Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
GLYNDŴR'S WAY NATIONAL TRAIL
Named after the renowned Welsh leader, Glyndŵr's Way cuts an arc through Powys, taking in many sites connec-
ted with him. The persistence of a strong Welsh identity, clear at every stop along the trail, is one of the unique
pleasures of walking it.
The landscape is predominantly low moorland and farmland, with lakes, gentle hills and beautiful valleys. A
particular highlight is the impressive range of bird life, including buzzards, kingfishers, woodpeckers, red kites,
peregrine falcons, flycatchers and wrens.
Most people take nine days to complete the 132-mile walk. Starting from Knighton, we'd suggest making
Felindre (15 miles) your first stop, followed by Abbey-cwm-hir (14 miles), Llanidloes (15.5 miles), Dylife (16
miles), Machynlleth (14.5 miles), Llanbrynmair (14 miles), Llanwddyn (17.5 miles), Pontrobert (12 miles) and
Welshpool (13.5 miles). Accommodation is scarce along the route, so book ahead. On some of the more remote
sections you'll need to pack a lunch and carry enough water for the day.
The hilly terrain and difficulty of route-finding, due to a multitude of paths crossing the trail, can make for
pretty slow going, so it's wise to allow a little more time than you would for more established trails. It's essential
to carry a compass and a good set of maps. Your best bet is to pick up the
Glyndŵr's Way
official National Trail
Guide by David Perrott, which includes extracts from the relevant Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer maps.
Becky Ohlsen
TOP OF CHAPTER
Newtown (Y Drenewydd)
POP 11,400
Newtown's a former mill town with lots of history but, as a destination, it's a sleepy place
- absolutely soporific on a Sunday, but waking up for the Tuesday and Saturday markets.
Its big claim to fame is that Robert Owen, the factory reformer, founder of the cooperative
movement and 'father of Socialism', was born here in 1771, though he left at the age of
10 and only returned just before his death in 1858. Monuments to his esteemed memory
abound in the town centre.
Newtown was also once the home of Welsh flannel and a major UK textile centre.
When competition began driving wages down, Wales' first Chartist meeting was held here
in October 1838. Pryce Jones, the world's first-ever mail-order firm, got its start here, on
the back of the textile trade. By the end of the 19th century, Newtown's boom days were
over - and they've never been back. There are several small museums devoted to those
long-gone salad days.
Newtown is almost the home of Laura Ashley (she opened her first shop in Carno, 10
miles west of the centre).
