Elan Valley dam, Rhyader: the model village built for the corporation employees

NOTES: The Elan Valley scheme was a project to supply clean water to Birmingham, some 20 miles away. The proposal was to dam the Elan and Caerwen rivers and originally three dams were constructed in Elan Valley by engineers Gray and Mansergh between 1893-1904. These comprised Caban Coch with Garreg-ddu, Pen-y-garreg and Craig Coch. Three more dams were proposed in the Caerwen Valley, but postponed owing to the Second World War and with improvements to materials and engineering meant a much larger concrete dam could be built higher up the valley. This was the Caerwen dam which was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. The model village seen here was built from 1900.