsh in schools, and to advocate bilingualism in classrooms. Although their campaigning resulted in
770-476: A week in publicly funded nursery education. Nursery lessons are focused on developing children's abilities in a variety of areas such as creativity, communication and general knowledge however, at this age, learning to read and write is not yet considered a priority. Depending on their parents economic and employment status children in this age-range may be eligible for up to twenty additional hours of state-subsidised childcare each week. According to statistics for
847-529: A year in fees, and are generally entitled to student loans and grants depending on their family's economic situation for maintenance. The state does not control syllabi, but it does influence admission procedures and monitors standards through the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales . In England, Wales and Northern Ireland all qualifications can be compared on a scale beginning with entry level and then followed by eight numbered levels, 1
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#1732844804722924-499: 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 Davids . Saint Mary's Church began as a chapel of ease to the priory but most of the building is dated to later medieval times. The West Tower, some 27 m (90 ft) high, was built in 1510 by Edward, Duke of Buckingham at
1001-624: Is based at Brecon Guildhall on the High Street. The town council elects a mayor annually. In May 2018 it elected its first mixed race mayor, local hotelier Emmanuel (Manny) Trailor. In 2010 the Town Council installed a plaque to the slave-trader Captain Thomas Phillips captain of the Hannibal slave ship. During the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests the plaque was removed and thrown into
1078-445: Is delivered by sessional day care settings (20%), full day care settings (17%), out of school care settings (10%), open access play provision (1%) and crèches (0.5%)." The Welsh government is planning to introduce universal state funded childcare for two-year-old children by the mid-2020s. Currently, only the most disadvantaged toddlers in this age group and those in some more deprived areas are entitled to 12.5 hours of care provided by
1155-421: Is in order to allow Welsh medium schools and nurseries to immerse young children in the language as much as possible. In the later years of primary school, the curriculum at Welsh medium schools continues to be mostly (70% or more) taught in Welsh whilst at secondary level all subjects other than English are taught in Welsh. However, as they get older, students in Welsh medium education are required to work towards
1232-412: Is intended to give individual schools more control over the instruction they provide and the autonomy to develop their own curricula within a basic set of guidelines. In 2014, there were four formal education consortia in Wales covering: The role of Education Consortia is to assist in school improvement in their respective regions. This includes areas such as the effectiveness of schools leadership,
1309-483: Is provided by 15 FE institutions in 2014/15 and a range of public, private and voluntary sector training providers, such as the Workers' Educational Association . Colleges vary in size and mission, and include general FE, tertiary and specialist institutions, including one Roman Catholic Sixth Form College and a residential adult education college. Many colleges offer leisure learning and training programmes designed to meet
1386-433: Is the equivalent of a weaker pass grade at GCSE and 8 the equivalent of a doctorate . Undergraduate degrees typically the first higher education qualifications available are usually level 4, 5 or 6. Students will generally need A-Levels or an equivalent at a certain grade to enroll on them but may be able to do a foundation year prior to starting if their grades are weaker. There are various types of undergraduate degree but
1463-484: The Education Act 1870 , and that "the teachers who imposed the Welsh Not were Welsh and its imposition would have been done with the agreement of parents". Professor Martin Johnes writes that neither the Welsh Not nor the efforts to prevent the use of the language in schools were official state policies, instead coming down to actions taken by individual teachers; but that the Welsh Not nonetheless remains "a powerful symbol of
1540-654: The Norman castle which overlooks the town, built by Bernard de Neufmarche in the late 11th century. Gerald of Wales came and made some speeches in 1188 to recruit men to go to the Crusades . Brecon's town walls were constructed by Humphrey de Bohun after 1240. The walls were built of cobble, with four gatehouses and was protected by ten semi-circular bastions . In 1400 the Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr rose in rebellion against English rule, and in response in 1404, 100 marks
1617-639: The Severn Estuary . The canalside in Brecon was redeveloped in the 1990s and is now the site of two mooring basins and Theatr Brycheiniog . The bridge carries the B4601 across the River Usk. A plaque on a house wall adjacent to the eastern end of the bridge records that the present bridge was built in 1563 to replace a medieval bridge destroyed by floods in 1535. It was repaired in 1772 and widened in 1794 by Thomas Edwards,
