Presteigne, which sits on the banks of the River Lugg close to Offa’s Dyke, developed around the minster church of St. Andrews, believed to be of Anglo-Saxon origin. By the end of the thirteenth century the town had been awarded a grant for a weekly market and annual fair under the patronage of the Bishop of St. David’s. The market was celebrated for its corn, and for the high quality wool produced in the area, and in addition to its local produce also served as a central depot for trade from further afield. When New Radnor began to decline, Presteigne took its place as the county town of Radnorshire, before being overtaken by Llandrindod Wells in the nineteenth century.
The history of Presteigne is blighted by particularly virulent outbreaks of the plague, which was perhaps exacerbated by the level of trade in the town. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries repeated outbreaks killed more than half the town’s population, and textile production in the region plunged into a steep decline. In 1636 Presteigne’s markets were stopped in an attempt to stem the spread of the disease. Later, in 1681, the town was ravaged by fire, which destroyed a number of the town’s buildings.
Today, Presteigne is largely commercial, with a thriving tourist industry; visitors are attracted by the largely unspoilt town, in which many historic, timber-framed buildings are preserved.