Rural Cusop in early 1890s

Where now the lower reach of Cusop Dingle and along the Hardwicke Road is pretty built up, back in 1890 these were open fields.  A traveller leaving Hay in 1890 along the Hardwicke Road would have passed the Old Toll House and seen ahead on both sides of the road open fields, pasture and orchards.  Travelling east they might have spotted the chimneys of the substantial Llydyadyway Farm where Charles Lilwall lived with his family and servants farming 640 acres including the land to the south of the Hardwicke Road. Turning up Cusop Dingle they would have passed fields on both sides apart from two semi-detached cottages called Snails Hill.  We know from the 1891 population census that Cusop was sparsely populated with few houses.  The population total was 294 living in 62 scattered households.

A 1904 map shows Victoria Terrace and The Crescent built on what had been pasture land described in the auction notice as Lot 10, the field called Cusop Peeney.

House building boom

In April 1896 the Llydyadyway Estate offered by public auction at The Crown Hotel, Hay, the sale of 16 lots adding up to 122 acres of pasture land.  The auctioneers begged to call attention to this exceptional opportunity of purchasing building lots or accommodation land in the neighbourhood.  The whole of the land being situated so close to the town of Hay will always command good rental.

 (Article researched by Jim Milner)