While the Prince of Wales attends the dedication ceremony at St Mary’s, the Duchess of Cornwall will be visiting a farm near Crickhowell learning about efforts to conserve Welsh Hill Ponies.

Welsh Hill Ponies are believed to be descended from the Celtic Pony and to have existed in the mountains of Wales for over a thousand years.

As a result of their tough lives they have developed a hardiness and an intelligence which has made them one of the finest foundations for horse breeding in the world.

The ancient breed was added to the Rare Breed Survival Trust’s (RBST) ‘at risk’ register after the Welsh Pony and Cob Society’s census in 2000 found there were fewer than 800 broodmares on the hills.

Numbers have increased in recent years though and the breed was removed from the list in 2013.

At Blaenau Mawr Farm, Cwmdu the Duchess will be given an insight into the past and recent history of the breed by the farm owners. She will also be introduced to some of their fellow Welsh pony breeders, treated to a pony demonstration and taken on a tour of the stables.