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Buildings

• Carreghofa Castle (Done)
• Dinas Powys Castle
• Llandough Castle (Done)
• St Clears Castle
• St Mary's Church, Caerhun
• St Peter's Church, Glasbury (DONE)
• Peniarth, Gwynedd
• Nerquis Hall (Done)
• Trefecca Fawr
• Bryndraenog

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• Gruffudd Llwyd (Welsh Rebel) Welsh traditional hero and rebel of the 14th century (DONE)
• Lewis Caerleon physician to Elizabeth , widow of Edward IV , Margaret Countess Richmond and Henry Tudor (Done)
• Hywel Stanfod Hughes cattle rancher and Welsh nationalist 1886 - 1970
• Daniel Jonesm (Missionary) Calvinistic Methodist missionary in the Khasi Hills, India (1813 -1846)
• Owain ap Gruffydd (of Deheubarth) Welsh prince (of Deheubarth) died 18 Jan 1236

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Trefecca Fawr

Trefecca Fawr is a well-preserved, 17^th century Welsh gentry house located in Talgarth, Powys. Constructed in approximately 1650, the property has been owned by various notable individuals including Thomas Harris (in the 18^th century) and the Gwynne family (18^th and 19^th century). The two-storey gentry house is a CADW Grade I Listed Building, whilst the surrounding land is listed as a Grade II landscape.

Ownership History

Though the original owner is hard to determine, shortly after its construction in 1650, Trefecca Fawr became one of the residences of powerful landowner Rebecca Prosser.

By the late 17^th century the property switched hands to Thomas Harris (1705-1782), a cousin of the Prosser family. Thomas Harris, the brother of religious reformer Howell Harris (1714-1773), became the sheriff of Brecknock in 1768 and subsequently bought estates in Trefecca and Tregunter. Whilst in the early 19^th century the property was used as accommodation for his brother's religious college, his descendants allegedly lost ownership of the Trefecca estate in 1842 through gambling.

By the turn of the 20^th century, Trefecca Fawr was purchased by the notable Gwynne family, who have historical ties in Wales dating back to the Medieval period. These Gwynnes were descendants of Marmaduke Gwynne of Garth, who had supported Howell Harris during the religious revival. Evidence of the Gwynne family's ownership of the property is visible in their coat of arms which hangs above the central stone arch and door. The property was subsequently sold by the Gwynne family in 1930, switching ownership multiple times again before being purchased by the current owners in 1996. This remains a private property and is not open for visitors.

The Building

Trefecca Fawr is a two-storey gentry house, originally designated Grade I Listed Building in 1952. Additions and reconstructions have frequently occurred throughout its 3-century existence. A West wing was added between 1675 and 1700, an East wing between 1770 and 1790 and a North extension sometime in the 1700s.

The site the property is constructed on has ancient monastic origins. Whilst it is alleged that some of the stone material used to construct Trefecca Fawr dates to the sites original 12^th century buildings, there is little archaeological evidence to support this claim. Furthermore, the area around the property is considered by some to be the rumoured location of the unidentified 12^th century Waynard Castle.

The Gardens

In addition to the building, Trefecca Fawr is surrounded by a large open space, which is a designated Grade II CADW landscape. Multiple small buildings were constructed on the land, initially with utilitarian agricultural purposes, though none of these have survived past the early 1900s. To the North are two rectangular fishponds dating to the 12^th century (one fishpond is 70m x 25m and the other 45m x 16m).

Formal gardens lie to the West of the property, the construction of which is commonly attributed to the Gwynne family in the early 20^th century. Influenced by the international Arts and Crafts design movement, the gardens were renovated with a stone paved terrace, wildflowers and a tennis court. The designer responsible for the remodelling is unknown.

Notably, the Trefecca Fawr premises also contained a large apple and pear orchard, which at its height in the 1850s spanned more than 10 acres. Though only few individual trees remain of the original orchard, a new orchard has been planted in recent years.