It looks like a miniature version of the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament, although it’s not as loud as Big Ben.
Machynlleth Clock Tower stands majestically in the centre of town, at the junction of two main roads. Drivers have to make a decision at this point. Either they turn left for Aberystwyth, or right for Snowdonia.
If the Clock Tower is Machynlleth’s Big Ben, then what I’m standing beside now is Machynlleth’s Houses of Parliament.
This medieval stone townhouse was built on the site of the first Welsh Parliament, or Senedd, when Owain Glyndŵr was crowned Prince of Wales here in 1404.
Even though King Edward I had claimed victory over the Welsh in 1283, there was still a strong determination for Wales to reclaim its independence for many years after.
Owain Glyndŵr led that rebellion, which lasted nearly ten years. He had huge successes in the early years and by 1404, he had recaptured vast swathes of Wales.
Glyndŵr established his parliament in Machynlleth and, thanks to his direct connections with two historical Welsh royal families, cemented his claim as the Prince of Wales when he was crowned in this building.
Today, the building is a community hub, cafe, and bookshop, but I’m drawn to a glass display containing a historic document.
Known as the Pennal Letter, it was written in Latin in 1406 by Owain Glyndŵr to the King of France, Charles VI.
In it, Glyndŵr pledged his allegiance to Benedict XIII of Avignon, who claimed he was the rightful Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church, rather than Pope Innocent VII, who had Edward IV’s support.
Glyndŵr hoped the letter would raise funds to continue his rebellion, allowing him to create an independent Wales and establish an independent Welsh church separate from Canterbury’s control.
Unfortunately, the letter didn’t generate the French financial support he wanted, and by 1407 his fortunes were disappearing. By 1409, the English had forced him back to northwest Wales, the area we know today as Gwynedd.
After 1412, there’s little trace of Glyndŵr in the historical records, and nobody is really sure when and where he died.
Back out on the main street, I try imagining how different the town would look, had Glyndŵr succeeded and Machynlleth had become the true capital of Wales.
Would it have become as big as Cardiff?
I think I prefer it as a small town with a population of about 2,000. There’s a lovely, friendly feel about the place.
Thanks to CAT, the Centre of Alternative Technology, which was established three miles away in the 1970s, Machynlleth has a sustainable air about it.
The Centre is about finding sustainable ways of living, from using different materials to build houses, through to using more environmentally friendly sources of power.
With over fifty years of experience, this registered educational charity is now a centre of excellence, and its postgraduate courses in sustainable architecture, green buildings, and sustainable food are respected all over the world.
Most of Machynlleth’s main street is bustling with independent shops and cafes, many of which continue that sustainable ethos.
Not only does Dyfi Wholefoods stock a wide range of vegetarian and vegan supplies, but it’s also packed with organic produce and artisan breads. Shoppers can even refill their shampoo and washing-up liquid bottles in store, too.
And the nearby cafe, Ty Medi, won the Best Vegetarian Establishment in the 2023 Food Awards Wales.
Opposite is Ian Snow’s arts, crafts, and clothing store. Its exterior is painted a gorgeous shade of purple. Inside there’s an amazing array of throws, rugs, cushions, candles, glassware, ceramics, and jewellery, some of which are sourced from Nepal and India.
Machynlleth was also the birthplace of a truly British retail empire. At 35 Heol Maengwyn, I spot a plaque on the cream-coloured property. This was the location of Laura Ashley’s first shop.
Famous for her linen designs, Laura Ashley began selling her linen and fabric products via mail order and through high street names like John Lewis. But when the family moved to Wales in 1960, they opened their first Laura Ashley shop in Machynlleth the following year.
Laura was a self-taught fashion and textile designer, and the shop helped the business flourish. Two years later, the company opened a factory at Carno, seventeen miles up the road.
In its heyday, the company had fourteen factories across Wales. Sadly, the company folded in 2020.
Just around the corner is St Peter’s Church, which has been a site of worship since the 6th century, although the building I see today dates mainly from the 1800s.
Additional restoration took place between 1844 and 1846, funded by Mary Cornelia Edwards, a local woman who married Henry Vane Tempest, who later became the 5th Marquess of Londonderry.
They lived in a large house nearby, called Y Plas, with substantial grounds, which the family frequently allowed the townsfolk to use for public events and celebrations.
Mary frequently helped distribute food and clothes to the poor, and she funded the town’s first infant school, which was later converted into Machynlleth’s first hospital, thanks to another financial contribution from Mary.
Inside St Peter’s, I glance up at the stained-glass window dedicated to Mary. Although Owain Glyndŵr put Machynlleth on the map, it seems the town wouldn’t be what it is today without Lady Mary Cornelia Vane-Tempest.
There’s more to Machynlleth than the past, though, when I cross over the road to The Museum of Modern Art.
This Wesleyan Chapel was converted in the 1980s into a centre for performing arts. The Wesleyan pews are still used today in the 325-seater auditorium, although padded cushions mean they’re now much more comfortable than they were for sermons!
The building boasts seven galleries, focussing mainly on Welsh artists, and I marvel in the beauty of the Welsh pottery on display.
Machynlleth railway station opened in 1863 and, just like the road junction by the clock tower, it’s where many rail passengers make a decision.
Soon after Machynlleth, the line splits, with a spur bearing left to Aberystwyth and another turning right for Aberdyfi and Pwllheli.
Trains arriving from Shrewsbury split here, so passengers need to be sitting in the right carriage, otherwise they could end up at the wrong destination!
Heading east, the next stop is Caersws, some 22 miles away, making this the longest distance between two intermediate stations anywhere in Wales.
Three miles south of Machynlleth is Cors Dyfi, one of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust’s reserves and home to the Dyfi Osprey Project.
In 2007, a couple of osprey sightings encouraged the Trust to build a nest platform, hoping a pair of ospreys might raise a family there.
At this time, there was only one recorded pair of ospreys nesting anywhere in Wales.
A year later, a solitary male osprey occupied the nest. The Trust named him Monty. In 2010, another male osprey arrived and shared the nest with Monty. Although they got on well, this wasn’t what the Montgomery Wildlife Trust were hoping for!
Then, in 2011, Monty returned to the nest with a female from Rutland. The Trust named her Nora, and that summer Monty and Nora successfully raised three chicks.
Since then, another 34 chicks have been raised here.
A purpose-built observatory overlooks the nests, and there are binoculars and telescopes to get close-up views. The best time to visit is between April and August when the adult birds arrive for breeding, and then raise the young chicks until they fledge.
Just as I arrive back in Machynlleth, the clock tower chimes four. It might not be London’s Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben, but it rounds off what for me has been a capital day out.
Factfile
- Machynlleth Clock Tower is 78 feet tall, and cost £800 to build. Its refurbishment in 2024 cost £55,000.
- Jimmy Page and Robert Plant wrote several songs for their album, Led Zeppelin III, in a cottage on the outskirts of Machynlleth.
- Machynlleth sits near the meeting point of three counties: Powys, Gwynedd, and Ceredigion.
- The Centre for Alternative Technology’s education and conference centre has the UK’s tallest rammed earth walls at 7.2 metres.
- During World War I, huts were erected on Machynlleth Golf Course to house German prisoners of war.
Getting There
By Road: Machynlleth is 19 miles north of Aberystwyth on the A487 and 30 miles west of Newtown on the A489 and A470.
By Rail: Regular train services connect Machynlleth with Aberystwyth, Pwllheli, Shrewsbury, and Birmingham.
By Bus: Regular services connect Machynlleth with Aberystwyth, Dolgellau, Bangor, and Newtown.
Want To Know More?
Website: machynlleth.net