Welsh Journals

Table 1 HOLY WELLS IN WALES Old County No. of Holy Wells No. reputed to be curatwe Anglesey 19 10 Caernarvonshire 84 46 Denbighshire 20 13 Flintshire 6 5 Montgomeryshire 33 Ifj Merionethshire 23 20 Radnorshire 13 7 Brecknockshire 10 4 Cardiganshire 32 25 Pembrokeshire 36 21 Carmarthenshire 34 20 Glamorganshire 50 34 Monmouthshire 13 6 (Francis Jones, 1954) creasing popularity of seaside resorts. However, by the 1820s this trend was reversed and their renewed popularity led to the develop- ment of thriving communities, as at Llandrindod Wells which owes its development totally to the mineral waters found there. The spas were at the height of their popularity between 1840 and 1920 and dur- ing this period further springs were discovered, both in Llandrindod and 11 Km to the south, in the market town of Builth. The number of different mineral waters in Llandrindod at this time is difficult to establish with various authorities putting it between 12 and 30. After the First World War spas fell into decline, probably due to the development of more modern medical techniques. The smaller less accessible spas declined rapidly and fell into disuse in the 1930s. The larger spas had closed by the end of the Second World War ex- cept for Trefriw and Rock Park, Llandrindod which stayed open until 1952 and 1972 respectively.