During the First World War there was a prisoner of war camp in Glangrwyney. It was one of three in the then Crickhowell RDC area, the others being near Pen-y-gaer below Bwlch and at the Hermitage in the Grwyne Fechan above Llanbedr. A good deal is known about those but almost nothing about what would appear to be the less isolated Glangrwyney camp. What we do know is that in December 1919 the parish council purchased a hut from the camp to be re-erected on ground adjoining the Mission Church in Glangrwyney for use as a recreation and concert room and in the same month the ‘Llangrwyney Camp’ was included in a sale of ‘surplus government property’ from all three camps by Straker Chadwick, the Abergavenny auctioneers. Nothing else has so far been found.

Is there anyone with a good knowledge of the Glangrwyney area who might be able to provide any information on the camp’s location or any of the activities associated with it?

The query arises from a research project of the Crickhowell District Archive Centre in association with the Crickhowell and District History Society into the lives of the fallen of our district in World War 1 and on the impact of the war. A book, ‘Young Men, to Arms!, based on that research will shortly be published and this is one of the few remaining queries which we hope to resolve before it goes into print.

If you can help, please contact Crickhowell District Archive Centre, 1st Floor, CRiC Building, Beaufort Street, Crickhowell, NP8 1BN, Tel: 01873-810922, Email: archive@visitcrickhowell.co.uk. The Archive Centre is open Monday-Friday 10.00 – 12.30pm.  Or phone Geoff Williams: 01873-811 300.