Aberllynfi continued....

Description

Image 1:

Across the road from the Three Cocks Hotel is the Old Barn Inn, a modern conversion of an old barn.

In March 2005, BBC News reported that planning permission to demolish the Old Barn Inn to make way for a housing development had been refused after villagers protested that the inn was a vital community facility (see here for full report).

Image 2:

A tributary of the Llynfi runs through Aberllynfi near the Old Barn Inn.

Image 3:

St Peter's Church, the parish church of Glasbury.

St Peter's is situated about ¼ mile north-east of Aberllynfi. It was built in 1837/38 to replace the original parish church, abandoned 200 years earlier because of a change of course of the River Wye. The early 17th century baptismal font from the old church is now housed in the present church.

Image 4, 5:

The gatehouse at the entrance to what is now Gwernyfed High School.

Gwernyfed was formerly a 3,500-acre estate owned by the Williams family of Breconshire. The first house was built in Tudor times in the Elizabethan style and was replaced in Victorian times by Gwernyfed Park Mansion House, far bigger than its predecessor. The house was designed by W. E. Nesfield, an important 19th century London architect. The estate, part of which is shown below, was then owned by the Wood family (see Gwernyfed High School website for further details).

Image 6:

View looking north-east from near Gwernyfed School gatehouse.

Image 7:

Pont Ithel House, on the Brecon to Hereford road, ½ mile south-west of Aberllynfi.
From the mid to late 19th century, a small chemical works to the rear of Pont Ithel House produced naphthalene from the distillation of coal-tar. In 1881, Pont Ithel House was occupied by Arthur Jacob, the 24-year-old manager of the chemical works, and his brother Leonard, both from Monmouthshire. Production at the works ceased in the 1920s. The map (Image 8) was published in 1889 by the Ordnance Survey.

Now explore the delights of nearby Talgarth on Page 3

• http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/archive/050518-2.htm (link opens in new window)