Trecastle, Powys
By Agincourt Wales
The home of Watkin Lloyd, captain of the Welsh archers at Agincourt, Trecastle is a small village with a big history.
Situated between Brecon and Llandovery, it takes its name from the castle built here in the early 11th century. This simple Norman motte-and-bailey structure saw plenty of action – English King Edward I even spent time here in efforts to suppress a revolt. The castle remains can still been seen and are the biggest and best-preserved of their kind in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
More recently, Trecastle was an important stopping post for stagecoaches along what would eventually become the A40. Travellers would rest in the local inn while their horses were fed and watered. At its 19th-century peak, Trecastle was a thriving village that boasted a grain mill, two schools, a gasworks, two smithies, more than a dozen shops and many public houses. It was also a major centre for the woollen trade. Between the 1830 and 1914, the wool mills at Trecastle and nearby Llywel were the most productive and important in the area. Until the introduction of the railway at Sennybridge, Trecastle was the region’s main trading centre.
As one of the villages that supplied men to the ranks of the Welsh archers 600 years ago, Trecastle will be doing its bit to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt. visit www.trecastle.org.uk for more information on the village.
Image is of Trecastle, Powys, taken from Wikipedia, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license, author John Evans
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