The Brecknock Society annual Sir John Lloyd Lecture returns to Theatr Brycheiniog on Friday 15th March 2024 exploring the topic and rich history of Brychan.

HOSTED BY DR BEN GUY, DISCOVER WHAT IS FACT AND WHAT IS FICTION AMONGST THE BRYCHAN LEGENDS.

Brycheiniog, the ancient Welsh name for Breconshire, took its name from a person called Brychan. This begs the obvious question: who was Brychan?

In the Middle Ages, churchman was ruminating on life and times of Brychan. This medieval process of rumination produced a series of documents, in Latin and in Welsh, concerning the ‘Matter of Brycheiniog’, which purport to tell the life of Brychan and explain the origins of his kingdom and its churches. 

This lecture will trace the history of Brycheiniog from the earliest Middle Ages through to the Norman conquest. It will contextualise the genesis of the Brychan legends as well as the famous lists of his saintly progeny. Perhaps, in the end, we might even steal a glance at the ‘real’ Brychan. 

Dr Ben Guy is Assistant Professor in Celtic in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge. 

Sir John Lloyd Memorial Lecture

The Sir John Lloyd Memorial Lecture has been held in early spring each year since 1998. Admission is free, but a collection is made either of Society Funds, or of a charitable purpose connected with the Lecture. In recent years Theatr Brycheiniog has been the venue for the lecture and tickets are obtainable from the Box Office. Booking is essential since the Lecture is often a sell-out. 

Historian Sir John Lloyd, in whose memory the Brecknock Society and Museum Friends’ Sir John Lloyd’s Lecture is held.

About Brecknock Society and Museum Friends

Since it was founded in 1928, the Brecknock Society has been studying and promoting the history and culture of the historic county of Brecknock. It gives particular support to the Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery, and as Museum Friends, seeks to assist its operation and development. 

The Society arranges lectures, meetings, exhibitions, and other events, to which all are welcome. The most notable of these events is the annual Sir John Lloyd Lecture, one of the most significant lectures of its kind in Wales. In recent years, speakers have included: Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, speaking on justice in Breconshire over the centuries; the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, speaking on the work of local seventeenth-century poet, Henry Vaugh; Mr Richard Suggett from the Royal Commission, speaking on the vernacular buildings of Breconshire; and Professor Anne Curry, speaking on the battle of Agincourt and its Breconshire connections. 

The Society supports the Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery by purchasing historical artefacts for display, raising funds for the Museum, and working on its behalf. The Museum, housed in the former Shire Hall and part of the y Gaer hub, has recently been refurbished and new facilities have been added. It reopened in December 2019. 

The most regular publication of the Society is its journal, Brycheiniog, which is published in early March. It reflects the activities of the Society and seeks to stimulate a wider understanding of the history, archaeology, literature, and arts of the former county of Brecknock. 

For further information, please visit www.brecknocksociety.wales

Sir John Lloyd Lecture: Brychan Fact and Fiction is a FREE event, but ticketed. For further information and to book your seat, please contact a member of our Visitor Experience Team on 01874 611 622 where they will be more than happy to help. You can also keep up to date with all latest news, events and book online 24/7 at www.brycheiniog.co.uk