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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 formally 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
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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.
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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.
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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 strenuous assessment for
selection into the S. A. S. are in part carried out in this National
Park.
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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. |
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