Thursday 12 March | 7:00pm (for 7:30 start) | £7.00

Step into a powerful chapter of local history as historian and author Eliane Wigzell explores the story of the Crickhowell Union Workhouse, known locally as “The Spike”.

Set on the hillside of the Dardy overlooking Crickhowell, the workhouse once served as the centre of the Crickhowell Poor Law Union. Its responsibility stretched across ten parishes — from the remote rural communities of Partrishow, Grwynefawr and Grwynefechan to the industrial towns of Brynmawr, Beaufort and Nantyglo — with the market town of Crickhowell at its heart.

Drawing on original sources including Board of Guardians minutes, newspaper reports and local school records, Eliane traces the development of the Union and the wider system of Victorian poor relief. But this is more than institutional history. Interwoven throughout are the deeply human stories of those who governed, worked within, and relied upon the workhouse system.

Expect an honest and sometimes sobering insight into social attitudes of the time. Stories of hardship, marital breakdown, alcoholism, neglect and extreme poverty sit alongside accounts of discipline, harsh judgements and hard labour. Through these records, the realities of 19th-century life in and around Crickhowell are brought vividly to life.

For visitors, this talk offers a deeper understanding of the landscape and communities of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. For local residents, it is a rare opportunity to connect with the documented stories of people who once lived, struggled and shaped the town and surrounding valleys.

An evening of thoughtful reflection, local insight and carefully researched history — and a reminder that the hills and streets we walk today hold many layers of untold stories.