The small market town of Talgarth sits comfortably beneath the Black Mountains which run along the border between Wales and England. It provides an ideal base for visitors wishing to explore the eastern end of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Walking, cycling, mountain biking, horseriding, gliding, hang gliding, canoeing, bird watching or just touring by car are some of the activities for you to try.

The town's central square is bounded by the Victorian Town Hall, the Tower Hotel and the 13th century Tower House which is now once again a dwelling, the ground floor shop extensions being home to the Centre. There is an active livestock market on Fridays, the Festival of the Black Mountains www.talgarthfestival.org.uk on August Bank Holiday weekend and an impressive Christmas lights display www.freewebs.com/talgarthlights. The opening of the new Talgarth Relief Road has given us great opportunities now we are free of heavy traffic and there is a new Regeneration Group working actively to return the town to its former glory. The town was successful in winning a Lottery grant and the old mill is currently being restored to a working mill which will be a major attraction in the town.

Close by you will find two nature reserves, the Woodland Trust's Park Wood and Brecknock Wildlife Trust's Pwll y Wrach.

On this site you will find a wide variety of things to do and places to stay in and around Talgarth along with information about local events and services.

A Little History

Talgarth’s origins are lost in antiquity. The area has been settled for the last 5000 years and just a mile or so from the town is the oldest long cairn in Southern Britain where a small bone flute, the first musical instrument in the British Isles was found. Just south of the town, the ruins of the stone castle at Castell Dinas, set within the defences of an Iron Age hillfort on the edge of the Black Mountains, is the highest medieval castle in England and Wales at over 450m.

The town itself was the chief royal residence of the House of Brycheiniog, although it retains no direct evidence of this. Reputedly St. Gwendoline, a daughter of King Brychan, was buried on the site of the present St. Gwendoline's Church where a Celtic monastery was established in the 5th century. The church, mainly 13th to 14th century, was granted to Brecon Priory in 1094 by Bernard of Neufmarché. The town was a borough from the early 1300s and had 73 burgesses in 1309. The Tower House, (now known not to be a Pele tower) was built at this time, a defensive residence guarding the river crossing and town. In a later medieval period a Knight from Talgarth occupied the Hall House, now the Old Radnor Arms.

For this long time Talgarth has been a centre for trade and commerce in livestock and agricultural produce, famous for its horse fairs up to the end of the 19th century and for its sheep market to the present day.

If you would like to know more, there are various books and leaflets available at the Centre or contact Talgarth Historical Society on 01874 711171 www.talgarthanddistricthistoricalsociety.co.uk. There is more information on ancient history on The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust's website: www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/histland/midwye/mwdefend.htm