Cantref, Powys
Cantref was a parish in Brecknockshire, Wales. Today the area is part of Powys.
The parish covered an area of the Brecon Beacons with no settlements of note.[1] The name comes from Cantref Tewdos, a cantref being a subdivision of land in medieval Wales. Tewdos was a personal name, to distinguish from the larger Cantref Mawr.[2]
St Mary's Church was largely rebuilt in 1829, and further renovated in 1867. Only the tower and the font survived from any previous structures, the tower is believed to date to around 1600, and the font is believed to date to the 12th century. The church was originally dedicated to St Cynidr. To the west of the church is Cantref House, which was rebuilt in the 1790s.[2]
Throughout the early to mid 19th century Cantref had a population around 200. A population of 411 was recorded in the 1891 census, but this looks like an error given the parish's population in 1881 (197) and 1901 (185). By the time its population was last recorded in 1971 it had fell to 124.[3] In 1974 it became a community and it was abolished in 1986.[4] Today it is part of Llanfrynach community.
Cantref Reservoir was constructed between 1886 and 1892. It is the middle out of three in the Taff Fawr valley. To its north is Beacons Reservoir and to its south is Llwyn-onn Reservoir.