Brecon, Market town in Powys, Wales
Brecon is a market town in Powys, Wales, located where the River Usk and River Honddu meet. The surrounding hills of Brecon Beacons National Park frame the town, and a traditional Market Hall on Market Street continues to serve as the center for regular buying and selling.
The town was founded during the late Norman period when Bernard de Neufmarche built a defensive castle in the late 11th century. This early fortress made it a strategic stronghold that shaped the settlement's growth for centuries to come.
The town's name comes from the Welsh word relating to the surrounding hills and mountains that dominate the landscape. Walking through the streets today, you feel this connection to the peaks in every direction, shaping how the place looks and how people have always lived here.
Visit on market days—Tuesday and Friday—when the hall is full of activity and vendors fill the streets. Wear comfortable shoes as the town sits on hilly ground with several steep lanes and uneven walking paths throughout.
The Cathedral holds one of Britain's largest cresset stones with 30 carved cups that once provided light in ancient times. This unusual artifact shows how people lit their spaces long before modern lighting existed.
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