Secret Brecon

Explore the secret history of Brecon through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

Don’t be fooled by Brecon’s quiet, serene exterior for lurking just beneath the surface are little-known and long-forgotten secrets. Here on the fair banks of the Usk, famous for its salmon and trout fishing, we recount tales of tragedy and remarkable valour in the lengthy and varied history of this town. We read of gruesome public executions on the riverbank, of poachers’ adventures with water bailiffs, of the almost forgotten grave of a hero of the Crimea who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery, and read with sadness of his ignominious death here in Brecon. We meet a nobleman, seemingly born to greatness, who instead died a traitor’s death at the hands of Henry VIII, and hear of French officers captured in the Napoleonic Wars who left their mark here. We seek out people and places that no longer exist, including Longfellow, a once famous Breconian, and his garden. We meet a Brecon-born actor with an extensive and wide-ranging career, including a Bond film, who never forgot his roots. Fully illustrated in colour throughout, Secret Brecon delves beneath the surface of this ancient town, veers away from the main streets and sights, and invites the reader to discover and enjoy Brecon’s hidden history.