This mid-Wales town lies only four miles from the border with England. Its Welsh name, Y Trallwng, means ‘the marshy or sinking land’, referring to the fact that it is low-lying on the River Severn. In English, it was initially known as Pool, but was changed to Welshpool to distinguish it from Poole in Dorset.

While much of the architecture of today's Welshpool is Georgian, the town’s origins are much older. It served briefly as the capital of Powys following its Prince, Gwenwynwyn ap Owain’s hasty retreat from the traditional Royal site at Mathrafal in 1212 when it came under attack by Llewellyn the Great's forces.
Welshpool was devastated by the forces of Owain Glyndwr in 1400 when they swept through the area at the beginning of his rebellion against the English King Henry IV.

The church in Welshpool was reputedly founded by St Cynfelin during the 'age of saints' in Wales: the 5th-6th century AD. Another notable building is the six sided cockpit built in the early 18th century. It was in continual use for cockfighting until the practice was outlawed in 1849. This is the only cockpit preserved on it original site in Britain.

Today the town continues to host livestock markets and is the largest one-day sheep market in Europe.
A few miles to the west of Welshpool is Dolobran Meeting house. This was the first Quaker meeting house in Wales, built in 1701 by Charles Lloyd of Dolobran Hall. A descendant of his, Sampson Lloyd, founded a banking business in Birmingham which grew into we know today as Lloyds Bank.

Welshpool is served by the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth Cambrian Line of Arriva Trains Wales. The town is also starting point of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, a narrow-gauge heritage railway popular with tourists. The semi-used Montgomery Canal also runs through Welshpool and trips may be taken upon it by barge. To the south is the Welshpool aerodrome, now known as Mid-Wales Airport.

Visit Welshpools Farmers Market held in the Town Hall 9am-2pm on the first Friday of the month.