View source for Radnorshire

{{Short description|Historic county of Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox historic subdivision
| Name                   = Radnorshire
| native_name            = {{native name|cy|Sir Faesyfed}}
| HQ                     = {{ubl|[[Presteigne]] (until 1974)|[[Llandrindod Wells]] (from 1974–1996)}}
| Government             = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974)<br>Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996)
| Origin                 = 
| Status                 = [[History of local government in Wales|Non-administrative county]] (1536–1889)<br />[[Administrative county]] (1889–1974)<br />[[Districts of Wales|District]] of [[Powys]] (1974–1996)<br />[[Historic counties of Wales|Historic county]] (non-administrative)
| Code                   = RAD
| CodeName               = [[Chapman code]]
| Replace                = 
| Motto                  = Ewch yn Uwch<br />(Go Higher)
| Divisions              = [[Hundred (division)|Hundreds]], [[sanitary district]]s, [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]]s, [[rural district]]s
| DivisionsNames         = 
| DivisionsMap           = 
| Map                    = {{Switcher
| [[File:Wales Historic Counties map Radnorshire.svg|250px|Radnorshire shown within Wales]]
| Show location in Wales
| [[File:Radnorshire Brit Isles Sect 5.svg|250px|Radnorshire shown within England and Wales]]
| Show location in England and Wales
| [[File:Radnorshire - British Isles.svg|250px|Radnorshire shown within the United Kingdom]]
| Show location in the United Kingdom
}}
| Image                  = 
| Arms                   = [[File:Radnorshire arms.png|200px|Coat of arms granted to Radnorshire County Council in 1954. Now used the Radnorshire Shire Committee of Powys County Council]]
| Civic                  = 
| PopulationFirst        = 24,651<ref name=census_1831>Vision of Britain - [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/census/table_page.jsp?tab_id=GB1831ABS_M%5B1%5D&u_id=10001043&show=DB&min_c=11&max_c=15 1831 Census]</ref>
| PopulationFirstYear    = 1831
| AreaFirst              = {{convert|272128|acre|km2}}
| AreaFirstYear          = 1831
| DensityFirst           = 0.1/acre
| DensityFirstYear       = 1831
| PopulationSecond       = 23,281
| PopulationSecondYear   = 1901
| AreaSecond             = {{convert|301165|acre|km2}}
| AreaSecondYear         = 1911
| DensitySecond          = 
| DensitySecondYear      = 
| PopulationThird        = 18,271
| PopulationThirdYear    = 1971
| PopulationLast         = 24,000
| PopulationLastYear     = 1992<ref>OPCS Key Population and Vital Statistics 1992</ref>
| AreaLast               = {{convert|301165|acre|km2}}
| AreaLastYear           = 1961
| DensityLast            = 
| DensityLastYear        = 
| common_name            = Radnorshire
| year_start             = 1536
| year_end               = 1974/1996
| event1                 = Council established
| date_event1            = 1889
| event_post             = District status
| date_post              = 1974–1996
| s1                     = Powys
| status_text            = [[Historic counties of Wales|Historic county]] and [[districts of Wales|district]]
}}
[[File:Radnorshire au pays de Galles (1974-1996).svg|thumb|Map of the district of Powys]]
'''Radnorshire''' ({{langx|cy|Sir Faesyfed}}) was [[Historic counties of Wales|one of the thirteen counties of Wales]] that existed from 1536 until their abolition in 1974, later becoming a [[Districts of Wales|district]] of [[Powys]] from 1974 to 1996. It covered a sparsely populated area, and was bounded to the north by [[Montgomeryshire]] and [[Shropshire]], to the east by [[Herefordshire]], to the south by [[Brecknockshire]] and to the west by [[Ceredigion|Cardiganshire]].

The county was formed in 1536{{Efn|Dates in this article [[Calendar (New Style) Act 1750|before 14 September 1752]] are in the [[Julian calendar]] and 1 January is treated as the beginning of the year, even though 25 March was treated as the beginning of the year until 1752.}} from several [[Marcher Lord|Marcher lordships]] under the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542|Laws in Wales Acts]], as part of the formal annexation of Wales into the [[Kingdom of England]] by [[Henry VIII]]. The county was named after [[New Radnor]], which was the original county town. From 1543 onwards the [[assizes]] were held alternately at New Radnor and [[Presteigne]], later settling at Presteigne alone. Presteigne then served as the county's administrative centre until 1889 when Radnorshire County Council was established and chose to base itself in [[Llandrindod Wells]] instead.

