Talks and displays at Brecon’s y Gaer Museum, Art Gallery & Library on Saturday, April 11 highlighted the important place of Llangors Lake in national heritage and brought its history to life.

More than 150 people attended the event, which marked the centenary of the discovery of the museum’s 9th-century Llangors Log Boat and the recent publication of a booklet, ‘Llangors Lake - Past and Present’.

The main feature of the displays was a full-size replica of the log boat, made in 1993 by Channel 4’s Time Team, which was on public view outside y Gaer for the day.

The talks at y Gaer provided four snapshots of the unique heritage of Llangors Lake. Elaine Starling, co-author of the booklet, said it fills a gap in existing information about the lake and its surroundings for both local communities and visitors.

She highlighted the importance of archaeological investigations at the Llangors Crannog (an artificial island) in the 1990s, which provided material evidence that it once housed a royal court in the Kingdom of Brycheiniog, as well as underlining the lake’s environmental and recreational significance.

Ruth Richardson, a Herefordshire historian, then spoke about the lake’s importance as an eel fishery in the 16th century and the involvement of Herefordshire-born Blanche Parry, Chief Gentlewoman of Queen Elizabeth I’s Privy Chamber, in a dispute over her rights to the fishery.

The protracted case even reached the Queen’s Star Chamber in London after Blanche Parry questioned whether she would receive a fair hearing in court in Brecon.

Mervyn Bramley, a Brecknock Society member and y Gaer volunteer, gave an overview of the artefacts and artworks associated with the lake in the museum and art gallery’s collections.

These include the original Llangors Log Boat and clips from the Time Team programme, alongside high-status objects recovered during the 1990s archaeological excavations. Also featured are paintings and photographs that record the lake as a visitor attraction since the late 18th century, particularly for boating.

Finally, Roger Reese, from the Llyn Syfaddan (Llangors Lake) History Group, explained how a commercial eel trap on the River Llynfi, into which the lake flows, operated throughout the 20th century, supplying live eels for pie and mash shops via Billingsgate Fish Market in London.

Between the 1920s and 1950s, the trap was run by Llangors entrepreneur Thomas Jenkins, proprietor of the lake’s pleasure boats and discoverer of the Llangors Log Boat. Over a 26-year period, he dispatched 31 tonnes of live eels to market from the now-closed railway station at nearby Talyllyn Junction.

The day’s displays at y Gaer also included information boards on Llangors Lake from the Llyn Syfaddan History Group.

The event was organised jointly by the Brecknock Society & Museum Friends, the Llyn Syfaddan History Group, y Gaer Museum, Art Gallery & Library, and Ty Mawr Lime, who now care for the replica log boat.

The booklet, Llangors Lake – Past and Present, is available for £5 from Visit Brecon, the Crickhowell CRiC Centre, Llangors Community Shop and y Gaer, Brecon.