Knighton, Powys

The Welsh name, Tref-y-clawdd, meaning and referring to "town on the dyke", was first recorded in 1262 and officially given to the town in 1971.

The name Knighton probably derives from the Old English cniht (a soldier, thane or freeman) and tūn (farm, settlement or homestead), and may have been founded through a grant of land to freemen.[2][3][4]

Knighton's earliest history is obscure, despite some local clues: Caer Caradoc (an Iron Age hill fort associated with Caradoc or Caractacus) is 2 miles (3 km) away, off the road to Clun.[5] Watling Street, a Roman road, passes a few miles to the east at Leintwardine. Any settlements in the Knighton area would have belonged to the Iron Age kingdom of Cornovii, which coincided with the modern counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, North Staffordshire, North Herefordshire, and parts of Powys and Worcestershire.

Knighton includes a preserved section of Offa's Dyke.[6] The parallel Wat's Dyke a few miles to the east, runs north and south along the English/Welsh border from Basingwerk near Holywell to Oswestry.[7] Dykes aside, two Norman castles, earthen mottes, likely to be from 12th and 13th centuries, are the oldest surviving structures in modern Knighton.[8] There is disagreement about the chronology of the two castles, although the earlier is likely to be the one above the town in Castle Road, with its more defensible position, wider panorama and clear evidence of a bailey. The first castle built here would also have overlooked the market place in Market Street and the town planned between Broad Street and St Edwards Church.

The town became a borough in 1203, with a charter permitting a weekly market and annual fair.[9] The presence of two castles within a comparatively small town suggests that one (the earlier motte and bailey sited atop the town) went out of use before the establishment of the second (the motte with no bailey at Bryn y Castell). As Knighton Castle was captured and destroyed by Llywellyn ap Gruffudd in 1262, it seems likely that the second, later castle at Bryn y Castell was undertaken after that and was likely sited on lower ground so as to guard the crossing point of the River Teme. Bryn y Castell, as the one surviving castle in Knighton by then, was besieged by Owain Glyndŵr in 1402 and destroyed along with much of the town.[10] The major battle of the rebellion was fought in the same year at Pilleth (Welsh: Bryn Glas) 3 miles (5 km), south of the town. Though documents pertaining to the defence of Knighton during the Glyndwr rebellion state that Knighton had stout and defensible walls, no historical, archaeological or topographic evidence for a town wall, even of timber, has been found. So it is thought more likely that the statement referred to the castle walls, rather than the town.

Knighton Church, 1910s

Broad St. Knighton, 1910s

The town church dates from the 11th century,[11] but much of it was rebuilt in the 19th century. It is one of only two in Wales dedicated to St Edward, patron saint of England before St George was chosen.[9] This English dedication is a symptom of the dual English/Welsh nature of the town, which was not legally resolved until 1535, when Knighton was finally confirmed as part of Wales by the Acts of Union.[12] Knighton also has a Baptist chapel and a small Catholic church.

Arrival of the railway

Knighton first prospered as a centre of the wool trade in the 15th century[13] and was later an important point on the two drover routes from Montgomery to Hereford, and from London to Aberystwyth. Otherwise, Knighton was remote from centres of commerce.

It seemed likely that the railways would also fail to reach the town; the 1840s and 1850s saw rapid railway building right across Great Britain, but Radnorshire had a small population and little industry. Construction of a railway was made economically just viable by an entrepreneurial drive to connect the Mumbles and Milford Haven with the cities and factories of the industrial Midlands.[14] The Knighton Railway Company was formed by local landowners and businessmen to build a line from Craven Arms to the town.[15][16] Work began in August 1858 and the line reached Knighton in March 1861. The station itself ensued in 1865.[16]

To mark the accession of H. M. Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the initials "ER" were planted in deciduous trees in an evergreen forest on a hill to the north of the town.[17]

In August 1970, Knighton hosted a rock festival with bands such as The Move, along with Pete Brown & Piblokto, Roger Bunn, Forever More, Clark-Hutchinson, James Litherland's Brotherhood (James was originally part of Colosseum) and Killing Floor. The compères were radio DJ Pete Drummond and local resident and bluesman Alexis Korner, who also performed.[18]

Statistics confirm Knighton's slow growth since the early 19th century. The 2001 Census provides a snapshot of Knighton today and allows comparisons with the county and Wales as a whole.[16][34] Knightonians are less likely to describe their identity as Welsh than inhabitants of other parts of Wales. It is also more homogenous and enjoys higher employment rates.[35]

In birth order:

• Alfred Edwards (1850–1923), businessman, was with Herbert Kilpin one of the charter members of the Italian club A.C. Milan, originally named Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club. He was also elected its first president.[64][65]
• Kenneth Turpin (1915–2005), a former Provost of Oriel College, Oxford and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, retired to the town.
• Saxophonist and composer Dick Heckstall-Smith (1934–2004) was raised near the town.[66]
• Emma, Duchess of Rutland (born 1963), estranged wife of the 11th Duke of Rutland and châtelain of Belvoir Castle, was born and raised locally. Her maiden name was Emma Watkins.
• Ed James (born 1976) was born in Knighton. He has been Chairman of Birmingham Press Club since 2012 and a radio presenter of Heart West Midlands.
• Chaz Davies (born 1987), motorcycle racer, was born in Knighton. He was the 2011 World Supersport champion.

The town's shops serve a large rural hinterland and employ 18 per cent of the active population – almost as much as manufacturing, at 18.81 per cent.[67] Otherwise Knighton has little industry.[68] Most young people leave after completing their education. Tourism is a crucial area hit hard by the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001.[69]
Although wages are low and over 20 per cent of families have no car,[16] Knighton has an unemployment rate (2001) of just 2.88 per cent.[16]

Responsibility for economic development lies with the Welsh Assembly Government. The town's remoteness means it has few commuters. Most of the employed (69.45 per cent in 2001) work within a 12 miles (19 km) area.[70]

Knighton has a primary school,[71] but for state secondary education pupils travel by bus 8 miles (13 km) to John Beddoes School in Presteigne. Until 1974 Knighton had a secondary modern school, on the site of the current primary school.[72] Knighton Church in Wales Primary School (until 1998 Knighton Voluntary Primary School) had 299 pupils in 2008. In its most recent Estyn inspection it was graded Good or Satisfactory, the inspectors being largely positive, but critical of "low expectations".[73]

Knighton is about 30 miles (48 km) midway between Shrewsbury and Hereford, at the junction of the A4113 and the A488 road.[79]

Local bus services are limited and subsidised.[80][81]

Knighton railway station is on the Heart of Wales Line. Transport for Wales provides direct trains to Shrewsbury and to Swansea via Llandrindod. The station itself is just inside Shropshire, England.

The nearest international airport is at Birmingham. Light aircraft can fly from Welshpool Airport and Shobdon Aerodrome.

Knighton travel guide from Wikivoyage

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Knighton, Powys.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Knighton.

• The town in Victorian times
• Local Chamber of Trade
• Offa's Dyke Association
• BBC local page
• Aerial photograph of Knighton looking west – east
• Photos of Knighton on Geograph