Powys is a county and preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham to the north; the English ceremonial counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire to the east; Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Neath Port Talbot to the south; and Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion to the west. The largest settlement is Newtown, and the administrative centre is Llandrindod Wells.
Until 1974, Brecknockshire, also formerly known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon, was an administrative county in the south of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. Named after its county town of Brecon, the county was mountainous and primarily rural.
Until 1974, Montgomeryshire was an administrative county in mid Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. It was named after its county town, Montgomery, which in turn was named after one of William the Conqueror's main counsellors, Roger de Montgomerie, who was the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.
Knighton is a market town and community on the River Teme, straddling the border between Powys, Wales and Shropshire, England. It lies in the traditional county of Radnorshire. Originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement, Knighton is located on Offa's Dyke, the ancient earthwork that divided the two countries. It later became a Norman defensive border town.
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is 20 miles (32 km) from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is located at the junction of the A470 road and the A44 road 13 miles (21 km) north of Builth Wells and 30 miles (48 km) east of Aberystwyth.
Builth Wells is a market town and community in the county of Powys and historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, lying at the confluence of rivers Wye and Irfon, in the Welsh part of the Wye Valley. In 2011 it had a population of 2,568.
North Wales is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in the north-east and northern coastal areas, with significant Welsh-speaking populations in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.
Talybont-on-Usk is a village and community in Powys, Wales, in the historic county of Brecknockshire. It lies on both the Caerfanell river and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the River Usk. In 2001, it had a population of 743, reducing to 719 at the 2011 census. The community includes the settlements of Llansantffraed, Scethrog, Aber Village, and Pencelli.
Cefnllys Castle was a medieval spur castle in Radnorshire, Wales. Two successive masonry castles were built on a ridge above the River Ithon known as Castle Bank in the thirteenth century, replacing a wooden motte-and-bailey castle constructed by the Normans nearby. Controlling several communication routes into the highlands of Mid Wales, the castles were strategically important within the Welsh Marches during the High Middle Ages. As the seat of the fiercely contested lordship and cantref of Maelienydd, Cefnllys became a source of friction between Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and Roger Mortimer in the prelude to Edward I's conquest of Wales (1277–1283). Cefnllys was also the site of a borough and medieval town.
Churchstoke or Church Stoke is a village, community and electoral ward in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. Located in the southeast of the Vale of Montgomery, it is overlooked by Todleth Hill, Roundton Hill and Corndon Hill. The rivers Caebitra and Camlad have their confluence just outside the village. The nearest town is Montgomery. In the 2011 census the village had a population of 708.
Dinas Powys is a small town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its name means "fort of the provincial place" and refers to the Iron Age hillfort which overlooks the village. Dinas Powys is 5.6 miles (9.0 km) south-west of the centre of Cardiff and is situated on the A4055 road from Cardiff to Barry, making it a popular dormitory village for city commuters. It neighbours the larger town of Penarth.
Llanfyllin is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. The town population in 2021 was 1,586 and the town's name means church or parish (llan) of St Myllin. The community includes the settlements of Bodfach, Ty Crwyn, Abernaint and several farms.
Knucklas is a village in Powys, Wales, previously Radnorshire. It lies in the upper valley of the River Teme, just off the B4355 road and is served by Knucklas railway station on the Heart of Wales Line. It is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) from the market town of Knighton.
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren was a region of medieval Wales, located in the Welsh Marches between Powys to the north and Brycheiniog to the south. It was bounded by the rivers Wye and Severn. It covered about the same territory as Radnorshire, now part of the county of Powys. The region first came into its own in the 9th or 10th centuries, when it was ruled by leaders who operated independently of the surrounding kingdoms. After the Norman invasion, it comprised the central part of the Welsh Marches and was the site of frequent struggles between Welsh and Norman forces.
Glasbury, also known as Glasbury-on-Wye, is a village and community in Powys, Wales. The village lies at an important crossing point on the River Wye, connecting the historic counties of Brecknockshire and Radnorshire, and is located just outside the Brecon Beacons National Park, north of the Black Mountains. The village is split between the communities of Glasbury and Gwernyfed. The nearest town is Hay-on-Wye, some 4 miles (6 km) to the north east. The nearest city is Hereford in England, some 25 miles (40 km) to the east. Glasbury is a popular location for river fishing, canoeing and kayaking. The population of Glasbury community in Radnorshire was 994, in 1841 it was 838.
Crossgates is a village in Powys, mid Wales, in the historic county of Radnorshire. It is the main settlement of the community of Llanbadarn Fawr, which had a population of 701 in 2011. Crossgates is located three miles northeast of Llandrindod Wells and eight miles southeast of Rhayader, at the point where the A483 and A44 roads intersect. It is notable as the site of a busy service station, and for lending its name to Crossgates Coaches. The population in 2011 was 327 with 47% born in Wales and 48% in England.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Wales:
Gwaunceste Hill is a 542-metre-high hill in the county of Powys in east Wales. It falls within the communities of Gladestry and Glascwm around 4 km east of the village of Hundred House and about 2 km north of the hamlet of Glascwm. The headwaters of the River Arrow gather on the eastern slopes of the hill. Drainage of its western slopes is into the River Edw, a tributary of the River Wye. Two subsidiary tops to the southeast and southwest are both known as ‘Little Hill’.
Disserth and Trecoed is an electoral ward and community in central Powys, Wales. It has a population of 1,239 according to the 2011 UK census.
Cefnllys is an abandoned ghost village, formerly a medieval castle town and borough, near Llandrindod Wells in Radnorshire, Wales. The settlement was founded during the 13th century by the Mortimer family in order to strengthen their hold on land in the vicinity of the Cefnllys Castle, with which the town was closely associated. The town was probably intended to become the primary settlement of the lordship and cantref of Maelienydd, but was unsuccessful and declined during the 14th century as a result of bubonic plague outbreaks, economic isolation and military insecurity. Despite this, Cefnllys retained its borough status until the 19th century.
