THE beauty of the Elan Valley is undeniable. And yet, despite its picturesque imagery and breathtaking walks, the shimmering waters of its reservoirs hide a murky and controversial history that lies beneath the surface.
However, the scorching temperatures of 2022 meant that much of that history resurfaced this summer.
Already hugely popular with tourists, even more have been flocking to the Elan Valley during the searing heat this summer to get a glimpse of the ruins of a house dating back nearly 450 years.
The lost mansion of Nantgwyllt House has been viewable only because of the record-setting Powys heat that led to a dramatic lowering of the water levels in the dams of the Elan Valley – including the lowest one, Caban Coch.
When the Caban Coch water levels drop low enough during prolonged dry spells the garden walls of Nantgwyllt are exposed, along with a couple of stone bridges and many other remnants of Nantgwyllt and several other buildings lost forever so that residents of a booming city across the border could have fresh water.
DROWNING OF A VALLEY
Everything was demolished when the controversial work on the reservoirs began in order to provide the rapidly growing city of Birmingham – which was expanding exponentially due to the surge of the Industrial Revolution – with drinking water.
The UK Government passed the Birmingham Corporation Water Act in 1892, allowing Birmingham City Council to effect a compulsory purchase of the total water catchment area of the Elan and Claerwen valleys (approximately 180 square kilometres). The Act also gave Birmingham the powers to force more than 100 people living in the valley from their homes – none of them were compensated; only the richer landowners.
The following year the surveyors moved in and the Elan and Claerwen valleys were deemed to be geographically and geologically ideal. There were protests in parliament but there was little a handful of Welsh farmers could do to dissuade Westminster.
The Elan valley would be transformed almost overnight. A branch line, the Elan Valley Railway, boasting 33 miles of track, was built into the valley from Rhayader to carry workers and goods. Its track bed is now a popular cycle route and footpath transporting visitors around the area.
A temporary village was erected to house the 50,000 or so workers and their families that worked on the huge project over the 11 years it took to complete. It still exists today as Elan Village. Although comprised of wooden huts and having the feel of a frontier town, it boasted many mod cons – including electricity, flushing toilets, a hospital, a pub, street lighting, a library, police station and fire station.
All the valley’s previous buildings were demolished, which included three manor houses. Two of them – Cwm Elan and Nantgwyllt – had links with the English Romantic poet Percy Shelley; Shelley stayed with his uncle Thomas Grove, who purchased Cwm Elan in 1792, on several occasions and was said to have fallen in love with the rugged local landscape.
Other buildings to be lost forever were 18 farms, a school and a church, which was replaced with Nantgwyllt Church.
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra opened the Elan dams on July 21, 1904, and water started flowing along the 70 miles of pipeline to Birmingham.
Work on the Claerwen dam was delayed due to the outbreak of World War I and II. The dam was completed in 1952 and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in the October.
There was a lot of anger locally and the gentry that had been compensated for their losses decided to make a tactful retreat from the area soon afterwards.
TIES TO NANTGWYLLT HOUSE
Much of the valley now covered by five huge reservoirs belonged in 1892 to the manor of Nantgwyllt, owned by wealthy landowner Robert Lewis-Lloyd.
One young man who has been particularly keen to discover the secrets of Nantgwyllt is the youngest descendent of the Lewis-Lloyd family who once owned it.
Arthur Jones is the son of Tom Jones, both of Hafod Hardware Christmas advert fame. Nantgwyllt once belonged to Arthur’s great, great, great, great, great grandmother and was first built by the Howell family in 1579.
“I can trace my family back to the Lewis-Lloyd family who lived at Nantgwyllt from the 1700’s,” said Tom, who posted some stunning shots of the house’s ruins on Facebook following a trip with young Arthur recently.
“The ruins are really what’s only left of the garden walls. I believe the house itself was dismantled before the flooding.
“The ruins do come into view more often than people think. They were visible only a couple years ago. But I thought the opportunity to take my son up there and tell him about the history of our family was too good an opportunity to miss.
“The fact the walls are still standing and in great condition shows the quality of workmanship all those years ago.”
Nantgwyllt House is believed to have been built after the land was originally purchased by the Howell’s in 1579. Howell Powell acquired Nantgwyllt in 1624. Thomas Lewis married Howell’s daughter Elizabeth.
Nantgwyllt served as accommodation for some of the senior engineers during the construction of the dams and was still standing in 1903. Sadly, the mansion was demolished sometime before the completion of the dams.
*The Elan Valley Past and Present website details some of the early history of Nantgwyllt and has pictures of life before the valley was washed away, including images of the house in all its glory, around 1900.
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