The River Usk

1. The River Usk Why do towns develop on bridging points of a river?

2. A bridging point is crossing point over a river . The town of Brecon grew up at bridging points of the River Usk. Click here to view online aerial footage of the River Usk at Brecon.

3. The town of Brecon grew up at a meeting of routes where the River Honddu flows into the River Usk at bridging points. Important trading would have happened here. The photograph below shows the bridge over the River Uskand Christ College in Brecon in 1870. The old map of Brecon in 1832 above gives us a very good idea of the shape of the landscape and the development of the town. The castle in Brecon was originally built to defend the town and control these routes.

4. Brecon is a historic market town. Much trading was carried out here because of the towns position on the river. Today Brecon has a population of roughly 8,000 with around 6,000 in the surrounding area. Brecon is the English name for the town, the Welsh name, Aberhonddu, deriving from the River Honddu, which empties into the River Usk near the town centre, a short distance away from the River Tarrell which enters the Usk a few hundred meters upstream. Today Brecon is a thriving community, and is popular as a holiday destination, being on the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, affording good views of the Brecon Beacons themselves, a range of hills, including Pen-y-Fan, the highest point in southern Britain at 886m. In August an annual Jazz festival held in the town centre, and the 400-seat Theatr Brycheiniog next to the redeveloped canal basin to the east of the town centre also brings in many visitors.

5. What can you remember? Do you know why towns develop on bridging points of a river?