The Royal Welsh Museum

The Royal Welsh Museum Our museum tells the long and proud story of the regiment of The Royal Welsh with over 300 years of history.

to a glimpse of love and devotion from the past. This small Bible and sweetheart brooch belonged to 3510 Private J. Be...
11/06/2026

to a glimpse of love and devotion from the past. This small Bible and sweetheart brooch belonged to 3510 Private J. Bessant. He gifted them to his wife, Mabel, before leaving for the front in 1914 with the Monmouthshire Regiment. Inside the Bible, he wrote: "Presented to my wife Mabel before going to the front by me, J Bessant. May the Lord watch between me and thee while absent one from another. JB"

- Ever wondered how officers on the battlefield were identified amid the chaos of war? This little artefact is a ‘Back...
10/06/2026

- Ever wondered how officers on the battlefield were identified amid the chaos of war? This little artefact is a ‘Back Badge’ worn by officers of the 7th Battalion, South Wales Borderers from 1915 onwards. Positioned just below the collar on the back of the jacket, it remained visible above their webbing—making it easier for ‘runners’ to quickly locate officers during intense action. This particular badge was worn by Second Lieutenant D.M. Noyes-Lewis across France and Salonika between September 1915 and December 1916 – a small but vital detail, designed for clarity in confusion.

Here are the medals and a photograph of Lt Col Harry Hartley Waite Southey. Southey was born in 1871 in Merthyr Tydfil...
08/06/2026

Here are the medals and a photograph of Lt Col Harry Hartley Waite Southey. Southey was born in 1871 in Merthyr Tydfil and joined the Welsh Regiment in 1881, aged 17. During he served with the 5th Battalion, the Welsh Regiment at Gallipoli, in Egypt and in Palestine. At the First Battle of Gaza, in March 1917, Southey was fatally wounded by shrapnel to his stomach. He died five days later at El Arish, Egypt, and is buried at Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

Just for fun we've altered this great painting of the steam locomotive, The South Wales Borderers, by Archie Jones MM. T...
06/06/2026

Just for fun we've altered this great painting of the steam locomotive, The South Wales Borderers, by Archie Jones MM. The artist served with the 6th Battalion, SWB, in Burma during WW2 and painted the train on its decommissioning in 1965. The original picture (B) has had 10 things removed or changed on it - can you spot the differences? Answers to follow....

Today marks the end of Volunteer Week and we want to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who keep the museum going! Cl...
05/06/2026

Today marks the end of Volunteer Week and we want to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who keep the museum going! Click on the link to read all about one volunteer's behind-the-scenes work with the diaries in our collection... one of which includes this very interesting shopping list of an officer's 'essentials'! If you'd like to become part of our team, please do get in touch. There are always plenty of jobs to do!
https://royalwelshmuseum.wales/diaries-digitising-the-past/

we'd love a good chat with our little bear! He was found in the trenches of Gallipoli in 1915 and brought back to the ...
04/06/2026

we'd love a good chat with our little bear! He was found in the trenches of Gallipoli in 1915 and brought back to the UK by Sgt Sidney Bean of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers. But we have no idea why he was there, who took him to Turkey in the first place, or what happened to his orginal owner. All we know is that he is one of our most popular artefacts and that he has a home for life with us! 🧸❤️

In 1879, the 24th of Foot, then based in Brecon, and the Zulu nation met in conflict at Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift —...
03/06/2026

In 1879, the 24th of Foot, then based in Brecon, and the Zulu nation met in conflict at Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift — moments of history forever linking Wales and KwaZulu-Natal.
Nearly 150 years later, that shared past has grown into something far more powerful: a story of peace, understanding, and lasting friendship.
Today, the communities of Brecon and KwaZulu-Natal come together not to remember war, but to celebrate connection while honouring history while building bridges for the future.

- check out this incredible photo reconstruction! The only photograph we have of Sgt Albert White, one of our Victor...
02/06/2026

- check out this incredible photo reconstruction! The only photograph we have of Sgt Albert White, one of our Victoria Cross heroes, is a poor-quality copy of a newspaper pic! With the help of AI we have been able to clean up that image, and improve upon it, to end up with this amazing portrait of what he may have looked like!

01/06/2026

For today's theme of AI in the museum, we have been playing with technology to bring old photos to life! This is just for fun, but the potential for future projects is definitely there! Enjoy this animated photo of Joe Bantam, the tiny cockerel mascot of the 17th (bantam) Battalion, Welsh Regiment, and his handler, taken in 1915.

For we have this lovely photograph of a group of officers of the 41st Regiment of Foot, later the Welsh Regiment. The ...
27/05/2026

For we have this lovely photograph of a group of officers of the 41st Regiment of Foot, later the Welsh Regiment. The pic, taken in the Crimea in 1856, also features one of the very first regimental goats.

Address

The Royal Welsh Regimental Museum, The Barracks, The Watton
Brecon
LD37EB

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

01874 613310

Website

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