A small village in rural Powys is celebrating its industrial past with a new plaque dedicated to one of its most famous residents, the civil engineer George Overton.

Overton, who lived in Llandetty near Talybont-on-Usk, was instrumental in the development of Wales's tramroads, and his Merthyr tramroad was used to trial the world's first steam locomotive in 1804. He later engineered the Brinore tramroad, linking the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal with Tredegar ironworks and the Trefil limestone quarries. The Talybont-on-Usk canal wharf associated with tramroad, where the new plaque was unveiled, is still known as 'Overton's Wharf', and is the starting point for the 8-mile walk to Trefil.

Overton lived at Llandetty Hall while he was working on the Brinore tramroad, and is buried in the churchyard of St Tetti's in Llandetty. St Tetti's is uniquely situated between the River Usk and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, and the medieval church's large, open churchyard is the perfect place to spot wildlife or enjoy a break from the towpath on one of its picnic benches.

2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Overton's birth, as well as the 200th anniversary of the modern railway and the 225th anniversary of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, and the new plaque is a timely reminder of the role that this part of Wales played in our industrial heritage.