Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Welshpool (Y Trallwng)
POP 6700
The English originally called this place Pool, after the 'pills' - boggy, marshy ground
(long since drained) along the nearby River Severn. It was changed in 1835 to Welshpool,
so nobody would get confused with Poole in Dorset. Set below a steeply wooded hill, it's
a handsome market town with a mixture of Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings along
its main streets but few other distractions in the town centre and a dearth of places to stay
or eat. More compelling, however, are the peripheral sights such as glorious Powis Castle
and the narrow-gauge Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway.
Sights & Activities
Powis Castle
CASTLE
( 01938-551944;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
; adult/child castle & gardens £13/6.50, garden only £9.60/4.80;
12.30-5pm)
Surrounded by magnificent gardens, the red-brick Powis Castle rises up from its
terraces as if floating on a cloud of massive, manicured yew trees. It was originally built
in the 13th-century by Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, prince of Powys, and was subse-
quently enriched by generations of the Herbert and Clive families.
The extravagant mural-covered, wood-panelled interior contains one of Wales' finest
collections of furniture and paintings, including works by Gainsborough and Rubens and
curios such as Mary, Queen of Scot's rosary beads. The
Clive Museum
, in the former ball-
room, holds a fascinating and exquisite cache of jade, ivory, armour, textiles and other
treasures brought back from India by Baron Clive (British conqueror of Bengal at the
Battle of Plassey in 1757), allowing a rare insight into the lifestyle of early colonialists.
The baroque garden is peerless, dotted with ornamental lead statues and an orangery,
formal gardens, wilderness, terraces and orchards.
The castle is just over a mile south of Welshpool, off Berriew Rd.
Powysland Museum &
Montgomery Canal
( 01938-554656;
www.powys.gov.uk
; Severn Rd; adult/child £1/free; 11am-5pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri May-
Sep, also Sat & Sun Jun-Aug)
The Montgomery Canal originally ran for 35 miles starting at New-
MUSEUM
