Work in progress - the construction work took 11 years

The anniversary of the 1904 opening of the Elan dam network by King Edward VII, has prompted a series of events to celebrate a century of Welsh water supply to the people of Birmingham.

A commemorative statue will be unveiled in tribute to the men who built the dams, near Rhayader.

Other events include a talk about the official opening of the dams, a 15-mile hill walk taking in all six Victorian structures, and an exhibition, in Rhayader, called Under the Shadow of the Dam.

In the process of flooding the valleys, the school, church, chapel, two squires' houses, small farms and cottages disappeared Elan Valley historian, Betty Davies

Local historian Betty Davies, whose family had to make way for the dams, said: "As I look down at the vast tracks of water that are the dams of the Elan Valley, I cannot help but wonder how my great grandparents felt when told they had lost the fight to save the valleys of Nant Cwilt and Cwm Elan.

"Their land would be lost to them, as would the land of their friends and neighbours, in order to supply water for a far distant city. Could they envisage the changes to their way of life?

"In the process of flooding the valleys, the school, church, chapel, two squires houses, small farms and cottages disappeared. Bodies had to be exhumed.

'Commitment'

"The fact that they stayed, weathered the storms that came their way, kept working the land to provide for their children and their children's children, so they grew and thrived, is a testament to their strength of character and to their commitment to the land they farmed."

Liz Pugh, of Community Arts Rhayader and District (Carad), who has worked on the centenary exhibition, said: "The exhibition itself is based on a reconstruction of the wooden village built by the Birmingham City Corporation.

The dam workers' village in the Elan Valley

"This village housed the workforce which spent 10 years constructing the dams."

Construction of the dams and reservoirs started in 1893 and involved a total of 50,000 people.

It cost �6m and more than 100 workers were killed during the building work.

More than 100 people in the valley also had to move to make way for the dams.

The project was carried out by Birmingham Council to provide a source of clean, safe, water for the growing population and industries of the city.