15/07/2025
History of Machynlleth, our local town
On 15th July 1874, the foundation stone was laid for the clock tower at Machynlleth, built to mark the coming of age of Viscount Castlereagh, the eldest son of the 5th Marquess of Londonderry of Plas Machynlleth.
A history of Machynlleth;
* Radiocarbon dating shows that copper mining was taking place in the Early Bronze Age (c. 2,750 years ago), within a mile of the town centre.
* The Romans settled in the area; they built a small fort at Pennal (Cefn Caer) four miles west of Machynlleth, and are reputed to have had two look-out posts above the town at Bryn-y-Gog and Wylfa.
* One of the earliest written references to Machynlleth is the Royal charter granted in 1291 by Edward I to Owen de la Pole, Lord of Powys. The charter awarded him the right to hold a market at Machynlleth " every Wednesday for ever and two fairs every year". The market on Wednesday is still a busy and popular day in Machynlleth 700 years later.
* Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404 and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales".
* According to local tradition, Dafydd Gam, a Welsh ally of the English, was imprisoned in Royal House from 1404 to 1412 for attempting to assassinate Owain Glyndwr.
* The weekly market and biannual fair thrived, so much so that there were complaints from other towns whose cloth trade was being adversely affected. A document dated 1632 shows that animals for sale came from all counties of mid Wales and prospective buyers came from Flintshire, Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
* The Dyfi Bridge was first mentioned in 1533, but by 1601 ‘Dyfi Bridge in the Hundred of Mochunleth’ was deemed to be too narrow for the amount of traffic passing through and the current bridge was built in 1805. Fenton describes it in 1809 as "A noble er****on of five large arches. The piers are narrow and over each cut-water is a pilaster, a common feature of the 18th century".
* The Royal House has derived from the belief that Charles I stayed at the house in 1643.
* On 29 November 1644, a Civil War battle took place near Dyfi Bridge between Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army and the Royalists. A great many were killed and the nearby manor house Mathafarn as well as many houses in Machynlleth occupied by Royalists were burned down.
* Machynlleth hosted the national Eisteddfod in 1937 and 1981.
* Machynlleth applied for city status in 2000 and 2002 but was unsuccessful.