Brecon

Mention Brecon and you can’t help thinking of the Brecon Beacons. The Beacons, after all, dominate the surroundings and skyline. But don’t get too carried away by the sight of them, for the town merits as much exploration as those enticing razor-sharp summits.

 

At the meeting of the rivers Usk and Honddu, Brecon has long been one of Powys’s most important communities. As a military, religious, industrial and agricultural centre it’s always punched above its weight, most recently as a popular base for visiting the Brecon Beacons National Park.

 

But Brecon is also a destination in its own right, where a weighty heritage sits alongside an abundance of present-day charm. Explore the network of town-centre streets and you’ll find open spaces and narrow thoroughfares blessed with an unusual number of well-preserved Georgian houses – plus buildings dating back even further in Brecon’s history. Many are now home to shops, galleries and cafés that contribute to the town’s character, a fusion of arty cool and muddy-boot country.

 

Time travel

To get a feel for Brecon’s effortless blend of past and present, Y Gaer is probably the best place to start. This striking cultural centre, named after a nearby Roman fort, is an amalgam of the historic Shire Hall (home to the Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery), with a new library, community hub and café.

 

A talisman for the entire town, it’s a stylish combination of old and new, the Shire Hall’s classical, colonnaded façade meshing with a bold contemporary design of glass and steel, surrounded by garden spaces carefully crafted to reflect the landscapes of Mid Wales.

 

Inside you’ll find displays of archaeological finds dating back to Roman times, historic artefacts telling the story of Welsh life through the ages and a richly varied collection of classical and contemporary art. It’s a centuries-spanning attraction that perfectly showcases modern Brecon’s unique atmosphere and appeal.

 

Galleries and groceries

The arty vibe continues on Brecon’s streets, lined with shops selling arts, crafts and unique Welsh gifts. There’s also a good selection of galleries – like Found, for example, a refreshingly diverse contemporary space displaying art, ceramics, photography and changing exhibitions.

 

There’s also Ardent, which houses three floors of works by local and international artists in the oldest surviving building on Brecon’s High Street, and Gate Gallery and Glassworks, where you can browse unique glass creations inspired by the natural shapes and textures of the flowing landscapes surrounding Brecon.

 

The lively shopping scene offers plenty to keep browsers busy. Along with department stores like Nicholls selling everything from homewares and luxury textiles to designer waterproofs and wellington boots, you’ll find a choice of independent outlets and outdoor gear shops.

 

Brecon’s traditional covered market is a big draw. With a rotating programme of farmers’ markets, crafts fairs and flea markets (as well as a selection of permanent stalls selling staples like meat, fish, fruit and veg) it’s a central part of the community where socialising is almost as important as shopping.

 

Music in mind

Brecon has always moved to its own beat. The world-famous Brecon Jazz Festival has been held here in some form since the 1980s, attracting music lovers and performers from across the globe. While the festival has often grabbed the headlines, it’s just part of a musical thread woven through Brecon’s daily life.

 

Venues like The Muse, a Congregationalist chapel turned community hub and art space, stage regular concerts hosted by Brecon Jazz Club and the Mid Wales Rhythm & Blues Club. If that isn’t to your taste, there are classical performances at the cathedral and an annual festival of Baroque music.

 

You’ll find more music at the town’s showpiece venue, Theatr Brycheiniog, plus a year-round programme of plays, comedy and spoken word performances. The theatre (also a gallery and community art space) is located next at the pretty, flower-decked Canal Basin, the western extreme of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Once a busy industrial hub packed by barges laden with coal and lime, it’s now a popular starting place for pleasure cruises and waterside strolls.

 

Out and about

There’s more watery walking at The Promenade, a lovely riverside path that tracks the banks of the Usk west from its confluence with the Honddu. It’s a short, peaceful stroll with plenty of opportunities to spot the wildlife that thrives in the Usk Valley. And if messing about in boats is your thing, you can hire one from the boathouse at The Promenade’s end to get even closer to the river.

 

On the opposite bank from the boathouse you’ll catch a glimpse of Brecon Golf Club. This nine-hole course is less than a mile from the centre of town – ideal for those who prefer to do their walking with a club in their hand.

 

Going back

For an in-depth look into Brecon’s heritage, head up Priory Hill to see the impressive Brecon Cathedral. Beginning life as a Benedictine Priory in 1093, it’s been through a lot of changes in its nearly millennia-long history, surviving the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537 to eventually receive cathedral status in 1923. As a place of worship and a venue for concerts and recitals, it’s a historic site that remains very much alive in the 21st century.

 

Thanks to its 14th-century Havard Chapel, the Regimental Chapel of the Royal Welsh, the cathedral also links to another of Brecon’s historic attractions – the Royal Welsh Museum at the opposite end of town on The Watton. Commemorating over 400 years of Brecon’s military heritage, the museum is packed with fascinating artefacts from campaigns across the world, most notably the Anglo-Zulu War Collection and the Victoria Crosses awarded at Rorke’s Drift, an event that became the subject of the famous 1964 move Zulu.