The History of Wales

On 1st December 1865, Llandrindod Wells was linked to the rail network for the first time.

Historically, the beneficial effects of Llandrindod’s local waters would have been known as far back as Roman times, but the development of the town only took place after the arrival of the railway in 1865, when it became a fashionable Victorian tourist destination.

The first attempt at developing the mainly agricultural area was in 1749, when a Mr Grosvenor built a large hotel on the banks of the present lake. This venture, however, was unsuccessful as the hotel acquired a dubious reputation and closed shortly after 1787. When the railway arrived, bringing visitors from London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham, the town flourished, with hotels and apartments springing up to cater for the 80,000 visitors that visited the town every year.

The depression that followed the First World War, coupled with the rising popularity of seaside holidays brought a dramatic decline in the number of visitors to the town. However, in recent years the town has started to see visitor numbers increase.