Elan valley Gallery

On a sunny but cold Sunday morning, 53 members, including their partners, met at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, just outside of Rhayader

Elan Valley visit on Sunday 10th April

On a sunny but cold Sunday morning, 53 members, including their partners, met at the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, just outside of Rhayader, for a visit to see the workings of the Pen-y-Garreg dam. Our guide, ranger Rob Andrews, led us in convoy up to the nearest car park, from where we walked beside the outflow of the dam before the path made a fairly steep ascent to a small doorway in the dam wall. We then entered the internal access corridor, which took us inside the wall to the central tower, along the way passing small unglazed apertures which allowed us to look out down the valley below the wall. In places water was cascading over the wall of the dam and the view through the “windows” was similar to looking out from inside a waterfall!

Once in the tower, our ranger explained the history of the construction of the six Elan Valley dams.  The building work began in 1893 after the land was bought under compulsory purchase orders. 100 people living in the Elan Valley had to move, and only landowners received compensation payments. Many buildings were demolished, including 3 manor houses, 18 farms, a school and a church. Pen-y-Garreg is the middle dam and took around 5000 men 11 years to complete. Materials were delivered by a new railway line, and the purpose of the complex of dams was to supply clean water to Birmingham, which the Elan Valley continues to do over 100 years later. On 21st July 1904 King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra opened the Elan dams and water started flowing along the 74 miles of pipeline to Birmingham. The whole of the Elan scheme cost £6 million and employed 50,000 men in total.

After a very interesting visit, we all drove to The Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells, where we were joined by another four members for a most enjoyable Sunday lunch. As is the R13 tradition, over lunch our brains were taxed by a quiz, consisting of 21 car related questions.