Llanidloes

Llanidloes takes its name from the early 7th century Celtic Saint Idloes (Llan-Idloes = the Parish of St Idloes), after whom its parish church is named. The village hall is the centre of Wales. The town was then part of the cantref of Arwystli. In 1280 Llanidloes received a market charter from the king (granted to Owen de la Pole) and benefited from Edwardian town planning and earthwork defences. The present-day street plan follows the 13th century grid layout. O'Neill traced earth bank defences from the confluence of the Severn with the Clywedog and along Brook Street on the north, beyond High Street on the east, and along Mount Street on the south; with the Severn forming the western…

Llanidloes was notorious as a focus of industrial unrest during the Chartist revolt in 1839, a campaign for democratic rights prompted by the collapse of the local textile industry. During the unrest, three local people were arrested and held in the Trewythen hotel on Great Oak Street until the protesters forced their release. The town was controlled by the protesters until a detachment of South Shropshire Yeomanry arrived on 14 May 1839 and restored Government authority.