History in Structure

Tomb of Robert Owen, including Railings

A Grade II* Listed Building in Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn (Y Drenewydd a Llanllwchaearn), Powys

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.5168 / 52°31'0"N

Longitude: -3.3145 / 3°18'52"W

OS Eastings: 310898

OS Northings: 291800

OS Grid: SO108918

Mapcode National: GBR 9S.GGMH

Mapcode Global: VH689.H0MG

Plus Code: 9C4RGM8P+P6

Entry Name: Tomb of Robert Owen, including Railings

Listing Date: 9 May 1988

Last Amended: 10 November 2021

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 8154

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Also known as: Grave of Robert Owen

ID on this website: 300008154

Location: Set against the south side of the former Parish Church.

County: Powys

Community: Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn (Y Drenewydd a Llanllwchaearn)

Community: Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn

Built-Up Area: Newtown

Traditional County: Montgomeryshire

Tagged with: Tomb

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History

Slate chest tomb dates from 1858 but original railings replaced in 1902 with Art Nouveau ironwork by Alfred Toft at a cost of £500.

Robert Owen (1771-1858) was an instigator of the co-operative movement, a founder of British socialism and a campaigner for education and improved conditions for working people and the reduction of child labour. He said in 1817 his aim was to benefit “my fellow men of every rank and description, of every country and colour”. Born in Newtown, Owen became a manager of cotton mills including New Lanark in Scotland, which became well-known as a model industrial community after Owen established free schools and an Institute for the Formation of Character there. Owen’s mills relied on slave labour in Britain’s colonies and the United States for their raw material. In principle Owen disapproved of slavery which he said would “die a natural death” within a generation if his plans to transform society and the economy were put into practice, and he praised the Republic of Mexico for abolishing slavery. He argued against immediate abolition in the British Empire though and suggested that British slaves would be worse off if they were emancipated from their “humane masters” and “urged forward beyond the present happy ignorant state in which they are”. In A New View of Society and later books Owen argued that people’s character was shaped by their environment and advocated for planned co-operative villages of workers without money or private property. In 1825 he left New Lanark and attempted to put his ideas into practice, purchasing the town of New Harmony, Indiana in the USA. Owen then moved to London where he continued to argue for social change and fairer rewards for the working class, returning to Wales near the end of his life.

Exterior

Square enclosure of fine decorative iron railings on stone plinth. Cresting to rear with bronze portrait relief. Fine foliate ironwork to front supports relief depicting Owen giving justice to workers. Motto below "Each for All". Cast iron pillars to corners, sunk panels with classical motifs, globe finials.

Reasons for Listing

Included at Grade II* for special architectural interest as a fine example of commemorative sculpture, and for special historic interest as commemorating Robert Owen, celebrated as a socialist, educationalist and workplace reformer. Group value.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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