|
Brief History:
During the Napoleonic
wars French military prisoners were detained in the town of Brecon.
Certain sections of the town's medieval walls still exist including one
section at the rear of the old national park
authorities offices. This section is known as Captains Walk and is
believed to be an area where French prisoners were taken for exercise.
You can still walk part of the route at the rear of
Glamorgan Street.
Brecon is an important
military centre. The barracks in Brecon is the home of the Army's Welsh
headquarters. In 1969 two of the regiments of Wales, the South Wales
Borderers and the Welch regiment were amalgamated to form The Royal
Regiment of Wales. They are based at Brecon
originally the base of the
South Wales Borderers.
The South Wales
Borderers which had a long association with Brecon had a distinguished
military history and participated in the American War of Independence,
the Sikh Wars, and the campaigns of the Duke of Marlborough.
The regiment is probably best remembered for
its involvement in the Anglo-Zulu War and in particular the stand at
Rorke's Drift. This was memorably featured in the famous film starring
Michael Caine entitled "Zulu".
The South Wales Borderers
Museum is open to the public and located in the barracks in Brecon.
The museum contains a variety of interesting exhibits from
different period in the regiments history.
The South Wales Borderers Museum,
The Barracks, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7EB.
swb@rrw.org.uk
Military Training:
The Brecon Beacons is
an important location for military training. Also located in the Brecon
Beacons locality is the 29,000 acre training and field firing area on
the edge of Sennybridge. in addition there are modern barracks just
outside Crickhowell at Cwrt Y Gollen which were opened in 1963.
Presently training and assessment for Cadet
Adventurous Training takes place at Cwrt Y
Gollen.
Up until 1981
there was a small arms practice firing range
located in the heart of the central beacons just north of Pen Y Fan at
Cwm Gwdi. The Brecon Beacons itself is used
extensively by the infantry and other military units for training
purposes.
Conservation:
Army training and associated activities are carried out in a sensitive
manner which is particularly mindful of conservation considerations in a
national park.
Two new nature walks
one of which is designed to cater for the disabled were officially
opened recently on the Sennybridge Training Area. Of the new disabled
walks one is located on the Epynt Training
Area and Starts at the Disgwylfa Conservation Centre on the B4519
halfway between Brecon and Builth Wells. This path is accessible to a
wheelchair users and includes access to picnic areas with fully
accessible tables and seats. Information boards are located at various
points along the route. The army has also launched its Integrated and
Management Plan which has been produced by the Ministry of Defence in
association with the Training Area Conservation Group, Powys County
Council and the Countryside Council for Wales. Of the aim of this new
management is to maximise the military training potential of the area in
a way that is consistent economic and environmentally acceptable and
incorporates a number of active conservation measures.
S.A.S.
- Special Air Service:
The Special Air Services (S. A. S.) are a world class, world wide
renowned fighting unit which are based near
Hereford. They are reputed to train on the
Brecon Beacons. In particular the exceptionally
strenuous assessment for selection
into the S. A. S. are in part carried out in this National
Park.
Ghurkha
Rifles:
It is common when walking through the streets of Brecon to encounter
neatly dressed, often in a smart grey suit, well turned out and
invariably polite members of the Ghurkha regiment from Nepal. A Company
of the Ghurkha rifles has been stationed at Dering lines on the
outskirts of Brecon since 1973. They are renowned for their loyalty and
bravery as soldiers in the British Army. This was acknowledged by the
town of Brecon when it granted the Ghurkha company the honorary freedom
of Brecon.
Links:
|
