Epynt clearance facts for kids

The Epynt clearance (also known as Cliriad Epynt or Y Chwalfa, meaning "The Upheaval" in Welsh) was a sad event where a whole community was forced to leave their homes. In 1940, around 200 people, including families with children, were evicted from their homes in Mynydd Epynt, Powys, Wales. This included 54 farms and even a local pub. The British Army and the War Office carried out these evictions to create the Sennybridge Training Area (SENTA). Today, this is the largest military training area in Wales.

Many people remember this event with the phrase "Cofiwch Epynt," which means "Remember Epynt." It's a way to keep the memory of what happened alive, similar to "Cofiwch Dryweryn," another important Welsh phrase.

Why the Army Needed the Land

In September 1939, an army officer visited the local school. He asked the children to help him find and identify fifty-two homes. By December, every family in these homes received a notice. They were told they had to leave their properties by the end of April. The letter explained that the land was very important for the war effort during World War II. It also promised that the families would be paid for their losses.

People Spoke Out

Many Welsh politicians and important people spoke against the army taking the land. However, their protests were mostly ignored. People at the time thought that opposing the army was against the war effort. Some even thought it was a sign of being against Britain.

The evictions happened during the lambing season, which is when sheep give birth. Because of this, some farmers were given a little more time to move. But by June 1940, everyone had left. In total, about four hundred people were forced to move. The army took over 30,000 acres (about 12,000 hectares) of land. This area is now the main part of the Sennybridge Training Area (SENTA). It is one of the biggest military training zones in the UK.

What Happened to the Village?

Military training operations destroyed most of the original buildings in Mynydd Epynt. This included chapels and their cemeteries. Despite this, an artificial village was built there in 1988. This area is called the Fighting In Built Up Areas zone (FIBUA). It has many fake buildings, including a pretend chapel with imitation gravestones.

How the Evictions Changed Lives

The evictions, also known as Y Chwalfa (the clearing) in Welsh, had a big impact. Euros Lewis, a historian, said it was "the death blow to Welsh-speaking Breconshire." He compared it to the end of the community in Capel Celyn, another Welsh village that was flooded.

Impact on the Welsh Language

Many of the evicted people moved to areas where English was spoken more often. This meant the evictions greatly affected Y Fro Gymraeg (Welsh-speaking Wales). It made the Welsh-speaking area in eastern Wales smaller. It also reduced the number of different Welsh dialects spoken there.

Historically, old paths across Mynydd Epynt were protected as public rights of way. But after the army took over, all routes through the training area were closed.

Hopes of Returning Home

Later stories suggest that many of the evicted people believed they would return home after the Second World War ended. Some even left their keys in their doors. Others came back to keep their homes in good condition. Some even continued to plough their fields.

The military found it hard to keep some former residents away. For example, Thomas Morgan returned to his "Glandŵr" house every day. He would light a fire in the fireplace to protect the stone walls. Morgan was warned many times to stop returning. But he kept going until his home was destroyed by explosives. An army officer told him, "We’ve blown up the farmhouse. You won’t need to come here anymore."

A Sad Farewell

The evictions were recorded by Iorwerth Peate. He was the curator and founder of the Saint Fagan Folk Museum. Peate visited the area several times, including on the very last day of the evictions.

Peate wrote about meeting an elderly woman at her "Waunlwyd" home. She sat still and tearful with her back to her house. Peate later found out she was 82 years old. She had been born in that house, just like her father and grandfather. Peate felt the sadness of the moment. He tried to quietly leave, thinking she hadn't noticed him. But suddenly, the woman asked him where he was from. Peate answered "Caerdydd" (the Welsh name for Cardiff). She replied: "Fy machgen bach i, ewch yn ôl yno gynted ag y medrwch" ('My little one, return there as soon as you can'). Then she added, "Mae’n ddiwedd byd yma" ('it is the end of the world here'). This Welsh phrase, Mae’n ddiwedd byd yma, has become strongly linked to the evictions. It is also the title of a Welsh history book about Mynydd Epynt published in 1997.

Images for kids

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  The Drover's Arms, once a central part of the community