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Carmarthen

Carmarthen (/kɑːrˈmɑːrðən/, RP: /kəˈmɑːðən/; Welsh: Caerfyrddin [kairˈvərðɪn], "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy 8 miles (13 km) north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay.[2][3] The population was 14,185 in 2011, down from 15,854 in 2001,[4] but gauged at 16,285 in 2019.[5] It has a claim to be the oldest town in Wales – Old Carmarthen and New Carmarthen became one borough in 1546.[6] It was the most populous borough in Wales in the 16th–18th centuries, described by William Camden as "chief citie of the country". Growth stagnated by the mid-19th century as new settlements developed in the South Wales Coalfield.[6]

Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Location within Carmarthenshire
Population14,185 [1] (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSN415205
Community
  • Carmarthen
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCARMARTHEN
Postcode districtSA31-33
Dialling code01267
PoliceDyfed-Powys
FireMid and West Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
Websitewww.carmarthentowncouncil.gov.uk
List of places
UK
Wales
Carmarthenshire
51°51′22″N 4°18′58″W / 51.856°N 4.316°W / 51.856; -4.316

History edit

Early history edit

 
Carmarthen Castle, main gateway
 
A page from Carmarthen Borough's Book of Ordinances, 1582

When Britannia was a Roman province, Carmarthen was the civitas capital of the Demetae tribe, known as Moridunum[2] ("Sea Fort"). It is possibly the oldest town in Wales, recorded by Ptolemy and in the Antonine Itinerary. The Roman fort is believed to date from about AD 75. A Roman coin hoard was found nearby in 2006.[7] Near the fort is one of seven surviving Roman amphitheatres in Britain and only two in Roman Wales (the other being at Isca Augusta, Roman Caerleon). Excavated in 1968, the Carmarthen fort has an arena of 50 by 30 yards (about 46 by 27 metres); the cavea (seating area) is 100 by 73 yards (92 by 67 metres). Veprauskas has argued for identifying it as the Cair Guorthigirn[8] ("Fort Vortigern") listed by Nennius among the 28 cities of Britain in his History of the Britons.[9] Evidence of the early Roman town has been investigated for several years, revealing urban sites likely to date from the 2nd century.[10]

During the Middle Ages, the settlement then known as Llanteulyddog ('St Teulyddog's)[11] accounted one of the seven principal sees (Cantrefi) in Dyfed.[12] The strategic importance of Carmarthen caused the Norman William fitz Baldwin to build a castle there, probably about 1094. The current castle site is known to have been occupied since 1105. The castle itself was destroyed by Llywelyn the Great in 1215, but rebuilt in 1223, when permission was given for a town wall and crenellations, making it one of the first medieval walled towns in Wales. In 1405, the town was captured and the castle sacked by Owain Glyndŵr. The Black Book of Carmarthen of about 1250 is associated with the town's Priory of SS John the Evangelist and Teulyddog.

The Black Death of 1347–1349 arrived in Carmarthen with the thriving river trade.[13] It destroyed and devastated villages such as Llanllwch. Local historians cite the plague pit for the mass burial of the dead in the graveyard that adjoins the Maes-yr-Ysgol and Llys Model housing at the rear of St Catherine Street.

Priory edit

In 1110, the ancient Clas church of Llandeulyddog, an independent, pre-Norman religious community, became the Benedictine Priory of St Peter,[14] only to be replaced 15 years later by the Augustinian Priory of St John the Evangelist and St Teulyddog.[15][16] This stood near the river, at what is now Priory Street (51°51′36″N 4°17′51″W / 51.8601°N 4.2975°W / 51.8601; -4.2975 (St John's Priory), SN418204). The site is now a scheduled monument.

Grey Friars edit

Franciscan Friars (Grey Friars, or Friars minor) became established in the town in the 13th century, and by 1284 had their own Friary buildings in Lammas Street (51°51′21″N 4°18′33″W / 51.855794°N 4.309076°W / 51.855794; -4.309076 (Carmarthen Greyfriars)), on a site now holding a shopping centre.[17] The Franciscan emphasis on poverty and simplicity meant the church was smaller (some "70 to 80 feet long and 30 feet broad" – 21/24 by 9 m) and more austere than the older foundations, but this did not prevent an accumulation of treasures, as it became a sought-after location for burial.[18] In 1456 Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond died of plague in Carmarthen,[19] three months before the birth of his son, the future King Henry VII. Edmund was buried in a prominent tomb in the centre of the choir of the Grey Friars Church.[18] Other notables buried there were Rhys ap Thomas and Tudur Aled.[17]

