Your History: Brecon Bridges: Fording the River

Brecon, the Norman town, was founded in 1093 at the confluence of the Honddu and Usk rivers. This followed the death of Rhys ap Tewdwr, at the battle of Brecon. The Welsh name for Brecon is Aberhonddu. Aber means mouth or confluence of a river, in this case, the Honddu with the Usk.

With land across the two rivers, the Norman Lords had to find a way to exploit that territory. The easiest way to cross a river is to ford it.The Usk is a wide, slow-moving river, whereas the Honddu, cuts a narrow channel as the river water tumbles to its mouth at the Usk. A shallow area of the river, with good footing, was identified on the Usk. This could be waded across quite safely in dr y weather. It could also become impassable in rainy seasons.

The Norman ford on the Usk is still named and identifiable. It crosses from the promenade opposite Rhyd Bernard Terrace, to the playing fields on Llanfaes side of the Usk. “Rhyd” is the Welsh word for “ford” and “Bernard” refers to the first Norman Lord of Brecon,“Bernard de Neufmarché” [anglicized to Newmarch]. Newmarch street, in Llanfaes, leads directly from the ford.

Article Supplied by Breconshire Local & Family History Society