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#17328448047221694-500: The manorial rights to the borough, oversaw the town's market and fairs, and ran elections for the borough's member of parliament . In 1776 a separate body of improvement commissioners was established to supply the town with water and pave and light the streets. The borough was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , which standarised how most boroughs operated across
1771-516: The writing out of lines , or corporal punishment . [Question] "as far as your experience goes, there is a general desire for education, and the parents are desirous that their children should learn the English language?" [Reply] "Beyond anything." Anglican clergyman from Pembrokeshire giving evidence to the Inquiry for South Wales in 1843 The use of corporal punishment was legal in all schools in
1848-439: The "taught" degree which conducted more in the style of an undergraduate degree and "research" degree where the student directs their own study of a self-chosen question in a more independent manner. A master's degree is the highest level of qualification. In 2014/15 there were 145,735 enrolments at HE institutions in Wales, including 97,900 first degree and other undergraduates and 27,780 postgraduates. Welsh HE institutions had
1925-669: The 2011 census. Historically it was the county town of Brecknockshire (Breconshire); although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of the County of Powys, it remains an important local centre. Brecon is the third-largest town in Powys, after Newtown and Ystradgynlais . It lies north of the Brecon Beacons mountain range, but is just within the Brecon Beacons National Park . The Welsh name, Aberhonddu, means "mouth of
2002-584: The 2021/2022 school year most state-funded primary schools in Wales and all separate infant schools included nursery provision. There were also eight separate nursery schools which are owned and run by the Local authority. The hours of state-funded childcare a child is entitled to can also be provided by other childcare facilities. According to a 2018 report, there were 4,012 such facilities registered in 2016, it also noted that "The majority of childcare providers are childminders (52%). The remaining childcare provision
2079-421: The 20th century the language gradually gained a more prominent role in the education system. A significant minority of students in Wales are educated largely through the medium of Welsh : in 2014/15, 15.7% of children and young people received Welsh-medium education – a drop from the 15.9% in 2010/11. An additional 10% attended schools in which significant portion of the curriculum is bilingual. The study of
2156-700: The 331m high Pen-y-crug to its northwest and 231m high Slwch Tump to the east. Both are crowned by Iron Age hillforts. The modern administrative community includes the town of Brecon on the north bank of the Usk together with the smaller settlement of Llanfaes on its southern bank. Llanfaes is built largely on the floodplain of the Usk and the Tarell; embankments and walls protect parts of both Brecon and Llanfaes from this risk. There are two tiers of local government covering Brecon, at community (town) and county level: Brecon Town Council and Powys County Council . The town council
2233-452: The Act granted the Welsh equality with the English in law, that the result was "the language actually regained ground in Welsh towns and rural anglicised areas such as the lowlands of Gwent and Glamorgan" and that thus "Welsh remained the language of the land and the people". Furthermore, Johnes writes that the religious turmoil at the time persuaded the state to support, rather than try to extinguish,
2310-688: 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 Tarell which enters the Usk a few hundred metres upstream. After the Dark Ages the original Welsh name of the kingdom in whose territory Brecon stands was (in modern orthography) " Brycheiniog ", which was later anglicised to Brecknock or Brecon, and probably derives from Brychan ,
2387-529: The River Usk. Following the protests the Council passed two resolutions on 20 September 2020 to display the plaque in the local museum, Y Gaer, and to request that it is displayed as part of a suitable exhibit detailing the wider context, without being restored. It was also resolved unanimously that a working group is established to consider whether a new plaque, new work of art, or loaned artwork should be commissioned, and where any new piece should be located. Brecon
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2464-453: The State of Education in Wales, 1847. During the 19th century the primary function of day schools in Wales was the teaching of English. The teaching of English in Welsh schools was generally supported by the Welsh public and parents who saw it as the language of economic advancement. Some schools practised what is now commonly called total immersion language teaching and banned the use of Welsh in