The Friary was dissolved in 1538, and many unsuccessful plans were made for the building. Even before the friars had left in 1536, William Barlow campaigned to have the cathedral moved into it from St David's,[18] where the tomb and remains of Edmund Tudor were moved after the Carmarthen buildings were deconsecrated. There were repeated attempts to turn the buildings into a grammar school.[18] Gradually they became ruined, although the church walls were still recognisable in the mid-18th century.[18] By 1900 all the stonework had been stripped off and there were no traces above ground. The site remained undeveloped until the 1980s and 1990s, after extensive archaeological excavations of first the monastic buildings and then the nave and chancel of the church. These confirmed that the former presence of a church, a chapter house and a large cloister, with a smaller cloister and infirmary added later. Over 200 graves were found in the churchyard and 60 around the friars' choir.[20]

Arthurian legend edit

 
Merlin, from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493)

Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in 1188, began the legend that Merlin was born in a cave outside Carmarthen.[21] The town's Welsh name, Caerfyrddin, is widely claimed to mean "Merlin's fort", but a reverse etymology is also suggested: the name Merlin may have originated from the town's name in the anglicised form of Myrddin.[22] (See Merlin § Name). An alternative explanation is that Myrddin is a corruption of the town's Roman name, Moridunum, meaning "sea fort."[23]

Legend also had it that if a certain tree called Merlin's Oak fell, it would bring the downfall of the town. Translated from Welsh, it reads: "When Merlin's Oak comes tumbling down/Down shall fall Carmarthen Town."[24] To obstruct this, the tree was dug up when it died; pieces of it remain in the town museum.

The Black Book of Carmarthen includes poems that refer to Myrddin (Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin, "Conversation of Merlin and Taliesin") and possibly to Arthur (Pa ŵr yw'r Porthor?, "What man is the porter?"). Interpretation of these is difficult, as the Arthurian legends were known by this time and details of the modern form had been described by Geoffrey of Monmouth before the book was written. Some historians suggest that Vortigern along with his army from Powys may have invaded the Ystrad Tywi in order to gain control of it but had to retreat either due to local rebels fighting back or being defeated by Dyfed, but in the process may have kidnapped a young Merlin from Carmarthen hence why the character is legendary within the town.

Early modern edit

 
John Speed's 1610 map of Carmarthen.
 
Carmarthen, 1823
 
Carmarthen, Entrance from the Bridge, 1865

One of the earliest recorded Eisteddfodau took place at Carmarthen in about 1451, presided over by Gruffudd ap Nicolas.[25][26]

The Book of Ordinances (1569–1606) is one of the earliest surviving minute books of a town in Wales. It gives a unique picture of an Elizabethan town.[27]

After the Acts of Union, Carmarthen became judicial headquarters of the Court of Great Sessions for south-west Wales. The town's dominant pursuits in the 16th and 17th centuries were still agriculture and related trades, including woollen manufacture. Carmarthen was made a county corporate by a charter of James I in 1604. This decreed that Carmarthen should be known as the 'County of the Borough of Carmarthen' and have two sheriffs. This was reduced to one sheriff in 1835 and the ceremonial post continues to this day.

The Priory and the Friary were abandoned after the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. The chapels of St Catherine and St Barbara were lost. The Church of St Peter's survived as the main religious establishment. During the Marian persecutions of the 1550s, Bishop Ferrar of St David's was burnt at the stake in the market square – now Nott Square. His life and death as a Protestant martyr are recorded in Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

In 1689, John Osborne, 1st Earl of Danby, was created 1st Marquess of Carmarthen by William III. He was then created Duke of Leeds in 1694, and Marquess of Carmarthen became the courtesy title for the Duke's heir apparent until the Dukedom became extinct on the death of the 12th Duke in 1964.

18th century to present edit

In the mid-18th century, the Morgan family founded a small ironworks at the east end of the town. In 1786 lead smelting was established to process the ore carried from Lord Cawdor's mines at Nantyrmwyn, in the north-east of Carmarthenshire. Neither of these firms survived for long. The lead smelting moved to Llanelli in 1811. The ironworks evolved into a tinplate works that had failed by about 1900. The borough corporation was reformed by a 1764 charter and again by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835.