The administrative county was abolished in 1974, with the area becoming the lower-tier Radnor district within the new county of [[Powys]]. The district was renamed Radnorshire in 1989.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=51728 |date=10 May 1989 |page=5579 }}</ref> Radnorshire District Council was abolished in 1996 when Powys became a [[principal areas of Wales|unitary authority]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=19|accessdate=28 September 2022}}</ref> [[Powys County Council]] then had a Radnorshire [[area committee|"shire committee"]] until 2018.

The largest town in Radnorshire was Llandrindod Wells, with other towns being [[Knighton, Powys|Knighton]], Presteigne, and [[Rhayader]]. The [[Radnor Forest]] is an area of high ground covering a large part of the east of former county.

==History==
The geographic territory of what was Radnorshire roughly corresponds with the Welsh territory of [[Rhwng Gwy a Hafren]] ({{langx|en|Between Wye and Severn}}) which fell under the control of the [[Welsh Marches|Marcher Lords]] at the end of the 11th century. The area that would become Radnorshire included [[Cwmhir Abbey]], a [[Cistercian]] monastery founded in 1176 at [[Abbeycwmhir]]. The [[Battle of Bryn Glas]] was fought on 22 June 1402 at [[Pilleth]] during the rebellion of [[Owain Glyndŵr]].

Until the [[Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542|Laws in Wales Act 1535]], Radnor was outside the [[Principality of Wales]]. This peculiar [[Welsh Marches|Marcher]] status and its wont of Welsh speakers gave weight to the traditional local expression, "Neither Wales nor England, just Radnorsheer"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.judgeslodging.org.uk/page/history/|title=Judges Lodgings |access-date=2009-04-20 }}</ref>

[[File:Radnor Brecknok Cardigan Caermarden Map.jpg|thumb|250px|Hand-drawn map of Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire by Christopher Saxton in 1578]]

The 1535 act created Radnorshire from a number of former territories, including the [[cantref]]s of [[Maelienydd]] and [[Elfael]] and the [[commote]]s of [[Gwrtheyrnion]] and Deuddwr. The act also specified that [[New Radnor]] was the county town, and directed that the county's [[assizes]] and [[quarter sessions]] should be held alternately at New Radnor and Rhayader.<ref>The Laws in Wales Act 1535 (27 Hen. 8 c. 26), Section 6, as transcribed in {{cite book |editor1-last=Raithby |editor1-first=John |title=The Statutes at Large of England and Great Britain, Volume III |date=1811 |page=246 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=do1KAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA243 |access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref> A judge was murdered at Rhayader a few years later, highlighting the dangers to English judges in that part of the county.<ref name=judge>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.judgeslodging.org.uk/our-story/history/ |website=The Judge's Lodging |access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref> In 1543 the law was changed, directing that the assizes should no longer be held at Rhayader, but should instead alternate between New Radnor and Presteigne.<ref>[[Laws in Wales Act 1542]] ([[34 & 35 Hen. 8]]. c. 26), Section 118</ref> The practice of holding sessions alternately at New Radnor and Presteigne later gave way to all sessions being held at Presteigne.

The county's poverty was remarked upon thus in the 17th century by an anonymous visitor:
{{cquote|
Poor Radnorsheer, poor Radnorsheer,<br />
Never a park, and never a deer,<br /> Never a squire of five hundred a year,<br /> Save Richard Fowler of Abbey-Cwm-hir}}

Apart from a handful of parishes along the English border the [[Welsh language]] remained the first language of the county well into the second half of the eighteenth century.<ref>F G Payne, ''Crwydro Sir Faesyfed'' Vol I (1966) & Vol II (1968), Llandybïe</ref> By 1850 the language had retreated to the western parishes of [[Rhayader]], [[Llanyre]], [[Cwmdauddwr]], [[St Harmon]] and [[Nantmel]].<ref name=lewis/> By 1900 Welsh was still spoken by a sizeable minority west of the town of [[Rhayader]], the language disappearing as the century progressed. Of course there were Welsh speakers living in Radnorshire who had come from other parts of Wales, and today their number has been swollen by children being educated through the medium of Welsh in school.

