Welshpool

From Free net encyclopedia

For other uses, see Welshpool (disambiguation).

Welshpool (Welsh: Y Trallwng) is a town in eastern-mid Wales, only 4 miles (6 km) from the border with England. It has a population of 6,269 (2001 census).

Welshpool is a low-lying town upon the River Severn. The Welsh name Y Trallwng literally means 'the marshy or sinking land'. In English it was initially known as Poole but changed to Welshpool to distinguish it from Poole in Dorset.

Welshpool contains much Georgian architecture. Just south of the town is Powis Castle.

Welshpool served briefly as the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn after it's prince was forced to flee the traditional royal site at Mathrafal in 1212. After 1284 Powys Wenwynwyn ceased to exist.

Welshpool is served by the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Cambrian Line of Arriva Trains Wales. The town is also the starting point of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, a narrow-gauge heritage railway popular with tourists. The semi-disused Montgomery Canal also runs through Welshpool. To the south of the town is the Mid-Wales Airport.

Its local football club is Welshpool Town F.C..

Welshpool's Town Hall clock face is illuminated in green on some faces and nobody knows why.

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Miscellaneous

Hedgehog crisps were credited as being invented in Welshpool.

Indeed they were by Mr Lewis who ran The Vaults pub at the time which is now the Dillons newsagents. He went on to market the product nationally and set up a factory in the town becoming a billionaire. It was sold to the groups controlling Benson crisps. Mr Lewis later lost his fortune and became the French teacher in the local high school before retiring to France.

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