2541-665: The United Kingdom until it was mostly outlawed in 1986; flogging or caning was in widespread use in British schools throughout the 1800s and early 1900s. Under Henry VIII the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 simplified the administration and the law in Wales. English law and norms of administration were to be used, replacing the complex mixture of regional Welsh laws and administration. Public officials had to be able to speak English and English
2618-475: The United Kingdom, in the later case particularly in relation to the teaching of the Welsh language . State-funded nursery education is typically offered from age three. Children usually enter fulltime primary school at age four, enter secondary school at age eleven and take their GCSEs at age 16. After that, young people have the option of staying at school to study A-levels or enrolling in further education . From
2695-473: The Welsh language is available to all age groups through nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities, and in adult education. Though, involvement is fairly limited above secondary school level. The study of the language is compulsory for all pupils in State Schools until the age of 16. Educational institutions have flexibility over how much English children are taught prior to the age of seven. This
2772-555: The Welsh language. In 1546, Brecon man John Prys had published the first Welsh-language book ( Welsh : Yny lhyvyr hwnn , "In This Book"), a book containing prayers, which, as the Pope disapproved of it, endeared it to the Crown. The result of the 1567 order by the Crown that a Welsh translation of the New Testament be used in every parish church in Wales (to ensure uniformity of worship in
2849-481: The Welsh pretender Richmond (the future Henry VII), and declares: O, let me think on Hastings and be gone To Brecknock, while my fearful head is on! A priory was dissolved in 1538, and Brecon's Dominican Friary of St Nicholas was suppressed in August of the same year. About 250 m (270 yd) north of the castle stands Brecon Cathedral , a fairly modest building compared to many cathedrals. The role of cathedral
2926-540: The academic abilities of adolescents around the world. The 2018 tests saw Wales' results improving but remaining the weakest of the four education systems of the UK in all subjects. Further education (FE) includes full- and part-time learning for people over compulsory school age, excluding higher education. Young people often enrol in FE as an alternative to staying at school after the age of 16. FE and publicly funded training in Wales
3003-443: The age of 18, they might enroll at university. Formal education was originally a luxury, then provided by charity and later through the state. Universal primary education was established by the end of the 19th century and universal secondary education was reached by the mid 20th century. Attitudes to the Welsh language in education have varied overtime. Early forms of formal education were church or privately run and available to only
3080-536: The annual 4-day weekend Brecon Baroque Music Festival, organised by leading violinist Rachel Podger . Idris Davies put "the pink bells of Brecon" in his poem published as XV in Gwalia Deserta (by T. S. Eliot ). This was copied in "Quite Early One Morning" by Dylan Thomas , put to music by Pete Seeger as the song " The Bells of Rhymney ", then recorded by the Byrds where it became known to millions although by then
3157-436: The average class size was 26 pupils. In 2015/16, there were 276,950 pupils in 1,310 primary schools – a rise of 3,550 since 2014/15. In 2014/15, there were 435 Welsh-medium primary schools with 65,460 pupils, rising from 64,366 in 2013/14, but the number of Welsh-medium primary schools decreased from 444, due primarily to the closure of small rural schools. Universal free school meals were introduced in Wales for children in
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3234-424: The child's neck. Terms used historically include Welsh not, Welsh note, Welsh lump, Welsh stick, cwstom , Welsh Mark, and Welsh Ticket. "Among other injurious effects, this custom has been found to lead children to visit stealthily the houses of their school-fellows for the purpose of detecting those who speak Welsh to their parents, and transferring to them the punishment due to themselves." Inquiry into
3311-616: The complete line starting on 21 September 1864. The Midland Railway Company (MR) took over the HH&;BR from 1 October 1869, leasing the line by an Act of 30 July 1874 and absorbing the HH&BR in 1876. The MR was absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on 1 January 1923. Passenger services to Merthyr ended in 1958, Neath in October 1962 and Newport in December 1962. In 1962
3388-505: The country. The improvement commissioners were abolished in 1850 when their functions were taken over by the borough council. The borough was abolished in 1974, with its area instead becoming a community called Brecon within the larger Borough of Brecknock in the new county of Powys . The former borough council's functions therefore passed to Brecknock Borough Council, which was in turn abolished in 1996 and its functions passed to Powys County Council. Brecon has primary schools , with