When elected county councils were established in 1889 under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], taking over the local government functions of the old [[court of quarter sessions]], the new Radnorshire County Council decided to meet at Llandrindod Wells rather than Presteigne.<ref name="South Wales Daily News">{{cite news |title=Radnorshire County Council: The meetings to be held at Llandrindod Wells |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3670554/3670557/48/ |access-date=30 September 2022 |work=South Wales Daily News |date=1 April 1889 |location=Swansea |page=3}}</ref> The county council was abolished in 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]].<ref>Local Government Act 1972 c.70 s.20 and 216</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1972/dec/15/local-government-reorganisation |title=Local Government Reorganisation |access-date=2008-07-26 |date=1972-12-15 |work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] }}</ref>

The area became the lower-tier Radnor district within the new county of [[Powys]]. The district was renamed Radnorshire in 1989. Radnorshire District Council was abolished in 1996 when Powys became a [[principal areas of Wales|unitary authority]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Wales) Act 1994|year=1994|chapter=19|accessdate=1 October 2022}}</ref> [[Powys County Council]] then had a Radnorshire [[area committee|"shire committee"]] comprising the Powys councillors elected from the wards covering the former Radnorshire district from 1996 until the county council abolished its shire committees in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hearn |first1=Elgan |title=Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, Brecknockshire abolished as shire committees are consigned to history |url=https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/15913947.montgomeryshire-radnorshire-brecknockshire-abolished-shire-committees-consigned-history/ |access-date=29 September 2022 |work=Powys County Times |date=1 February 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==
In the east and south were some comparatively level tracts, including the Vale of Radnor, but much of the county is forest, moorland and low mountains, with the [[Cambrian Mountains]] running through the west of the county beyond [[Rhayader]]. The [[Radnor Forest]] is a slightly isolated dome of hills in the middle of the county near the village of [[New Radnor]], and included what was the highest ground in the former county. Here is found the former [[List of counties of England and Wales in 1964 by highest point|county top]] of [[Rhos Fawr|Great Rhos]], at a height of {{convert|660|m|ft}} above sea level. The [[Elan Valley]] contains several huge man-made reservoirs supplying water to [[Birmingham]]. The main rivers were the [[River Wye|Wye]], the [[River Teme|Teme]], the Elan and the [[River Ithon|Ithon]]. The Teme formed the boundary with Shropshire.

The chief towns were [[Knighton, Powys|Knighton]], [[Llandrindod Wells]], [[Presteigne]] and Rhayader. The backbone of local incomes was tourism, hill farming and the public sector such as care, education and road/public land maintenance. Sheep, dairy/cattle and poultry farming provided more revenue than crops which like much of Scotland, the Pennines and Wales received more than national average precipitation and can be subject to late frosts.

==Governance==
===Constituencies===
From 1542 there was a [[Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Radnorshire constituency]] for electing [[member of parliament|members of parliament]] to the English (and later United Kingdom) parliament. The constituency was abolished in 1918, merging with the neighbouring [[Breconshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Breconshire constituency]] to become the [[Brecon and Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Brecon and Radnorshire constituency]]. [[Brecon and Radnorshire (Senedd constituency)|Brecon and Radnorshire]] is also the name of the [[Senedd]] constituency covering the area. Since 2024 the area has been a part of the [[Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe]] constituency in the United Kingdom parliament.<ref>{{cite web|title=Location of Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe|url= https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/4500/location |website=parliament.uk |date=July 2024|access-date=29 November 2025}}</ref>

===Local government subdivisions===
====Hundreds====
On the creation of the county it was divided into six [[hundred (division)|hundreds]]. The names of the hundreds, which were not always consistently spelt, were as follows:<ref name=lewis>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=47881  |title=Radnor - Radnorshire |access-date=2009-02-10 |work=A Topographical Dictionary of Wales |via=British History Online |year=1849 }}</ref>

