Berriew
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|---|---|
  Berriew Location withinPowys | |
| Population | 1,334 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SJ187008 |
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MONTGOMERY |
| Postcode district | SY15 |
| Post town | WELSHPOOL |
| Postcode district | SY21 |
| Dialling code | 01686 |
| Police | Dyfed-Powys |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
52°35′47″N3°12′09″W / 52.59628°N 3.20263°W /52.59628; -3.20263 Community map
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Berriew (Welsh:Aberriw) is a village andcommunity inMontgomeryshire,Powys, Wales. It is on theMontgomeryshire Canal and the Afon Rhiw, near theconfluence (Welsh:aber) with theRiver Severn (Welsh:Afon Hafren)atgrid referenceSJ185005, 79 miles (128 km) fromCardiff and 151 miles (243 km) fromLondon.[citation needed] The village itself had a population of 283.[2] and the community also includesGarthmyl Hall andRefail.
Berriew contains many architecturally important buildings. There are 103Listed Buildings in Berriew of which 5 areGrade II*. Nearly a quarter of the listed building are connected with theMontgomeryshire Canal which runs across the parish to the S.E. of Berriew.[3] The most important of the listed buildings areVaynor, which is probably the earliest brick built house of the mid-17th. century still standing in Montgomeryshire, and Glansevern, designed by the notable Shrewsbury architectJoseph Bromfield in theGreek Revival style and probably the best example of his work. There are two important timber-framed houses, the Vicarage which is dated 1616 and Lower Cil Farmhouse. An illustration of the Vicarage was used to illustrate the dustwrapper of the 1st edition of Peter Smith's important book on WelshVernacular Architecture ‘'Houses of The Welsh Countryside'’.[4] Another notable house isGarthmyl Hall, Berriew, which is by a leading 19th century designer and architectJames Kellaway Colling. There are also a number of other larger houses in Berriew which include Brithdir, a timber-framed house which was considerably extended in the early 19th century; Pennant, a fine early brick house built in 1755; Rhiewport, aRegency house that is also probably by Joseph Bromfield, and Trwstllwelyn, a house with much early 18th century brickwork.
A sad loss was the fantasy Gothic villa of Bodheilin in Brithdirtownship, which was burnt down in 1906.[5]
Rather than the individual houses, Berriew is best remembered for its half timbered cottages which cluster around the churchyard and along the banks of the riverRhiew. There are further examples in thetownship of Refail. These can probably be attributed to the architectThomas Penson. In the late 1830s, at the same time as Penson was working on remodellingVaynor Park in Berriew for John Winder Lion-Winder, he was also remodelling and building houses in Berriew for the Vaynor estate.[6] As a result of his work Berriew developed as a village with many attractiveCottage Ornée houses. Some of these were rebuilt from earliertimber framed buildings, while others were built in aTudor Revival style and are some of the earliest examples ofBlack-and-white Revival architecture. Penson's work can be recognised by the massive brick chimney stacks which have been added to the houses, the ornamentalbargeboards to thegables and in some cases the black and white painting on the brick work to give the impression of timber framing.[7]
The Berriew section of The Montgomery Canal has a number of important features including a restored lock and the Grade II listed aqueduct which carries the canal over the River Rhiw. It has four segmental arches and is the second-largest masonry structure on the canal. First opened in 1797, it was largely rebuilt in the 19th century and fully restored in the 20th century.
Berriew Community Council represents the interests of the local community and has 11 elected or co-opted members.[11]
Berriew was also a county ward, electing one county councillor to sit onPowys County Council. Since 1995 the ward was represented byIndependents, and by Cllr Dai Davies since 2008.[12][13] Following a boundary review, Berriew ward became Berriew and Castle Caereinion, after theCastle Caereinion community was added to it, effective from the2022 local elections.[14]
Berriew F.C. play in theCentral Wales Football League North, the fourth level of the Welsh football league system.
Mirror-artist and sculptorAndrew Logan bought the village squash courts and converted the building into a sculpture museum.
There are twopubs in the village, The Talbot and the Lion Hotel. There is also The Horseshoes, a little way out of the village.
The Berriew Show is a major attraction for the village and is held every August Bank Holiday Saturday. Attracting locals and people from miles around, it is a showcase for horticulture, agriculture and local craft and has thriving dog, horse and sheep shows.
Berriew has won this competition many times - although the scheme has now been discontinued. It was first won in 1970.
