Abergavenny Museum has new archaeology displays for you to come and see, thanks to a grant award from Art Fund Treasures Plus/The Headley Trust and Abergavenny Local History Society. We have worked with a group of volunteers who chose the objects to include, helped write text panels and installed the exhibition. There are four main […]
Focus Magazines
The local magazines for Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Brecon & Talgarth – Events, News and Advertising
Category Archives: Local History
A History Project – Forgotten Abergavenny
Sassy Hicks is the administrator of a town Community Project called Forgotten Abergavenny. Here she explains the origins and purposes of the project that has attracted over 4,000 followers in 90 countries. Forgotten Abergavenny was started because a small team from Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences were working in the town on a community […]
After the Conquest
Bronze-Age Britons, Iron-Age tribes and Romans all left their mark but it was under the Normans that the story of our market town began.Helen Morgan from Abergavenny Local History Society reports The Christmas Day Massacre is Abergavenny castle’s badge of shame. In 1175, William de Braose, the Norman lord invited his long-standing Welsh rival Seisyll […]
The Crickhowell Sensation 1912-13
In 1912-13 a scandal involving a well-known local character rocked the area of Crickhowell and Abergavenny. Irvine Rowland Blennerhassett, clerk to the Rural District Council and the ‘Spike’ workhouse in Llangattock, was discovered to have been embezzling public money. He was born in London into a doctor’s family in 1863. He moved to Wales from […]
The Changing Face of Brecon
Brecon, as a town, developed below the Castle which was built in AD1093. The flat land across the Honddu was a good site for traders, artisans and other shopkeepers to set up in business providing services to the household at the Castle. As the town was established more and more people moved in. The range […]
Did you know..? A glance into our past
St Catwg’s in Llangattock was founded in the 6th century. It is considered one of the oldest churches in Britain, although it has been largely rebuilt over the years. Its relatively recent additions include a 14th century nave, 16th century tower and two incredibly old yew trees. On the approach to Corn Du in the […]
100 Years of Jam & Jollity
The Women’s Institute’s first role was to increase food production for a war-torn nation but it soon found its voice on substantial issues. Helen Morgan from Abergavenny Local History Society reports When the first WI meeting in the UK was held in Llanfairpwll on Anglesey, on 16 September 1915, the aim was to revitalise this […]
‘End of an Era – Abergavenny Livestock Market’
We featured the work of photographer, Robert Hughes back in April 2013’s Focus. His documentary photography depicting the everyday life of Abergavenny’s Livestock Market has been collected into a book. Here, Robert tells us about it in his own words. “It all started in September 2010 when I decided to visit the local livestock market […]
St Mary the Virgin Brecon
St Mary’s Church, Brecon, has occupied the same site in the centre of the town for over 900 years, although it is uncertain of the date of consecration. Originally built as a chapel of ease to the Priory (now Brecon Cathedral), the Norman pillar and grant from the Town Council in the 12th century for […]
A Great Day Out For Fun & Education at Abergavenny Museum & Castle
If you want a great family day out this summer which provides some education at the same time, then Abergavenny Museum and Castle is the place to go. There is a packed programme of events that will appeal to every member of the family. Best of all, entrance into the museum is free, so a […]
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