*Colwyn
*[[Cefnllys Castle#Town and borough|Cefnllys]] (Kevenlleece or Cevnllŷs)
*Knighton
*Painscastle
*Radnor
*Rhaiadr (or Rhayader)

====Poor law unions====
In the 19th century new structures of local administration were introduced. The [[Poor Law Amendment Act 1834]] grouped parishes into [[poor law union]]s. While these were not themselves local authorities, their boundaries were to later be used to define local government districts. PLUs did not conform to county boundaries, but consisted of catchment areas for [[workhouse]]s. Most of Radnorshire was included in the three unions of Knighton, Presteigne and Rhayader.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=1733 |title=Poor Law: Board of Guardians |access-date=2009-02-10 |work=Archives Office |publisher=Powys County Council }}</ref> Parishes on the edges of the county were included in unions based in other counties: Builth and Hay on Wye in Brecknockshire and Kington in Herefordshire.

====Local boards of health====
There were no town councils in the county until 1850, when a [[local board of health|local board]] was formed at Knighton.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/makepdf.asp?fn=E:\ZYIMAGE\DATA\HISTDIR\TIF\LUL5002Atif\0000cxk0.tif |title=Knighton |access-date=2009-02-10 |work=Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales |publisher=Historical Directories |year=1895 }}</ref> Similar bodies were later formed at [[Llandrindod Wells]] (originally named Trefonen) and [[Presteigne]] in 1891.<ref>Census of England and Wales 1901, County Report, Radnorshire</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/makepdf.asp?fn=E:\ZYIMAGE\DATA\HISTDIR\TIF\LUL5002Atif\0000CXRM.TIF |title=Presteigne |access-date=2009-02-10 |work=Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales |publisher=Historical Directories |year=1895 }}</ref>

====Sanitary districts====
The Public Health Act 1875 divided England and Wales into [[sanitary district]]s, each governed by a sanitary authority. Instead of creating new bodies, existing local board districts became urban sanitary districts (USDs) and the remaining areas of poor law unions became rural sanitary districts (RSDs). The existing local board or poor law guardians became the sanitary authority for their area. By 1891 therefore, Radnorshire was divided between the following sanitary districts:
*Builth RSD (part)
*Hay RSD (part)
*Kington RSD (Part)
*Knighton RSD
*Knighton USD
*Llandrindod Wells USD
*Presteigne RSD (dissolved in 1877, with parishes redistributed to Kington and Knighton RSDs)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/presteigne.html |title=Presteigne Registration District |access-date=2009-02-10 |work=GENUKI |publisher=UKBMD }}</ref>
*Presteigne USD
*Rhayader RSD

====Urban and rural districts====
[[File:rads districts.png|thumb|right|Urban and rural districts of Radnorshire 1894 - 1974:<br /> a) Llandrindod Wells UD, b) Knighton UD, c) Presteigne UD, 1) Rhayader RD, 2) Knighton RD 3) New Radnor RD, 4) Colwyn RD, 5) Painscastle RD]]The [[Local Government Act 1894]] created [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]]s (UDs) and [[rural district]]s (RDs) in place of the sanitary districts. Directly elected urban and rural district councils became the governing bodies. The new districts were identical to the sanitary districts, with the exception that where a RSD was divided by a county boundary it was split into separate rural district in each county. Radnorshire was divided into eight UDs and RDs, which were unchanged until their abolition in 1974:

*[[Colwyn Rural District|Colwyn RD]] (from Builth RSD)
*[[Knighton Rural District|Knighton RD]]
*Knighton UD
*Llandrindod Wells UD
*[[New Radnor Rural District|New Radnor RD]] (from Kington RSD)
*[[Painscastle Rural District|Painscastle RD]] (from Hay RSD)
*Presteigne UD
*[[Rhayader Rural District|Rhayader RD]]

