“I have taken a little farm in South Wales […] The house (a handsome & roomy cottage) is most deliciously situated on the banks of the River [Wye]; is embowered by a capital Orchard, & is altogether as desirable a literary retreat as
— John Thelwall, radicalist and friend of William Wordworth
Fancy could have suggested, or poetry has ever described.”
Llyswen is a tiny village set in the old county of Breconshire, now part of Powys. It is set in the beautiful Heart of Mid Wales, only a short distance from Builth Wells, Hay on Wye and Brecon and on the edge of the Brecon Beacons/ Bannau Brycheiniog. The village around our Luxury Dog Friendly Shepherds Hut is teaming with historical clues in every mound and hedge, with the remains of a prehistoric camp, iron age hill fort and even more ancient circular barrow. That is without mentioning the River Wye you will be staying alongside in our Shepherds Hut and relaxing in the Hot Tub beside.
Llyswen (meaning White Court) is believed to have been the Court of Rhodri Mawr, ninth century king of the Britons main Castle in Wales. It was first recorded in 1127 as Lisewan. There are the remains of a saxon barrow in the village and also an hill fort/ motte and bailey castle on the hill opposite.
We believe our farm is the land John Thelwall, the Romantic radicalist rented as Llyswen Farm, talked about in Wordsworths Lyrical Ballads ‘Anecdote for Fathers’ as ‘sweet Liswyn farm’. The original Llyswen Farm has long since been demolished and our neighbours house ‘Ty Mawr’ was built in it’s place. However our buildings were built in early 1800 and would have been adjacent to Llyswen Farm and the size matches what it was at that time. It is also next to the river mentioned and the hermitage he built is only a small step over a tiny stream running into the River Wye just up river from our Shepherds Hut.
The fields and hedges on our farm (and alongside the Shepherds Hut) go back in the tithe maps to medieval plans (surviving ridge and furrow cultivation strip fields) along with the churchyard next door. Although St Gwendolines Church has been rebuilt (1862), the Churchyard dates back to early medieval times, along with the bell and the font still dating back to the earlier Church. Llyswen reputedly had a Norman Castle and in the 14th century, it is recognised as one of the Marcher Lords demenses.