In the late 18th century John Spurrell, an auctioneer from Bath, settled in Carmarthen. He was the grandson of Robert Spurrell, a Bath schoolmaster, who printed the city's first book, The Elements of Chronology in 1730. In 1840, a printing press was set up in Carmarthen by William Spurrell (1813–1889), who wrote a history of the town and compiled and published an 1848 Welsh-English dictionary and an 1850 English–Welsh dictionary.[28] Today's Collins Welsh dictionary is known as the "Collins Spurrell". A local housing authority in Carmarthen is named Heol Spurrell in honour of the family.[28]

The origins of Chartism in Wales can be traced to the foundation in the autumn of 1836 of Carmarthen Working Men's Association.[29]

Carmarthen gaol, designed by John Nash, was in use from about the year 1789 until its demolition in 1922. The site is now taken by County Hall, designed by Sir Percy Thomas. The gaol's "Felons' Register" of 1843–1871 contains some of the earliest photographs of criminals in Britain. In 1843, the workhouse in Carmarthen was attacked by the Rebecca Rioters.

The revival of the Eisteddfod as an institution took place in Carmarthen in 1819. The town hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1867, 1911 and 1974, although at least in 1974, the Maes was at Abergwili.

Carmarthen Grammar School was founded in 1587 on a site now occupied by the old hospital in Priory Street. The school moved in the 1840s to Priory Row, before relocating to Richmond Terrace. At the turn of the 20th century, a local travelling circus buried one of its elephants that fell sick and died. The grave is under what was the rugby pitch.

The population in 1841 was 9,526.[30]

World War II prisoner-of-war camps were placed in Johnstown (where the Davies Estate now stands) and at Glangwilli — the huts being used as part of the hospital since its inception. To the west of the town was the "Carmarthen Stop Line", one of a network of defensive lines created in 1940–1941 in case of invasion, with a series of ditches and pill boxes running north and south. Most have since been removed or filled in, but two remain.[31][32]

The Carmarthen community is bordered by those of Bronwydd, Abergwili, Llangunnor, Llandyfaelog, Llangain, Llangynog and Newchurch and Merthyr, all in Carmarthenshire.

Carmarthen was named as one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017.[33]

Politics and governance edit

From 1536 until 1832, Carmarthen, as the borough town of Carmarthenshire was a Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency), electing its own MP to the House of Commons. By the late 18th century, Carmarthen, as one of the largest towns in Wales at the time, was the scene of a succession of hotly contested electoral contests between the Blues (Whigs) and Reds (Tories). These reached a climax in 1831 with the general election fought in the midst of the Reform Crisis. The contest was characterised by riots and disturbances, described as "exceptional because of their intensity and duration".[34]

From 1832, Carmarthen shared the borough member with Llanelli, which ultimately became dominant due to its larger population. The borough constituency was abolished in 1918. In 1966, Carmarthen attracted widespread attention following the by-election in Carmarthenshire which led to the election of Gwynfor Evans as the first Plaid Cymru MP.

Carmarthen Town Council, established in 1974, and replacing the former Carmarthen Borough Council, consists of 18 town councillors elected from the three wards of the town. Its responsibilities include maintenance of the town's five parks and the town cemetery.[35]

There are two county electoral wards, Carmarthen Town North and South (formerly Carmarthen Town North and Carmarthen Town South) electing three councillors and Carmarthen Town West, electing two councillors to Carmarthenshire County Council.

Climate edit

Climate data for Carmarthen (26m elevation) 1981–2010
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 8.3
(46.9)
8.7
(47.7)
10.6
(51.1)
13.4
(56.1)
16.6
(61.9)
19.0
(66.2)
20.9
(69.6)
20.7
(69.3)
17.9
(64.2)
14.6
(58.3)
11.1
(52.0)
8.7
(47.7)
14.2
(57.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.7
(35.1)
1.7
(35.1)
3.1
(37.6)
4.2
(39.6)
6.9
(44.4)
9.6
(49.3)
11.6
(52.9)
11.0
(51.8)
9.5
(49.1)
6.9
(44.4)
3.9
(39.0)
1.9
(35.4)
6.0
(42.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 136.0
(5.35)
104.7
(4.12)
106.4
(4.19)
76.7
(3.02)
71.5
(2.81)
70.5
(2.78)
71.6
(2.82)
109.4
(4.31)
122.1
(4.81)
160.6
(6.32)
143.0
(5.63)
150.7
(5.93)
1,323.2
(52.09)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 16.7 13.0 13.7 11.7 9.3 9.6 10.5 11.8 12.0 15.9 16.9 15.8 156.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 55.6 81.2 111.5 180.4 204.8 195.5 195.2 174.4 135.0 102.7 67.6 47.8 1,551.7
Source: metoffice.gov.uk[36]

