Welsh Journals

A THREATENED WELSHPOOL LANDMARK. By J. Moretox PEARSON. THREATENED objects often live long, but when the hand of the destroyer falls, it frequently comes like a thief in the night-suddenly, before "we are aware of it -and so far as interesting and historic buildings and landmarks are concerned, in many cases they disappear leaving the contemporary generation full of regrets at lost opportunities in not picturing and describing for those that follow places of interest that once existed and were full of historical associations. It is lest such fate should befall one of Welshpools most familiar and interesting structural landmarks which is now threatened-that the photograph herewith and the subjoined notes are offered. The illustration, which is of Sergeants' Row, Welsh- pool--the row of black and white half-timbered houses which catch the eye of most people passing from the Railway Station to the Cross-has a dual interest, for it really represents not one but two ancient landmarks. The portion of the row of houses shewn in the fore- ground is not actually a part of Sergeants' Row, which is seen beyond, but is of much greater antiquity, being the Old Parish Poorhouse where* Welshpool paupers were at one time provided for by a none too philanthropic and generous public. The whole block is now threatened with demolition to make room for new and more sanitary dwellings for the working classes, which are sorely needed. The associations of Sergeants' Row carry us back to a critical period of our national history. That this row of cottages, situated in a sleeply little country town, should owe their existence to the ambitions of