The 5th Llanfyllin Workhouse Festival, held in the summer, was a sell-out and greatly enjoyed by everyone, despite all the inevitable rain and knee-high mud ñ fortunately not as deep as last year’s!

The event won The Greener Festival Award, which was a major boost for the organisers and tied in well with the other projects underway at the site.

The Workhouse building, on the outskirts of Llanfyllin in Powys, Mid Wales, is a monumental example of Victorian institutional architecture. Built 180 years ago to house the poor and the destitute, it remained a workhouse until the 1930s.

Recently, a group of interested local people formed a charitable Trust and, with the help of a mortgage from the Ecology Building Society, they bought the building to help save it and benefit the community. The Workhouse Festival Committee, another group of volunteers, joined forces with the Trust so that this year, all the event’s profits covered the mortgage costs and insurance.

The Workhouse and its surrounding land is effectively owned and managed by the community for the community. ‘We are striving to integrate education, arts, entertainment and employment, by using a holistic and sustainable approach based on sound environmental principles,’ said Ian Garland, Chief Executive of the Preservation Trust.

The entire building will be gradually restored to provide excellent facilities for a variety of events. The venue, which includes a bar, is an intimate space for music and performance. Since opening in September, it has already managed to raise some of the extra funds needed to complete the project.

When finished, the venue will include a gallery, community garden and workshop units for rent by social enterprises, while educational facilities, a training centre and bunkhouse accommodation will cater for residential courses.

A history centre, aimed at schools and visitors, will uncover some of the untold stories of the poor, who once lived in the area. Staff are currently working alongside The National Archives to catalogue thousands of unread documents.

The project is still in need of extra funding and more volunteers to continue with the restoration. Anyone interested in helping will be welcomed with open arms. Visitors can stay in the bunkhouse accommodation or camp in the grounds.

Contact: The Workhouse,
Llanfyllin, Powys, SY22 5LD
Tel: +44 (0)1691 649062
Website: www.llanfyllinworkhouse.org

Photo: © The Workhouse