Builth Wells
Builth Wells is a market community and also area in the region of Powys and also historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire), mid Wales, existing at the confluence of rivers Wye as well as Irfon, in the Welsh (or upper) part of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,568. Most of the town's structures, consisting of the 1876 Market Hall, were developed from stone from Llanelwedd Quarry. Much of the facing and other clothed rock used in the construction of the Elan Valley dams was likewise quarried below. The quarry generated the first occurrence of laumontite in Wales. The quarry is currently operated by Hanson Aggregates. Builth is a longstanding anglicization of the Old Welsh Buellt/Buallt which combines bu be, similar to some Middle English orthography), suggesting "ox" with gellt (later gwellt), implying "lea or leas"; the same form is used regardless of gender of the animal. The community added "Wells" in the 19th century when its springs were promoted as a site visitor attraction. Its contemporary Welsh name Llanfair-ym-Muallt indicates "Saint Mary in Ox Leas".
