Half price deals at tourist attractions
Two of Welshpool's major tourist attractions have got together to announce half price entertainment this summer.
Powis Castle and Garden and the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway have announced their half-price partnership which means that anyone presenting a ticket from one of the veues to the other within seven days will be offered a half-price ticket for the second venue.
Powis Castle and Garden is open every day from 11am until 5.30pm. You can find up to date news and info at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/powis or on Facebook or Twitter at @NTPowisCastle
The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) runs from 10am to 6pm, daily through August. You can find up to date timetables and events at www.wllr.org.uk or on Twitter at @Llanfairline
Powis Castle began life as the medieval fortress of the Welsh princes of Powys, who held onto their kingdom despite the threats of their more powerful neighbours in Gwynedd and England.
· In 1587, Powis was sold to Sir Edward Herbert who created the romantic long gallery which is richly decorated with the coats of arms of his ancestors.
· The first Marquess of Powis was forced into exile in 1668 due to his loyalty to the deposed King James II.
· In 1784, the marriage of Lady Henrietta Herbert and Edward Clive, son of Robert Clive, the conqueror of India, combined the Powis and Clive estates.
· In the early 20th Century, the 4th Earl of Powis and his wife, Lady Violet, redecorated much of the castle and brought the garden back to life, introducing new varieties from all over the world.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway Facts:
The railway was opened in 1903 principally to carry farmers’ produce from surrounding villages to market in Welshpool.
· The line was closed by British Rail in 1956 but reopened by preservationists in 1963, initially running from Llanfair Caereinion to Castle Caereinion. Trains returned to the full eight-mile route to Welshpool in 1982 after a new station was built on Powis Estates land.
· The railway still has its two original steam locomotives, ‘The Earl’ and ‘Countess’ named after The Earl and Countess of Powis and dating from 1902. It also has locomotives previously used in Belgium, Austria, Antigua, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Romania and Glasgow gasworks!
· The carriages come from Austria and Hungary and have continental-style end balconies that passengers can stand on for a close-up view of the engine at work.
· The line is still run almost entirely by volunteers. The Earl of Powis, former owner of Powis Castle, has been President of the
preservation company since its formation in the early 1960s.
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