New Radnor was historically a market town, a borough and a county town. The town’s history stretches from remnants of medieval fortifications to buildings from later centuries. Anyone interested in the history of the place can view these different traces as several chapters of a shared local history.
Medieval Town and Fortifications
The Scheduled Monument New Radnor Medieval Town: South West Quadrant includes well-preserved remains of the medieval town. Another monument, Town Bank and Ditch, includes six scheduled sections. The best-preserved sections are on the west, south and east sides of New Radnor. In these sections, the town wall is about 2.7 metres high; the ditch lies approximately 0.7 metres below the current ground surface. These measurements give a tangible sense of the scale of the surviving fortifications.
New Radnor Castle adds another type of fortification to this picture: its motte was carved out of a natural ridge. Little of the castle itself remains, but its site is among the most significant surviving remains of the fortifications on the edge of town. The bank and ditch on the one hand, and the mound carved from the ridge on the other, offer different insights into the town’s history of fortification.
Church, Houses and Historical Context
The present-day Church of St Mary was built between 1843 and 1845. It stands at the end of a lane on the north side of New Radnor, terraced into a steep slope below the castle earthworks. Its construction dates to a different period from the medieval town and castle remains.
Historic residential and farm buildings also contribute to the character of the town. Swan House is a Grade II listed building dating back to the 15th century. Its surviving remains belong to a fine late-medieval cruck-framed house. Brookside Farm has origins in the 16th or 17th century. Numbers 1 and 2 on High Street were formerly part of the Cross Inn, which was built in the 17th century.
An event from the 12th century also places New Radnor within a broader history. In March 1188, the town was the first stop for a group of Christian leaders on their journey through Wales, where they sought to recruit men for the Third Crusade. The group included Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Radnor Forest and Routes in the Surrounding Area
For general orientation, New Radnor lies on the A44 between Worcester and Aberystwyth. Warren Wood is in the immediate vicinity of the town. In the wider regional area, Radnor Forest encompasses grazing land on the slopes, extensive moorland, steep narrow valleys and hills. The landscape extends to Black Mixen, at 650 metres the highest point in Radnorshire. The waterfall Water-Break-its-Neck is also part of this wider regional setting and has attracted tourists for more than 200 years.
Several route connections are noted for planning outings. The cycling route The Whimble Loop follows the B4372 to New Radnor and passes through Mutton Dingle at the entrance to the town. Check the current route before setting out, as route conditions may change. A circular walk around Radnor Forest can start in New Radnor; many paths and walks in Radnor Forest start in Mutton Dingle or elsewhere.
When choosing the focus of your trip, you can distinguish between two scales: New Radnor’s town and architectural history is found in the town itself, while the moorland, valleys and waterfall belong to the wider region. This can help you decide whether the historical traces or the landscape of Radnor Forest will shape your plans.
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For the main travel overview: Powys.