3465-453: The creation of a somewhat distinctive education system. Wales has its own education inspectorate, qualifications regulator and curriculum. The money the Welsh government has to spend in devolved areas is broadly pegged to money the UK government spends in equivalent areas in England through a system called the Barnett formula . However, the devolved administrations are not obliged to spend
3542-468: The early 1800s, as late as the 1870s and the early 20th century. Strong evidence exists of its usage in Carmarthen, Cardigan and Meirionnydd prior to the 1870s. The Welsh Not came in several forms and with different names (Welsh not, Welsh note, Welsh lump, Welsh stick, Welsh lead, cwstom , Welsh Mark, Welsh Ticket) and was used in different ways. It was a token typically made of wood often inscribed with
3619-483: The encouragement of teaching Welsh history and geography within schools, the education system continued to become further dominated by the English system. In 2012, Conservative MP David T. C. Davies stated that the British Government had not been responsible for suppressing the Welsh language in the 19th century, saying that the practice took place before government involvement in the education system began with
3696-429: The eponymous founder of the kingdom. Before the building of the bridge over the Usk, Brecon was one of the few places where the river could be forded . In Roman Britain Y Gaer ( Cicucium ) was established as a Roman cavalry base for the conquest of Roman Wales and Brecon was first established as a military base. The confluence of the River Honddu and the River Usk made for a valuable defensive position for
3773-541: The first year of primary school in September 2022. They are planned to be rolled out for all primary school children by 2024. Children typically transfer from primary to secondary school between schools years six and seven , when they are 11 years old. In school year nine (or sometimes eight ), pupils receive a chose of what subjects to continue their studies in, options must be available across multiple fields but vary between schools. Maths, English, Science and Welsh as
3850-526: The hostile reaction was mainly aimed at the comments about Welsh morality. "Cannot get the children from the habit of talking in Welsh; the school as a whole is backward in English." British School , Aberaeron , Log book. 5 November 1880. According to the Encyclopaedia of Wales , "Welsh patriots view the Welsh Not(e) as an instrument of cultural genocide ", but "it was welcomed by some parents as
3927-584: The important line to Hereford closed. Therefore, Brecon lost all its train services before the 1963 Reshaping of British Railways report (often referred to as the Beeching Axe ) was implemented. Brecon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1889. August sees the annual Brecon Jazz Festival . Concerts are held in both open air and indoor venues, including the town's market hall and the 400-seat Theatr Brycheiniog , which opened in 1997. October sees
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#17328448047224004-586: The kingdom) was that Welsh would remain the language of religion. Davies says that as the ( Tudor ) government were to promote Welsh for worship, they had more sympathy for Welsh, than for Irish in Ireland, French in Calais, and than the government of Scotland had for Gaelic of the Highlands. The Tudors themselves were of partly Welsh origin. Among the common folk of Wales, at the time of the Welsh Not, hostility towards English
4081-504: The letters 'WN' which might be worn around the neck. Typically, following the start of some prescribed period of time, a lesson, the school day or the school week, it was given to the first child heard speaking Welsh and would then be successively passed on to the next child heard speaking it. At the end of the period, the child with the token or all children who had held the token, might be punished. The nature of that punishment varies from one account to another; it might have been detention ,
4158-457: The mid 20th century to universal secondary education. Separate secondary schools for students of different academic abilities ended by 1980. Control over education policy was placed under the control of the devolved Welsh government in 1999. From the start of the January, April or September (whichever comes soonest) following a child's third birthday they become eligible for a minimum of ten hours
4235-449: The money they receive in the same policy area as it was spent in England (e.g. the equivalent to money spent on health in England could be spent on education in Wales). More broadly Wales's and the other UK education systems are all influenced by their interactions with reserved matters and coexistence within the United Kingdom. In the 19th century Welsh was often repressed by schools. In
