On this page we would like to show you a selection of recent and also historical photographs of the Painscastle and Rhosgoch area and/or its community taken by local residents. We also want to show you some of the delights that can be found nearby if you choose to spend some more time here. In the future we may develop this section further to include more extensive albums and archives and possibly even a friendly competition. If you wish to submit digital images for inclusion in the Gallery please contact us for further details.
Guest Gallery
Stuart Nielsen of Rhulen has kindly supplied some of his images for us to display on this site. As well as taking striking photographs that illustrate some of his favourite things in this area, such as the characterful shops of Hay-on-Wye and the hill ponies to be found in the uplands around Painscastle and Rhosgoch, Stuart can provide a range of photographic services. For more information see his web site.
Many thanks also to the late Michael King for contributing this lovely panorama shot taken in the Bryngwyn area. Please do contact us if you would like to share more work like this.
Bryngwn panorama from Michael King on Vimeo.
A taste of Victorian life
Hondon
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New House Farm
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Many thanks to local resident Cherry Williams for finding and supplying the two old photographs above and for researching the people shown in them. It is thought that both photographs date from the last two decades of the 19th century. At that time Hondon was occupied by Elizabeth & Thomas Williams and family. By 1901 it was occupied by their son Enoch. It is said that Hondon is “seriously old”, possibly going back as far as the 12th century.
New House Farm was occupied by a Sarah & James Evans and family and these were the only occupants from 1881 through to 1911, by which time Sarah was a widow with only two of her eleven children surviving. However, Cherry has also established that the young woman riding side saddle was Miss Margaret Lloyd, Llanshiver, born in 1887 and a half sister for the Llanshiver Lloyds. It was Margaret Lloyd's daughter, the late Mrs Myra Grigg nee Williams, who grew up at The Pant, Bryngwyn, who originally supplied the photographs.
Both houses are still in existence today.
New House Farm was occupied by a Sarah & James Evans and family and these were the only occupants from 1881 through to 1911, by which time Sarah was a widow with only two of her eleven children surviving. However, Cherry has also established that the young woman riding side saddle was Miss Margaret Lloyd, Llanshiver, born in 1887 and a half sister for the Llanshiver Lloyds. It was Margaret Lloyd's daughter, the late Mrs Myra Grigg nee Williams, who grew up at The Pant, Bryngwyn, who originally supplied the photographs.
Both houses are still in existence today.
Miscellaneous Historical Images
Then and Now
The photograph of Painscastle below was recently passed to the editorial team and was originally published in the July 1907 edition of an illustrated magazine called "The Treasury". The article was about the infamous local hermit-priest known as the "Solitary". The photograph on the right shows that relatively few changes have been made to the buildings since then, although the main cottage on the right known as the "Old Shop" is now a private home.
Painscastle 1907
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Painscastle 2017
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Greetings from Rhosgoch
Richard Baylis, formerly of Rhosgoch Holiday Park, has very kindly sent in some old postcards that he found amongst his family papers. He can't be sure when these were printed, but he can confirm that the first few images show some views of the Park. It is thought by some readers that they might date from the 1950s and that the last three images show views from the former New House Farm, which subsequently became Rhosgoch Golf Club.
We would love to see more old images of the area, so please check your cupboards and let us know if you find anything.