Rhayader (/ˈreɪ.ədər/; Welsh: Rhaeadr Gwy; pronounced [ˈr̥əɪadar ˈɡʊi̯]) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire.

Jasper Fforde’s novels “Red Side Story” and “Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron” are located in a dystopian version of Rhayader called East Carmine.

Strictly speaking, according to place-name spelling conventions in Welsh, the name of the town would be Rhaeadr-gwy, and the waterfall itself Rhaeadr Gwy, but it seems that this distinction is usually ignored.

This led to the Rebecca Riots across South and Mid Wales from 1839 to 1842, with no fewer than six of Rhayader's tollgates being demolished with impunity by local farmers dressed as women.

[7] In the 1890s the rapidly expanding city of Birmingham, 80 miles (130 kilometres) east, viewed the nearby Elan Valley as the ideal source of clean, safe water.

This was to change the face of Rhayader forever, bringing thousands of workers involved in building this massive complex of dams and reservoirs to the area.

Due to the volume of traffic generated by the convergence of two trunk roads — the A44 and the A470 — the construction of a bypass to relieve congestion at the town centre crossroads has been an ongoing debate for many years.

Walkers and cyclists are drawn to Rhayader for the abundance of trails and bridleways surrounding the town, which is the gateway to a massive complex of reservoirs and dams (The Elan Valley).

This vast area is home to some of Britain's rarest wildlife and plants, including red kites, along with magnificent feats of engineering.

Rhayader is also home to a community founded art and heritage complex which includes a museum and gallery,[14] a leisure centre, numerous parks and all the amenities expected of a larger town.

Rhayader Town F.C., despite previously having some success in the League of Wales - the top-tier of domestic Welsh football between 1997 and 2002, ceased to exist in the summer of 2006.