Visit Brecon Places

Welcome to Visit Brecon Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Brecon

  

Brecon Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Brecon

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Brecon history

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Early history

Aberhonddu means “mouth of the Honddu” It is derived from the River Honddu, which meets the River Usk near the town centre . The original Welsh name of the kingdom in whose territory Brecon stands was “Brycheiniog”

Norman control

Norman castle was built by Bernard de Neufmarche in the late 11th century . Gerald of Wales made speeches in 1188 to recruit men to go to the Crusades .

Town walls

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 .

Priory and cathedral

A Priory was dissolved in 1538, and Brecon’s Dominican Friary of St Nicholas was suppressed in August of the same year . The role of cathedral was bestowed upon the church in 1923 with the formation of the Diocese of Swansea .

St. Mary’s Church

The West Tower, some 27 m (90 ft) high, was built in 1510 by Edward, Duke of Buckingham at a cost of £2,000 . The tower has eight bells which have been rung since 1750, the heaviest of which weighs 810 kg .

St. David’s Church, Llanfaes

The Church of St. David, referred to locally as Llanfaes Church, 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, Lion Street

Plough Lane Chapel, also known as Plough United Reformed Church, is a Grade II* listed building . The present building dates back to 1841 and was re-modelled by Owen Morris Roberts . It is considered one of the finest chapel interiors in Wales .

St Michael’s Church

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 Watergate house was sold in 1805, becoming the current Watergate Baptist Chapel . A simple Gothic church dedicated to St Michael was built in 1851 at a cost of £1,000 .

Brecon culture & places

Brecon hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1889. Brecon was the first Welsh town to host the event. The event was held in Brecon, Wales, in 1889.

You can visit Brecon places with Walkfo Brecon to hear history at Brecon’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Brecon has 29 places to visit in our interactive Brecon map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Brecon, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Brecon places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Brecon & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 29 audio facts unique to Brecon places in an interactive Brecon map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Brecon Places Map
29 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Brecon historic spots	Brecon tourist destinations	Brecon plaques	Brecon geographic features
Walkfo Brecon tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Brecon

  

Best Brecon places to visit

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Brecon has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Brecon’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Brecon’s information audio spots:

Theatr Brycheiniog Theatr Brycheiniog is a modern theatre, arts and community venue in Brecon, the old county town of Brecknockshire and now part of south Powys in Mid Wales, UK .

Pen-y-crug Pen-y-crug is a hill in the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys, south Wales. It is commonly referred to locally as simply ‘The Crug’ (pronounced cree-g) The Welsh name signifies ‘top of the mound’

Penoyre House Penoyre House, Battle, Powys, Wales was built between 1846-8. Designed by Anthony Salvin for Colonel John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins. The enormous cost of the house almost bankrupted the family and it was sold only 3 years after Colonel Watkins’s death.

Newton House (Brecon, Powys) Newton house near Brecon in Powys is an important Grade I listed 16th Century house. The current house was likely finished in 1582 as the seat of the Games (Gam) family of Breconshire. The house was in a state of neglect by 1851, and was severally rented out from 1880 to 2000.

Visit Brecon plaques