he Radnorshire side of the Wye, follows
that river from Rhayader to Three Cocks; the Midland railway from
Hereford to Swansea runs through the centre of the county, effecting
junctions at Three Cocks with the Cambrian, at Talyllyn with the Brecon
& Merthyr railway (which connects the county with the industrial areas
of East Glamorgan and West Monmouthshire), and at Capel Colbren with the
Neath and Brecon line. The North-Western and Rhymney joint line skirts
the south-eastern boundary of the county. Brecon is also connected with
Newport by means of the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal, which was
completed in 1801 and is 35 m. in length. The Swansea Canal and that of
the Vale of Neath have also their northern terminal within the county,
at Ystradgynlais and Abernant respectively. The main roads of the county
are probably the best in South Wales.

_Population and Administration._--The area of the ancient county is
475,224 acres, with a population in 1891 of 57,031 and in 1901 of
59,907. The area of the administrative county is 469,301 acres. The only
municipal borough is Brecon, which is the county town, and had in 1901 a
population of 5741. The other urban districts are Brynmawr, Builth Wells
and Hay, with populations of 6833, of 1805 and of 1680 respectively in
1901. Crickhowell and Talgarth are market towns, while Llanwrtyd Wells
is a rapidly developing health resort. The county forms part of the
South Wales circuit, and the assizes are held at Brecon. It had one
court of quarter sessions, and is divided into ten petty sessional
divisions. The borough of Brecon has a separate commission of the peace,
but no separate court of quarter sessions. There are 94 civil parishes,
while the ecclesiastical parishes or districts wholly or in part within
the county number 70, of which 67 are in the diocese of St David's and
the archdeaconry of Brecon, the remaining 3 being in the diocese of
Llandaff. The county is not divided for parliamentary purposes, and
returns one member to parliament. It contains a small part of the
parliamentary borough of Merthyr Tydfil.

In the eastern parts and along the Wye valley, English has become the
predominant language, but in the rest of the county, especially north of
the Eppynt range, Welsh occupies that position. In 1901 about 51% of the
population above three years could speak both English and Welsh, 38%
could speak English only and 11% Welsh only. The majority of the
population is Nonconformis