==== Civil parishes ====
From the medieval period until 1974, Radnorshire was divided into [[civil parish]]es for the purpose of local government; these in large part equated to ecclesiastical parishes (see the table below), most of which still exist as part of the Church in Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |last=GENUKI |title=Genuki: RADNORSHIRE TOWNS AND PARISHES, Radnorshire |url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/RAD/indexpars#Hundreds |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=www.genuki.org.uk |language=en}}</ref> Chapelries are listed in ''italics''.
{| class="wikitable"
!Hundred
!Parishes
|-
!Cefnllys
|[[Bleddfa|Bleddfa/Blethva]] • [[Cefnllys|Cefnllys/Kevenlleece]] • [[Llanbadarn Fawr, Powys|Llanbadarn Fawr/Llanbadarn Vawr]] • [[Llandegley|Llandeglau/Llandegley]] • [[Llandrindod Wells|Llandrindod]] • [[Llanfihangel Rhydithon|Llanfihangel Rhydithon/Llanvihangel Rhydithon]] • [[Llangunllo]] • [[Pilleth|Pwll-y-Llethr/Pilleth]] • [[Whitton, Powys|Whitton/Llanddewi-yn-Hwytyn]]
|-
!Colwyn
|[[Aberedw]] • [[Bettws Disserth|Betws Diserth/Bettws Disserth]] • [[Cregrina|Craig Furuna/Cregrina]] • [[Disserth and Trecoed|Diserth/Disserth]] • [[Glascwm|Glascwm/Glascomb]] • [[Llanbadarn y Garreg]] • [[Llanelwedd|Llanelwedd/Llanelweth]] • [[Llanfaredd|Llanfaredd/Llanvareth]] • [[Llansanffraid-yn-Elfael|Llansanffraid-yn-Elfael/Llansantfraid-in-Elwell]] • [[Rhulen|Rhiwlen/Rhulen]]
|-
!Knighton
|[[Abbeycwmhir|Abaty Cwm Hir/Abbeycwmhir]] • [[Beguildy|Bugeildy/Beguildy]] • [[Knucklas|Heyop/Llanddewi-yn-Heiob]] • [[Knighton, Powys|Knighton/Trefyclawdd]] • [[Llananno|Llananno/Llanano]] • [[Llanbadarn Fynydd|Llanbadarn Fynydd/Llanbadarn Vynydd]] • [[Llanbister]] • [[Llanddewi Ystradenny|Llanddewi Ystradennau/Llanddewi Ystradenny]]
|-
!Painscastle
|[[Boughrood|Bochrwd/Boughrood]] • [[Bryngwyn, Powys|Bryngwyn]] • [[Clyro|Cleirwy/Clyro]] (''[[Bettws Clyro]]'') • [[Llanbedr Painscastle|Llanbedr Castell-paen/Llanbedr Painscastle]] • [[Llanddewi Fach|Llanddewi Fach/Llanddewi Vach]] • [[Llandeilo Graban]] • [[Michaelchurch-on-Arrow|Llanfihangel Dyffryn Arwy/Michaelchurch-on-Arrow]] • [[Newchurch, Powys|Llannewydd/Newchurch]] • [[Llanstephan, Powys|Llansteffan/Llanstephan]] • [[Llowes]] • [[Glasbury|Y Clas-ar-Wy/Glasbury]]
|-
!Radnor
|[[Cascob|Casgob/Cascob]] • [[Colva, Powys|Colfa/Colva]] • [[Presteigne|Llanandras/Presteigne]] • [[Gladestry|Llanfair Llythynwg/Gladestry]] • [[Llanfihangel Nant Melan|Llanfihangel Nant Melan/Llanvihangel Nant Melan]] • [[New Radnor|New Radnor/Maesyfed]] • [[Norton, Powys|Norton/Nortyn]] • [[Old Radnor|Old Radnor/Pencraig]]
|-
!Rhayader
|[[St Harmon|Llanarmon/St Harmon]] • [[Llanfihangel Helygen|Llanfihangel Helygen/Llanvihangel Helygen]] • [[Llanyre|Llanllŷr/Llanyre]] • [[Cwmdauddwr|Llansanffraid Cwmddeudwr/Llansantfraid Cwm Toyddwr]] • [[Nantmel|Nantmael/Nantmel]] • [[Rhayader|Rhaeadr/Rhayader]]
|}

