Editing Rhayader (section)

== History ==
[[File:Rhayader Hoard.jpg|thumbnail|left|upright=0.85|The Rhayader Hoard of [[Romano-British]] jewellery in the British Museum]]
Rhayader has long been a natural stopping point for travellers – the Romans had a stop-over camp in the [[Elan Valley]], [[monk]]s travelled between the [[abbey]]s of [[Strata Florida]] and [[Abbeycwmhir]] and [[Droving|drovers]] headed to the lucrative markets with their livestock.<ref name="rhayader.co.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.rhayader.co.uk/index.php/rhayader/aboutdetail/more_about_rhayader/ |title=About |publisher=Rhayader |access-date=24 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619001309/http://www.rhayader.co.uk/index.php/rhayader/aboutdetail/more_about_rhayader |archive-date=19 June 2013}}</ref> It was not until the 12th century that a documented history of the town began with the building of [[Rhayader Castle]] in 1177. Little remains today, with the exception of a dry [[moat]] that can be seen from Wauncapel Park.<ref name="rhayader.co.uk"/>

One of the oldest buildings in Rhayader is the [[Old Swan, Rhayader|Old Swan]], which stands on the corner of West and South Streets Rhayader. The original building was mentioned in 1676 as being one of the two inns in Rhayader at that date. Some changes were made in 1683, including the rebuilding of the three chimney stacks, and this date is carved into the old timbers inside the building.

In the 19th century, [[Turnpike trust|turnpike]] roads were only passable on payment of extortionate [[Toll road|tolls]], imposing additional burdens on already poor communities. This led to the [[Rebecca Riots]] across South and Mid Wales from 1839 to 1842, with no fewer than six of Rhayader's [[tollgate]]s being demolished with impunity by local farmers dressed as women. The actions of these "Rebeccaites" led to a Commission of Inquiry being set up, and most of Rebecca's grievances were righted two years later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://history.powys.org.uk/school1/rhayader/origins.shtml|title=Victorian Rhayader: The Rebecca Riots: 1|website=history.powys.org.uk |access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref>

In the 1890s the rapidly expanding city of [[Birmingham]], {{convert|80|mi|km|abbr=off|-1}} east, viewed the nearby Elan Valley as the ideal source of clean, safe water. This was to change the face of Rhayader forever, bringing thousands of workers involved in building this massive complex of [[dam]]s and [[reservoir]]s to the area. A new [[railway]] was built connecting this huge area with the main network in Rhayader, and the construction of a new village to house the workers was built on the banks of the River Elan. Work started in 1894 and the scheme was officially opened in 1904 by [[King Edward VII]] and [[Queen Alexandra]].<ref name="rhayader.co.uk"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://history.powys.org.uk/school1/rhayader/elanmenu.shtml|title=Victorian Rhayader - Elan Valley dams menu|website=history.powys.org.uk |access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref>

The area around the town has several [[cairn]]s and [[standing stones]] dating from several thousand years BCE. An important hoard of gold jewellery dating from the 1st–2nd centuries AD was found nearby in 1899. Known as the Rhayader Hoard, it is now in the [[Romano-British]] collection of the [[British Museum]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-13641567|title=Ancient gold jewellery returns to Rhayader Museum|work=BBC News |date=3 June 2011}}</ref><ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1900-1122-3 bracelet Museum number 1900,1122.3] ''www.britishmuseum.org'', accessed 9 July 2021</ref>