Former Angel Hotel, Brecon

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button_lang_welshFormer Angel Hotel, The Struet, Brecon

brecon_angel_hotelThis building was once the Angel Hotel. It’s now home to the Brecon branch of the Royal Air Forces Association. The hotel’s entrance, surrounded by a small portico, was in the centre of the frontage facing The Struet (where you now see a blank wall between two windows). The hotel is on the left in the old photo, shown here courtesy of Powys Archives.

In 1919 Eileen Talmage, whose parents kept the Angel Hotel by then, was one of two “Land Girls” chosen to represent Breconshire at a rally in London attended by Princess Mary (daughter of the future King George V). Miss Talmage, pictured below left, had joined the Women’s Land Army in May 1917 and worked at the Ffrwdgrech estate, south west of Brecon.

The Wombrecon_eileen_talmageen’s Land Army was formed in 1917 to employ women in place of male farm and forestry labourers who had joined the armed services. Its c.23,000 members played an important part in securing Britain’s food supply when food imports were reduced by the activities of German U-boats. The WLA was active in Powys. At a training centre on the Glanusk estate, near Crickhowell, up to 40 women at a time learned skills such as milking cows.

Inside the building is a Roll of Honour listing the men from The Struet who served in the First World War. It was created in 2007 by Colin Butcher, a signwriter then living in The Struet.

Brecon RAFA branch was formed by local RAF personnel returning from the Second World War. The branch originally met in pubs, starting in Ye Olde Cognac pub (in the town centre) in May 1946. As there was no prospect of the formation of a licensed Royal British Legion club, branch members decided to open their own club house. They initially rented the first floor of the former Green Dragon Hotel from March 1952. This proved to be so popular that the branch was able to purchase the Angel Hotel from Courage Brewery in 1971.

With thanks to Dave Coombe and Powys Archives

Postcode: LD3 7LT    View Location Map

Website of Powys Archives

Web page of Brecon RAFA (Facebook)

To continue the Brecon in WW1 tour, cross Market Street and continue a short way along The Struet. The next QR codes are at the butcher’s shop on the right
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