Education Guide

This short guide, which you can download here, provides an introduction to the history of our Victorian weaving factory which is now a museum. It is designed to help schools to meet the requirements of the Curriculum for Wales2022 and provide some guidance for planning a visit.   

Interested in the history of Newtown, the woollen industry and the Museum ?- this is the place...

This page has a variety of stories about the town in the heyday of the woollen industry. You can also find links to the census information from 1841 - 1901 for Penygloddfa. In addition there are some bilingual videos telling individual stories as well as providing an introduction to the town's history. 

• Three views of Broad Street

• Water and water mills of Newtown. 

• Pryce Jones: The birth of Mail Order

• A view of Newtown in 1879

• Life in Commercial Street c 1840

• The history of flannel and its story in Newtown

• Woollen manufacturing in Newtown

• Location, Location, Location

• Even the Museum has a history

Were they working in the Woollen Industry? 

We are interested in the people who lived in Penygloddfa where the Museum is located. Census information for the area has been extracted so you can search it through the relevant years. Do get in touch if your ancestors appear here.

It has not been possible to be certain who lived in our building as house numbers were not included in the early census records. The 1911 census just shows the residents of our building, not the whole area.  There are no plans at present to complete the rest of the 1911 data. 

This small area of Newtown, shown on the right, has been chosen because it includes the area surrounding the Textile Museum.  It reflects the huge changes in the town during the 1800s and particularly for this area, the period after 1827 when the Long Bridge was built, and the woollen industry was at its peak. There is a very noticeable change in the occupations of the residents over the 60 year  span. It is also clear that this was not a very Welsh-speaking area.  

Some family history research into the Clayton family has resulted in this information. Maybe you can find a link to your family. (if you find errors, do let us know). 

• 1841 census for Penygloddfa

• 1851 census for Penygloddfa

• 1861 census for Penygloddfa 

• 1871 census for Penygloddfa

• 1881 census for Penygloddfa

• 1891 census for Penygloddfa

• 1901 census for Penygloddfa
  

• 1911 census for No 5 - 7 Commercial Street