1. Location

2. The town

3. Governance

4. Tourism

5. Notable buildings
    Market Hall 

6. Schools

7. Notable people

8. Surrounding villages

9. References

10. External links

Crickhowell ({{IPAc-en|k|r|ɪ|k|ˈ|h|aʊ|əl}}; {{lang-cy|Crug Hywel}} {{IPA-cy|krɨɡˈhəu̯ɛl|pron}}, also spelled {{lang|cy|Crughywel}}, or {{lang|cy|Crucywel}}) is a small town and community in southeastern Powys, Wales between Abergavenny and Brecon. It is in the historic county of Brecknockshire.

Location

The name Crickhowell is taken from that of the nearby Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel^[2] above the town, the Welsh language name being anglicised by map-makers and local English-speaking people. The town lies on the River Usk, on the southern edge of the Black Mountains and in the eastern part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Significant parts of the surrounding countryside, over {{convert|20000|acre|km2}} form part of the Glanusk Park estate.

The town

Many public services in Crickhowell are provided by Powys County Council and to a lesser extent by Crickhowell Town Council. Planning matters fall to the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. There are two schools – primary and secondary – which act as a central point for a large catchment area. There is some light industry on the outskirts of Crickhowell at the Elvicta Industrial Estate. The town centre^[3] includes a variety of traditional businesses, many of which are family owned. Other facilities in Crickhowell include a library, two play areas, public toilets and the CRiC building, which houses a tourist information centre, an internet cafe, an art gallery and a local history archive. There are a number of pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels, such as "The Bear" hotel and "The Dragon".

There are also several churches in Crickhowell including St Edmund's Church which holds a service every Sunday, a Baptist church, an evangelical church^[4] and a Catholic church.

Crickhowell & Penmyarth Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1897 and played on a course at Glanusk Park. The club and course disappeared in the late 1960s.^[5]

In 2015, Crickhowell appeared in a TV documentary, claiming it as the first British settlement to purposely use similar tax avoidance tactics used by multinational businesses to avoid paying taxes themselves, in protest at the way large corporations use legal loopholes to avoid paying UK corporation tax.^[6]

A market and fair have been recorded since 1281.^[7]

Governance

An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward includes The Vale of Grwyney community and has a total population of 2,801 as taken at the 2011 census.^[8]

Tourism

Today, Crickhowell is a popular tourist destination. In 2005 a Tourist Information centre was built in the centre of town and during summer the town is notably busier. Most people visit Crickhowell to see the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons, and maybe enjoy some mountain-biking, camping, hillwalking, rock climbing, fly-fishing, hang-gliding, caravanning or simply tour the area by car staying at Bed-and-breakfasts. The Green Man Festival takes place annually in mid-August at nearby Glanusk Park.

Notable buildings

Notable features in Crickhowell include the seventeenth-century stone bridge over the River Usk with its odd arches (twelve on one side, thirteen on the other) and its seat built into the walls, the 14th-century parish church of St Edmund, and the ruins of Crickhowell Castle on the green "tump" beside the A40 Brecon to Abergavenny road.

Market Hall

Crickhowell's Market Hall (originally the Town Hall) on The Square dates from 1834, nowadays with market stalls on the ground floor and a cafe in the first floor old courtroom. In 2007 Powys County Council handed over responsibility of the hall to a charity, the Market Hall Trust.^[9] The stone building, raised on twin doric columns, is Grade II* listed.^[10]The market hall has been changed over The years, the addition and removal of decroative glass frontage also the notable addition of a lift for disabled access to the courtroom chambers above.

Schools

Crickhowell High School is the town's secondary school with approximately 700 pupils. In 2000, it was ranked 77th in Wales in terms of its GCSE results (based on 5 GCSEs, grades A–C) but in 2014 was the best performing secondary school in Powys (2014 GCSE results). {{cn|date=May 2013}}

Notable people

George Everest, the namesake of Mount Everest, may have been born near Crickhowell. His father had an estate there called "Gwernvale Manor".^[11] This is now a hotel, known simply as 'The Manor'^[12]). There is also a street in Crickhowell named after him (Everest Drive). The current Lord and Lady of the Manor of Gwernvale are Stephen and Ruth Berrow who still reside in the town of Crickhowell.{{cn|date=April 2018}}

The Glanusk Park estate was the childhood home of the former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke, who still lives near the town as proprietor of Tŷ'r Chanter bed and breakfast lodgings.

Surrounding villages

• Cwmdu^[14]
• Glangrwyney^[15]
• Llanbedr^[16][17]
• Llangattock^[18][19]
• Llangenny^[20]
• Llangynidr^[21][22]
• Tretower^[23] which is home to a 12th Century castle and a medieval Manor House, which is still in very good condition.

Also nearby is Cwrt y Gollen, a British Army training base.

References

External links

• Crickhowell visitor website
• David John Addis BBC feature on Crickhowell castle
• [https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3836184 Photos of Crickhowell and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk]

• State Road 610
• State Road 611
• State Road 612
• State Road 613
• State Road 615 (New Mexico)
• State Road 616
• State Road 631
• State Road 638
• State Road 641 (Indiana)
• State Road 647
• State Road 649
• State Road 650
• State Road 662
• State Road 666
• State Road 674
• State Road 674 (Florida)
• State Road 676 (Florida)
• State Road 683 (Florida)
• State Road 68 (New Mexico)
• State Road 690
• State Road 695
• State Road 69 (Florida)
• State Road 6 (Indiana)
• State Road 6 (New Mexico)
• State Road 6 (Washington)