Talgarth Mental Hospital-burial ground

[Ron Lines]

Since my last post I have visited this grave. Reading from one of the original posts it seems he was a territorial soldier from the 6th Welsh based in Swansea where he lived with his wife.

This was not a military hospital but a mental hospital opened in 1900, it became a military hospital for POW's from Germany and Italy and 10 German and 4 Italian soldiers died here and never made it back home the last one a German in 1948. They were not buried here (strange) it might not be consecrated ground but were buried in Hay on Wye new cemetery about 10 miles away.

 

Now the area around the grave and has been cleaned up and bushes removed,giving a small grassed area in among the bushes and trees that cover the rest of the cemetery. The grave now looks fairly clean and has about a 3 metre area of grass around it. The age of J Lewis is 47, which is fairly old to be an active soldier but I think he must have been mentally ill and was removed from the books as reported by others not for desertion but because of his mental illness. 

 

To find this grave go to the Mid Wales hospital at Talgarth, park by the main building its on a public access road and look to the right to find the chapel which is also boarded up. Go around the chapel it has a footpath all around to the back and about the centre of the chapel, there you will find the clearing with the grave in it. As I left I saw a sign saying the hospital has been purchased for redevelopment. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 24 September , 2020 by Ron Lines

[Ron Lines]

I have reported this grave to the Commenwealth Graves commision and on my last visit 16/11/2020 it appears the headstone has been cleaned up a little.

 

 

 

 

The grave can be found at the back of this chapel in the centre there is a small clearing with the grave in it. A path goes all the way round the back of the chapel. The chapel is opposite the main building of the Mid Wales hospital and is accessable by car and parking by it is easy Post code for the hospital is LD3 0DY. The hospital is off limits and vary dangerous if you stick to the road you are OK.

 

 

 

 

This is the main building and is accessibile by this road where you can park opposite is the chapel and behind it the War grave.

 

Edited 15 December , 2020 by Ron Lines