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Vale of Llangollen

It's market day in Llangollen: sheep, pigs and calves are brought to the town on foot or by lorry and unloaded and re-loaded. It's all go but there is still time for tea and a smoke.

Amateur film 1946 4 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales

Overview

The Countryside Club, a Scottish organisation for those interested in walking and excursions, hits Llangollen on Market Day and the sheep, a pig, calves and farmers are filmed by club member David Sime, a pharmacist and photographer. Amongst the lorries and livestock, two men have decided it's time for a break and they settle down for a mug of tea and a smoke.

The film closes with a few shots of Plas Newydd, Llangollen, home from 1780 to 1829 of the remarkable 'Ladies of Llangollen', Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby. Both had fled Ireland, Eleanor because she did not wish to enter the nunnery her family had lined up for her and Sarah because she did not wish to become her guardian's second wife. They set up home together in Llangollen and were visited by numerous celebrities including the Duke of Wellington and William Wordsworth. The house is now open to the public as a museum.