4312-474: The most common is a Bachelor's degree which generally takes three years to complete and involves studying one or sometimes two subjects in detail. It is a level 6 qualification. A postgraduate degree is a level 7 or 8 qualification. It can typically only be completed after an undergraduate degree has been completed. It is generally focused on a more specific topic rather than the more general subject taught at undergraduate level. These generally come in two types
4389-753: The needs of business. In 2014/15 there were 263,315 FE students in Wales spanning the entire availability of FE at multiple placements, including FE, HE (higher education), LA (local authority) Community, and work-based learning. Adult Community learning is a form of adult education or lifelong learning delivered and supported by local authorities in Wales. Programmes can be formal or informal , non-accredited or accredited, and vocational, academic or leisure orientated. In 2018–2019, there were 23,970 learners in Local Authority Community Learning. Students normally enter higher education (HE) from 18 onwards. Undergraduate students contribute £9,000
4466-524: The oppression of Welsh culture." In 2024 the 1923 Welsh Women's Peace message was translated into the Okinawan language from the perspective of the similarities between the Okinawan dialect cards and the Welsh Not policy. The Asahi Shimbun claimed that the reconstruction of the Okinawan language is similar to the reconstruction of the Welsh language. Japanese musicians also created a short film, inspired by
4543-582: The quality of their teaching and pupils results. The South West and Mid Wales Consortia partially broke down in 2020 with Powys, Ceredigion and Neath Port Talbot all leaving. The former two councils then formed an informal partnership whilst Neath Port Talbot remained outside the Consortia system as of March 2022. The governance of education has been devolved in Wales since the creation of the Welsh assembly in 1999 along with other related policy areas such as Welsh language policy and local government. This has led to
4620-470: The same tests and qualifications in the English language as their counterparts who were primarily educated in English. Brecon Brecon ( / ˈ b r ɛ k ən / ; Welsh : Aberhonddu ; pronounced [ˌabɛrˈhɔnði] ), archaically known as Brecknock , is a market town in Powys , mid Wales . In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at
4697-715: The same year, there were 4 Welsh-medium middle schools (a rise of 2 since 2013/14) with 2,448 pupils, a rise from 1,577 in 2013/14. In 2016, 60.3% of Year 11 pupils (aged 16) achieved the Level 2 inclusive threshold (Level 2 including a grade A*-C in English or Welsh first language and Mathematics). 35.6% of pupils eligible for FSM (free school meals) achieved the L2 inclusive threshold. 66.9% of pupils achieved A*-C in maths. 70.4% of pupils achieved A*-C in either English or Welsh first language. Wales has often performed poorly in PISA results, which compare
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#17328448047224774-508: The school and playground to force children to use and become proficient in English. Some of these schools punished children caught speaking Welsh with the Welsh Not. The Welsh Not was brought about by teachers and school organisations, such as the National Society for Promoting Religious Education , rather than government policy, and its use came about via convention rather than law. The Not was used in schools from as early as 1798, throughout
4851-506: The similarities between the history of Okinawan dialect tags and the Welsh Not. Education in Wales This article provides an overview of education in Wales from early childhood to university and adult skills . Largely state-funded and freely accessible at a primary and secondary level, education is compulsory for children in Wales between ages 5-16 years old. It differs to some extent in structure and content to other parts of
4928-499: The son of William Edwards of Eglwysilan . It had stone parapets until the 1970s when the present deck was superimposed on the old structure. The bridge was painted by J. M. W. Turner c.1769. The Neath and Brecon Railway reached Brecon in 1867, terminating at Free Street . By this point, Brecon already had two other railway stations: The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway was opened gradually from Hereford towards Brecon. The first section opened in 1862, with passenger services on
5005-463: The state. A child's age on 1 September determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education. Education is compulsory beginning with the term following the child's fifth birthday, but may take place at either home or school. Most parents choosing to educate through school-based provision, however, enrol their children in the reception year in September of that school year, with most children thus beginning school at age four or four and
5082-406: The town centre with the suburbs, operating at a roughly-hourly frequency. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal runs for 35 miles (56 km) between Brecon and Pontnewydd , Cwmbran . It then continues to Newport , the towpath being the line of communication and the canal being disjointed by obstructions and road crossings. The canal was built between 1797 and 1812 to link Brecon with Newport and