===Premises===
[[File:Shire Hall, Presteigne - geograph-4213137.jpg|thumb|[[Shire Hall, Presteigne]]]]
Prior to the creation of Radnorshire County Council in 1889, the county was administered by its [[court of quarter sessions]], which initially alternated between New Radnor and Rhayader, then between New Radnor and Presteigne, before settling at Presteigne alone. A [[Shire Hall, Presteigne|Shire Hall]] was built in Presteigne in 1542 and rebuilt in 1829, which served as the main administrative building for the county. When the county council was established, during preliminary meetings before the council formally came into being on 1 April 1889, it was decided by 12 votes to 11 that the county council would not meet at Presteigne but in [[Llandrindod Wells]].<ref name="South Wales Daily News"/> The Shire Hall in Presteigne continued to serve as a courthouse until the 1990s.<ref name=judge/>

[[File:The Police Station - geograph.org.uk - 3146089.jpg|thumb|County Buildings, Llandrindod Wells: County Council's headquarters 1909–1950]]
The county council generally held its meetings at the Pump House Hotel on Spa Road East in Llandrindod Wells.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://a-day-in-the-life.powys.org.uk/eng/civ/ec_rcc.php|title=Radnorshire County Council|publisher=Powys: a day in the life |access-date=31 October 2020}}</ref> In 1909 the county council built itself offices at the "County Buildings" in the High Street at Llandrindod Wells.<ref name=hp>{{cite web|url=http://historypoints.org/index.php?page=county-buildings-llandrindod-wells|title=County Buildings, Llandrindod Wells|publisher=History Points|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>

[[File:Llandrindod Wells Public Library (Formerly Gwalia Hotel) (geograph 4911185).jpg|thumb|The former [[Llandrindod Wells Library|Gwalia Hotel]] in Ithon Road, Llandrindod Wells: headquarters of Radnorshire County Council from 1950 to 1974]]
The county council then moved its staff to larger offices at the former [[Llandrindod Wells Library|Gwalia Hotel]] in Ithon Road in 1950. The former hotel remained the county council headquarters until the county council was abolished in 1974.<ref name=hp/><ref>{{Coflein|num=30680|desc=Gwalia Hotel; Radnor District Council Offices|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>

[[File:The Gwalia, Llandrindod Wells - geograph.org.uk - 3572083.jpg|thumb|The Gwalia, Ithon Road, Llandrindod Wells]]
The district council was based at [[Llandrindod Wells Library|The Gwalia]], on Ithon Road in Llandrindod Wells, which had been built in 1900 as the Gwalia Hotel and had served as the offices of the old Radnorshire County Council since 1950.<ref name=hp/><ref>{{National Historic Assets of Wales|num=9055|desc=Radnor District Council Offices (formerly Gwalia Hotel)|grade=II|access-date=28 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52240|page=13161|date=10 August 1990|supp=y}}</ref> After the council's abolition The Gwalia became an area office for Powys County Council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact us |url=https://en.powys.gov.uk/visitus |website=Powys County Council |access-date=28 September 2022 |quote=The Gwalia, Llandrindod Wells, LD1{{nbsp}}6AA}}</ref>

==Coat of arms==
Until 1954 Radnorshire County Council used a version of the arms of the [[Ranulph de Mortimer|Mortimers]], [[Earls of March]]: ''Barry of six or and azure on a chief of the last two pallets azure between as may gyrons of the first''.<ref>A C Fox-Davies, ''The Book of Public Arms'', 2nd edition, London 1915</ref><ref>Mary O'Regan, ''Heraldry of the Old Welsh Counties, Part 2'', in ''Aspects of Heraldry'', Vol.9, Yorkshire Heraldry Society, 1995</ref> The council received a grant of [[coat of arms|armorial bearings]] by the [[College of Arms]] in 1954.<ref>Geoffrey Briggs, ''Civic and Corporate Heraldry'', London, 1971</ref> The arms were made up of ''[[charge (heraldry)|charges]]'' from local families. A gold reguardant lion on red was for [[Elystan Glodrhydd]], [[Prince of Wales]] c. 1000; black boars' heads on white for his son [[Cadwgan]]. Around these was placed a gold and blue ''compony bordure'' based on the Mortimer arms. The motto adopted by the county council was ''{{lang|cy|Ewch yn Uwch}}'' ("Go Higher"). In 1974 the arms were transferred to Radnor District Council.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/wales_7496.html  |title=Radnorshire District Council |access-date=2008-07-26 |work=Civic Heraldry of England and Wales }}</ref> In 1996 the arms were transferred a second time to Powys County Council, for use by the Radnorshire Shire Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1996/Uksi_19961930_en_2.htm |title=The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) (Wales) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996 No. 1930) |access-date=2008-07-26 |year=1996 |publisher=Office of Public Sector Information}}</ref>

