Red House, Talgarth

PWMP logobutton_lang_welshRed House, Talgarth

talgarth_red_houseThis building was a shop for many decades. It’s now a private home – please respect the occupants’ privacy.

Red House was once the address of Samuel Prosser, who in 1828 was one of the founders of a “Fund for the Prosecution of Felons” in the Talgarth area. He and other subscribers paid into a fund which offered rewards for information about thieves who had stolen horses or sheep.

By the early 20th century, Red House had become the premises of photographer and picture framer W Cartwright. He sold “coloured local post cards” for a penny each. A ground-floor bay (shown in the photo) formed the shop windows and main entrance. The left-hand doorway led to a “Show room of Toys and Presents”.

Later the upper floor was the home of John Charles Powell, his wife Mary Jeanie and their two young daughters. He hailed from Hay-on-Wye and worked for local draper H J Stephens for 15 years. By spring 1914, he had moved with his family to Talgarth to manage Mr Stephens’ new branch shop in High Street which opened on 31 March. Mr Powell was well known in both towns through his work and his preaching at free churches.

In 1916 he became a Private with the South Wales Borderers. While on leave from training in Pembrokeshire, he conducted a service at Talgarth Baptist Church dressed in army khaki! After being involved in “fierce fighting” in spring 1917, he recuperated at a seaside hospital in the south of France and completed his recovery at home. He preached at the Congregational Church shortly before leaving Talgarth for the last time in September 1917.

He was shot in the Somme region of France and taken to a military hospital in Abbeville, where he died on 8 December 1917. He was 38 years old. A memorial service for him was held at Hay Baptist Church in February 1918.

Red House was variously a grocery, fish shop, café and bank later in the 20th century. It was a general store, selling ironmongery, electrical goods and pet food, from the 1980s until 2007, when the building became a house.

With thanks to Mike Skyrme

Postcode: LD3 0AB    View Location Map

Talgarth war memorial  Tour Label Navigation previous buttonNavigation next button