5159-436: The translation was only for the benefit of the lawyers and judges. The use of English in the law courts inevitably resulted in significant inconvenience to those who could not speak English. It would also have led to the realisation that to get anywhere in a society dominated by England and the English, the ability to speak English would be a key skill. Martin Johnes, a professor of history at Swansea University, writes that as
5236-482: Was 17:1, which has remained largely the same since 2000/01. In 2015/16, there were 178,650 pupils in 205 secondary schools – a drop of 3,700 since 2014/15. The same report found that in 2015/16, there were 8,000 pupils in 34 independent schools, 4,540 pupils in 32 independent special schools, and 730 pupils in 25 pupil referral units. In 2014/15, there were 50 Welsh-medium secondary (a drop of 2 since 2013/14) schools with 36,485 pupils, dropping from 37,400 in 2013/14. In
5313-484: Was an ancient borough . Its date of becoming a borough is unknown, but it was described as having burgesses in 1100 and its first known charter was issued in 1276. Until 1536, the town formed part of the wider Lordship of Brecknock , a marcher lordship . In 1536 the new county of Brecknockshire was created, with Brecon as its county town. The borough of Brecon's responsibilities were originally primarily judicial, holding various courts. The borough council also owned
5390-459: Was built in 1851 at a cost of £1,000. The east end of town has two military establishments: Approximately 9 miles (14 km) to the west of Brecon is Sennybridge Training Area , an important training facility for the British Army . The town sits within the Usk valley at the point where the Honddu and Tarell rivers join it from north and south respectively. Two low hills overlook the town,
5467-636: Was founded in 1541. The junction of the east–west A40 ( London - Monmouth - Carmarthen - Fishguard ) and the north–south A470 ( Cardiff - Merthyr Tydfil - Llandudno ) is on the east side of Brecon town centre. The nearest airport is Cardiff Airport . The town's primary public transport hub is the Brecon Interchange at the B4601 Heol Gouesnou, served mainly by the long-distance T4, T6 and T14 routes operated by TrawsCymru . Local services 40A and 40B, operated by Stagecoach South Wales , connect
5544-418: Was probably founded in the early sixteenth century. The first parish priest, Maurice Thomas, was installed there by John Blaxton, Archdeacon of Brecon in 1555. The name is derived from the Welsh – Llandewi yn y Maes – which translates as 'St David's in the field'. Plough Lane Chapel , also known as Plough United Reformed Church, is a Grade II* listed building . The present building dates back to 1841 and
5621-693: Was re-modelled by Owen Morris Roberts. After the Reformation, some Breconshire families such as the Havards, the Gunters and the Powells persisted with Catholicism despite its suppression. In the 18th Century a Catholic Mass house in Watergate was active, and Rev John Williams was the local Catholic priest from 1788 to 1815. The present parish priest is Rev Father Jimmy Sebastian Pulickakunnel MCBS since 2012. The Watergate house
5698-545: Was sold in 1805, becoming the current Watergate Baptist Chapel, and property purchased as the priest's residence and a chapel between Wheat Street and the current St Michael Street, including the "Three Cocks Inn"; about this time Catholic parish records began again. The normal round of bishop's visitations and confirmations resumed in the 1830s. In 1832 most civil liberties were restored to Catholics and they became able to practise their faith more openly. A simple Gothic church, dedicated to St Michael and designed by Charles Hansom ,
5775-523: Was spent by the royal government improving the fortifications to protect Brecon in the event of a Welsh attack. Brecon's walls were largely destroyed during the English Civil War . Today only fragments survive, including some earthworks and parts of one of the gatehouses; these are protected as scheduled monuments . In Shakespeare's play King Richard III , the Duke of Buckingham is suspected of supporting
5852-419: Was to be used in the law courts. These two language provisions probably made little difference since English had already replaced French as the language of administration and law in Wales in the late 14th century. In practice this meant that courts had to employ translators between Welsh and English. The courts were 'very popular' with the working class possibly because they knew the jury would understand Welsh and
5929-560: Was widespread. This was compounded by the three-part Reports of the Commissioners of Inquiry into the State of Education in Wales , often referred to as the "Treason of the Blue Books" in Wales; published by the British Government in 1847, which caused uproar in Wales for disparaging the Welsh; being particularly scathing in its view of nonconformity, the Welsh language, and Welsh morality. The inquiry did not lead to any governmental action and
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