==Political control==
The first election to the district council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. A majority of the seats on the district council were held by [[independent politician|independents]] throughout the council's existence.<ref name=compositions>{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=21 May 2025 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Radnor" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || 1974–1996
|}

==Places of special interest==
[[File:pillethchurch.jpg|thumb|St Mary's Church, Pilleth]]
*Abbey Cwmhir aka [[Abbeycwmhir]] ({{gbmappingsmall|SO0571}});
*[[Beguildy]] Tumuli ({{gbmappingsmall|SO176767}});
*Broadheath House, [[Presteigne]] ({{gbmappingsmall|SO3363}});
*[[Elan Valley]] Visitor's Centre ({{gbmappingsmall|SN927646}});
*The Pales ({{gbmappingsmall|SO138641}});
*[[Offa's Dyke]] ({{gbmappingsmall|SO2763}}, {{gbmappingsmall|SO2872}});
*The Rock Park, [[Llandrindod Wells]] ({{gbmappingsmall|SO052609}}).
*[[Royal Welsh Show]]ground, [[Llanelwedd]]
*[[Radnor Forest]]
*[[Stanner Rocks Nature Reserve]] site of the Radnor Lilly [[Gagea bohemica]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.first-nature.com/waleswildlife/e-nnr-stannerrocks.php |title=Stanner Rocks National Nature Reserve (in Powys), Near Kington, Herefordshire. |website=first-nature.com |access-date=20 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-47282816|title=Rare Radnor lily spotted at Stanner Rocks quarry|date=18 February 2019|publisher=BBC}}</ref>
*[[Pilleth]] Church and the [[Battle of Bryn Glas]]
*[[List of Scheduled prehistoric Monuments in Powys (Radnorshire)|Scheduled prehistoric monuments in Radnorshire]]
*[[List of Scheduled Roman to modern Monuments in Powys (Radnorshire)|Scheduled Roman to modern monuments in Radnorshire]]

==Principal towns and villages==
No centre in Radnorshire exceeds a population of 6,000; only one (Llandrindod Wells) exceeds 5,000:

*[[Knighton, Powys|Knighton]]
*[[Llandrindod Wells]]
*[[Presteigne]]
*[[Rhayader]]
*[[Newbridge on Wye]]
*[[New Radnor]]

==Culture and community==
The [[Radnorshire Society Transactions|Radnorshire Society]] was established in 1930 to promote the study of the archaeology and history of the county.

The [[Royal Welsh Show]] takes place each July at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Showground at Llanelwedd. The show lasts for four days and attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually.

Radnor Young Farmers Club has 13 clubs throughout the county. It is affiliated to the [[National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs|National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs]].

Radnorshire Arts and Crafts Foundation, Museum of Welsh Textiles [[Whitton, Powys]]

The Radnorshire Museum [https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/1703/Radnorshire-Museum website], in Llandrindod Wells, collects, preserves and interprets the rich cultural heritage of Radnorshire. This is reflected in its diverse collections of Geology, Palaeontology, Archaeology, Natural History, Social History and Fine Art.

The [[Radnorshire Wildlife Trust]] manages 17 nature reserves across the county.

The [[Llandrindod Wells Victorian Festival]] is held annually at the end of August. It offers open-air and street theatre and music, a fairground, craft fair, historical re-enactment, entertainments at the [[Albert Hall, Llandrindod Wells|Albert Hall]] and exhibitions of old items.

