Powys

Powys is the largest county in Wales, covering much of central and eastern Wales and formed from the historic counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Brecknockshire. The county is largely rural, with upland moor, river valleys and areas of national park. Parts of the Brecon Beacons National Park lie within its borders, and the River Wye runs through the county, passing towns such as Builth Wells and Hay-on-Wye. Principal towns include Newtown, Welshpool, Brecon, Llandrindod Wells and Knighton.

Transport routes follow valley floors and the landscape is shaped by reservoirs and dams in places such as the Elan Valley, where late 19th-century masonry impounds a chain of reservoirs constructed to supply Birmingham. Offa's Dyke and the long-distance Offa's Dyke Path trace parts of the border with England and cross settlements including Knighton, where the earthwork runs close to the main street. Local economies combine agriculture, forestry and small-scale manufacturing, with market towns and a reputation for bookshops in Hay-on-Wye and Victorian spa architecture in Llandrindod Wells.