Special Sub-Topic: Mach in the Middle Click Here To Play: Mach in the Middle

The local inhabitants call Machynlleth 'Mach'. According to the 2001 census, roughly how many local inhabitants are there?

2000. Machynlleth has been around for centuries. Archaeologists have unearthed artifacts that have been radiocarbon-dated at 2,750 years old, the time of the Early Bronze Age. At that time, the inhabitants were kept busy mining copper. As the years progressed, the economy became more agrarian, and when I lived there, there were probably more sheep than people in the area. Nowadays, Machynlleth is something of an arts centre and home to many fine artists, artisans and craftspeople.

One of the earliest references to Machynlleth is the charter granted to Owen de la Pole by Edward 1. One of the rights granted under the charter is still in effect today. What was it?

The right to hold a market every Wednesday in perpetuity. Owen de la Pole, Lord of Powys, received his charter in 1291. Under its terms, he was entitled to hold a market every Wednesday and a fair twice a year. The Wednesday market is still a big draw, with stalls featuring everything from fruit and vegetables, plants and cheese, and local art and handcrafts.

From 1859 to 1948 a narrow gauge railway brought what commodity into the town for distribution to wider markets?

Slate. The railway ran from the slate quarries in nearby Corris and Aberllefeni to Machynlleth, from whence it was shipped by rail to markets all over the world. Prior to the First World War my Taid (grandfather) was an engineer at the slate quarry in Corris. Unfortunately, it was his very skill with explosives that got him killed in 1916 in Flanders, so I never knew him. The main-line railway connects Machynlleth to the Cambrian coast and Aberystwyth to the west and Newtown and Shrewsbury to the east. Coal was mined mostly in the south. While the Welsh have always been involved in the wool business (they eat tons of lamb, so they have to do something with the fleeces!), there's not much wool produced in slate quarries. Same goes for meat.

The Town Clock Tower has become a landmark symbol of the town. When was it erected?

1874. The Clock Tower, which stands at the junction of Pentrerhedyn and Maengwyn Streets, the town's two major thoroughfares, was built by the townspeople to celebrate the 21st birthday of Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, the eldest son of the Marquess of Londonderry. It stands on the site of the old Town Hall. The Marquess of Londonderry had married the daughter of Sir John Edwards, a local landowner, and the family built Plas Machynlleth, a Palladian-style mansion in a well-treed park just off Maengwyn Street.

The town is located in what used to be the county of Montgomeryshire, which is now part of the region called - what?

Powys. Machynlleth is in what is now Powys, in the Dyfi Valley. The town site is surrounded by hills, so that it sits in what amounts to a green bowl. The name Machynlleth translates from Welsh to English as 'gentle plain' (ma = plain or low-lying land, and cynllaith = gentle or kind when it is an adjective, as it is in this case. However cynllaith also means slaughter or destruction when it is a noun. Go figure!) Some people will try to tell you that the name derives from Maglona, which was the name given by the Romans to their fort at nearby Pennal, but there is no connection.

The Romans built a fort at Pennal, near the town, and maintained lookout posts on two hills above Machynlleth. What was the name of the fort?

Maglona. The fort was known as Maglona, and the look out points were on Bryn-y-gog and Wylfa. Traces of them are still discernible, and indeed, when I was a child, we used to climb Wylfa by way of the 'Roman Steps'. They may have been natural outcroppings of rock, but local legend held that they were carved out by the Romans as a means of access to the hilltops for the soldiers on sentry duty. That seems a bit daft to me, because the steps would provide access for the very people that the sentries were on the look out for - those blue woad-covered Welshmen who didn't take kindly to the Romans.

The Plas Machynlleth, the former country home of the Marquess of Londonderry, was given to the town after World War II. From 1995 until 2006 the mansion was the home of Celtica. What was Celtica?

A museum of Celtic life. Celtica was a great idea, featuring audio-visual displays and exhibits of Celtic life, in much the same way as the Viking Museum in York. Unfortunately it never attracted visitors in the required numbers to make it viable, and the centre closed in 2006. Town talk has it that it will be the site of the new Council Offices.

The last Welsh Prince of Wales to rebel against the English was crowned Prince of Wales in Machynlleth. Who was he?

Owain Glyndwr. Owain Glyndwr established his parliament in Machynlleth and was crowned Prince of Wales there in 1404, with representatives of the kings of Scotland, France and Spain looking on. On this basis, Machynlleth claims status as the ancient capital of Wales. Owain Glyndwr was a thorn in the side of Henry V. Owain's Parliament House, a handsome black-and-white timbered building, still stands on Maengwyn Street, and I took my first ballet lessons there. Davy Gam (Gam means 'lame', by the way. I wonder if that's where we get the term 'gammy leg'?) attempted to assassinate Owain. He was imprisoned in the Parliament House from 1404 to 1412 after that failed attempt. Later, Davy fought alongside Henry V at Agincourt and you'll find his name recorded in Shakespeare's 'Henry V' as one of those who died at that great battle. Llewelyn ap Gruffydd (1223-1282) was the last leader of a unified Wales before its conquest by Edward I. Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132-97) was the Prince of Deheubarth in South Wales. Ap means 'son of' in Welsh.

One of the mediaeval houses still extant in the town is called Royal House. Why?

Charles I is reputed to have stayed there in 1643. The story goes that the beleaguered Stewart monarch sought respite in Machynlleth shortly after the start of the English Civil War. I don't blame him. He must have found some measure of peace in the quiet town. Much of Wales remained loyal to the crown during the Civil war, and the Welsh suffered reprisals under Cromwell for that.

An important centre for promoting sustainable living is located in the area. What is it called?

The Centre for Alternative Technology. A major attraction for visitors, the Centre for Alternative Technology exists to promote use of energy sources other than fossil fuels. Set in seven acres of rural beauty, the Centre offers a variety of interactive displays and activities, from a water-cliff railway, organic gardens, and information on how we can all become more environmentally-friendly.