==Notable people==
* [[Eleanor Bufton]] (b. Llanbister 1842 – d. London 1893), actress, spent most of her career in London, playing in Shakespeare, Victorian burlesque, and a range of drama and comedy roles.
* [[John Corrie Carter]] (b. Birmingham 1839 – d. Rhayader 1927), barrister, author, sportsman, High Sheriff
* [[Chaz Davies]] (b. Knighton 1987), motorcycle racer, 2011 World Supersport champion and 2011 BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.
* [[Thomas Jones (artist)|Thomas Jones]] (b. [[Cefnllys Castle#Town and borough|Cefnllys]] 1742 - d 1803), landscape painter, broke with the conventions of classical landscape painting in favour of direct observation.
* [[Harford Jones-Brydges|Sir Harford Jones-Brydges]] (b. Presteigne 1764 - d. Presteigne 1847), diplomat and author, lifelong interest in the welfare of the Persians and the natives of India.
* [[Emmeline Lewis Lloyd]] (b. Nantgwyllt 1827 - d. London 1913), alpine mountaineer, first woman to climb [[Monte Viso]].

==Radnorshire diaspora==

Poverty and agricultural change, decline and industrial progress elsewhere has always made Radnorshire a place of net emigration. Emigrants employed the name of the county in the United States:
*[[Radnor Lake State Park]], [[Nashville, Tennessee]]
*[[Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania]]. Part of the [[Welsh Tract]] first settled in 1682–1685 by a group of 40 [[Quakers]] from Radnorshire.<ref>{{cite web| title=Radnor Township| url=http://www.radnor.com/department/index.asp?fDD=19-0| access-date=18 December 2007| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015214854/http://www.radnor.com/department/index.asp?fDD=19-0| archive-date=15 October 2007}}</ref>
*[[Radnor Township, Delaware County, Ohio]]
Others may have formed part of the Welsh community in [[Welsh settlement in Argentina|Patagonia]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}

==See also==
{{EB1911 poster|Radnorshire}}
* [[Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire|List of Lord Lieutenants of Radnorshire]]
* [[High Sheriff of Radnorshire|List of High Sheriffs of Radnorshire]]
* [[Custos Rotulorum of Radnorshire]] - Keeper of the Rolls
* [[Radnorshire (UK Parliament constituency)]] - A list of MPs for Radnorshire constituency
* [[Red Kite feeding in Wales]]
* [[Heart of Wales Line]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}

==Further reading==
The leading texts on Radnorshire history are:
*{{cite book | author=Donald Gregory | title=Radnorshire | year=1994 | isbn=0-86381-284-8}} ([https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0863812848 Amazon])
*{{cite book | author=Keith Parker | title=Radnorshire from Civil War to Restoration | year=2000 | isbn=1-873827-86-5}} ([https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1873827865 Amazon])
*{{cite book | author=Peter J Conradi | title=At the Bright Hem of God | year=2009 | isbn=978-1-85411-490-7}}

==External links==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Radnorshire | volume= 22 | pages = 808&ndash;810  |short= 1}}
*{{cite web | title=County: Radnorshire Wales | url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=17429&st=Radnorshire | work=Vision of Britain | publisher=University of Portsmouth | access-date=2009-04-20}}
*{{cite web | title=Radnorshire | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=47881#s4 | work=A Topographical Dictionary of Wales | via=British History Online | year=1849 | access-date=2009-04-20}}
*{{cite book | title=General view of the agriculture of the county of Radnor: with observations on the means of its improvement | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GkEIAAAAQAAJ | author=John Clark| publisher=Board of Agriculture | year=1794 | access-date=2009-04-20|author-link = John Clark (land agent)}}
*{{cite web | title=Radnorshire, Wales | url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/RAD/Gaz1868.html | work=The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland  | publisher=GENUKI | year=1868 | access-date=2009-04-20}}

{{Historic Counties of Wales}}
{{Wales Districts}}
{{Powys elections}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|52|15|N|3|15|W|display=title|region:GB_type:adm2nd_source:GNS-enwiki}}

[[Category:Radnorshire| ]]
[[Category:Historic counties of Wales]]
[[Category:History of Powys]]