CANTREF, a parish, in the hundred of PENCELLY, county of BRECKNOCK, SOUTH WALES, comprising the upper division, or chapelry
of Nantddk and the lower division, or hamlet of Cantref, and containing 211 inhabitants, of which number, 109 are in the
hamlet of Cantref, 3 miles (8. E. by 8.) from Brecknock. This parish, formerly called Cynnedd, is situated about a mile
from the river Usk, and a little further from the main road from London to Milford: it forms a parallelogram of about two
miles in breadth, and nearly fifteen in length from the eastern to the southsouth -western extremity, and includes
within its limits the lofty summits of the Brecknockshire Beacons, the lowest of which is situated to the south, and the
other two, sometimes called Ceder Arthur, or Arthur's Chair, are nearly of an equal height. The two most southerly points
of these hills, when viewed from a short distance, present in shape the appearance of nearly perfect cones, their summits
consisting of flat surfaces not more than fifteen square yards in extent. Beneath the point in the centre, at some little
distance, there is a small circular pool of brackish water: the apex of this hill is two thousand five hundred and fifty
feet above the bed of the river Usk at Brecknock, and about three thousand above the level of the sea, being the highest
in South Wales, and commanding a most extensive prospect, including the Bristol channel from the Mumble Head to Kingswood,
the Malvern hills in Worcestershire, and parts of fourteen counties. To the north-east of it there is a terrific
precipice, nearly perpendicular, of at least six hundred feet from the top to the spot where the descent, though still
abrupt, partially loses its precipitous character, and begins to be more gradual. This mountainous region, which forms the
middle portion of the parish, consists entirely of waste land, adapted only for sheep-walks; the two extremities alone
are under tillage. The Brecknock and Abergavenny canal to Newport passes at the distance of about half a mile from the
eastern, and the Cardiff canal to Merthyr-Tydvil about five miles from the western, extremity of the parish. The living is
a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Brecknock, and diocese of St. David's, rated in the king's books at £9. 10. 7k., and in
the patronage of the Rev. Thomas Powell. The advowson formerly belonged to the lords of Brecknock, and, on the attainder
of the Duke of Buckingham, became vested in the crown, and was granted to William Awbrey, D. C. L., Master of the Court of
Requests in the reign of Elizabeth: from this family it passed by marriage to the Powells of Cantref, and finally, by
purchase, to their collateral relations, the Powells of Swansea, to whom it has belonged since the early part of the
seventeenth century, several members of that family having been incumbents, and distinguished by their literary
attainments. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is romantically situated on a well-wooded eminence just above the river
Cynrig: it consists of a nave and chancel, rebuilt in 1829, at the expense of the parishioners, and a small low tower at
the west end, containing two bells. In the churchyard, which commands a beautiful prospect, there are some fine yew trees,
on one of which, at the distance of about twelve feet from the ground, a mountain ash has taken root, and, not deriving
sufficient nourishment from the old tree on which it grows, has struck down its roots through the decayed trunk, which
have long since penetrated into the earth. The parsonage-house was rebuilt about the year 1792, and has since been
repaired and altered. In consequence of the church being situated at the eastern extremity of the parish, a chapel has
been erected at NantMA, about ten miles distant, for the convenience of the inhabitants of that hamlet and Hepste, the
living of which is a perpetual curacy, endowed with £1000 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the Rector. An overseer is
appointed for each end, or division, of the parish, though the inhabitants unite in the general maintenance of the poor.
There are some mineral springs among the mountains, but they are not resorted to for medicinal purposes. Among the
incumbents of the family of Powell mostly deserving notice may be mentioned the Rev. Thomas Powell, born here in 1627, who
published " Elementa °pace," in 1651; "Quadruga Salutis," or the " Four General Heads of the Christian Religion," in 1657;
" The Catechism, Lord's Prayer, and Commandments, in Welsh and English, with comments and explanations; " " Human
Industry, or a History of most of the Manual Arts ;" " The Life of Herod ;" and "Translations from the Italian of
Malvezzi, and the French of Balsac; " and left an interesting work in manuscript, now unfortunately lost, entitled
"Fragmenta de rebus Britannicis," or "a Short Account of the lives, manners, and religion of the British Druids." His son
Thomas, also rector, was a man of considerable talent: being reproached by one of his countrymen on account of the
meanness of his descent, although able to boast of a line of ancestry as respectable as any iu the county, he good-
humouredly replied, extemporaneously in Welsh verse, which, being rendered into English prose, runs thus; —" And so you
think I am no gentleman ? Well! I'll answer you in few words:—from Noah and his three sons sprang all mankind, and from
one of them came the parson of Cantref." The average annual expenditure for the support of the poor, in both divisions of
the parish, amounts to £147.2.