Religion edit

Anglicanism edit

The Anglican Church in Wales (Eglwys yng Nghymru) has six dioceses. St Peter's is the largest parish church in the Diocese of St David's and has the longest nave: 200' (60 metres) from west porch to east window and 50' (15 metres) across the nave and south aisle. In 1954, St Peter's became a Grade I listed building. [37] It consists of a west tower, nave, chancel, south aisle and a Consistory Court, built of local red sandstone and grey shale. The tower contains eight bells, of which the heaviest, tuned to E, weighs 15 cwt 18 lb (783 kg).

By the early 19th century, St Peter's was too small to accommodate the congregation, which had grown in line with the town's population. After several false starts a new church, St David's, was consecrated in 1841. Another church in the same western part of the town, Christ Church, opened in 1869 to serve the English-speaking congregation.

Catholicism edit

St Mary's, Carmarthen is part of the Carmarthen Deanery.

Nonconformity edit

Carmarthen has several notable nonconformist chapels, some of which date back to the 18th century or earlier.

A Baptist chapel was founded in Dark Gate in 1762 and then moved in 1812 to Waterloo Terrace under the ministry of Titus Lewis. The new chapel became known as the Tabernacle.[38] Another Baptist chapel, Penuel dates from 1786, with the present building erected in 1872.[39] The English Baptist Church in Lammas Street dates from 1870.[40] All three chapels remained open in 2020.

Lammas Street Chapel is the town's oldest Congregational or Independent chapel, traceable back to 1726, with the present building erected a century later.[41] Union Street Chapel, now closed, was formed after a split among the Lammas Street congregation.[42] Priory Chapel in Priory Street, was founded in 1872 as a branch of Ebenezer, Abergwili.

The earliest Calvinistic Methodist Chapel was Water Street Chapel, which is now closed. It had ties with Peter Williams, who produced a celebrated Welsh-language version of the Bible in the 18th century.[43] Bethania Chapel in Priory Street, dating from 1909, closed shortly after celebrating its centenary.

Landmarks edit

 
Carmarthen Bridge
 
Pont King Morgan footbridge with Carmarthen Bridge in the background

Carmarthen Castle edit

Little remains of the medieval castle at Carmarthen, but the old Gatehouse still dominates Nott Square. The motte is also accessible to the public. Castle House, within the old walls, is a museum and Tourist Information Centre.[44]

Carmarthen Bridge edit

The concrete A484 road bridge across the River Tywi designed by the Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis was completed in 1937. It was Grade II listed in 2003.[45] The loss of the original medieval bridge that it replaced caused controversy.[citation needed]

Pont King Morgan edit

To create better pedestrian access across the River Tywi from the railway station to the town centre, a cable-stayed bridge was constructed in 2005 linking to the foot of Blue Street. The cost was £2.8 million.[46] The bridge was commended in 2007 by the British Constructional Steelwork Association's Structural Steel Design Awards for its high-quality detailing. Previously, access was across Carmarthen Bridge some 700 feet (210 m) to the east.[47]

Picton's monument edit

 
The Picton Monument in 2008

In 1828, a monument was erected at the west end of the town to honour Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton, from Haverfordwest, who had died at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The pillar, which was about 75 ft (23 m), was designed to echo Trajan's column in Rome. A statue of Picton, wrapped in a cloak and supported by a baluster above emblems of spears surmounted the column.

Within a few years, the monument became dilapidated. The entire pillar was taken down in 1846. In the 1970s, the replacement sculptures were rediscovered in Johnstown and are now displayed in Carmarthenshire County Museum.

After demolition of the first monument, a new structure honouring Picton was commissioned from the architect Frances Fowler. The foundation stone was laid on Monument Hill in 1847. In 1984, the top section was declared unsafe and taken down. Four years later, the whole monument was rebuilt stone-by-stone on stronger foundations.

A campaign to remove the monument due to Picton's treatment of slaves arose in the wake of the removal of the Statue of Edward Colston in Bristol on 6 June 2020.[48]

The Nott statue and plaque to Ferrar edit

A statue of General Nott was erected in 1851. According to the PMSA, "The bronze statue was cast from cannon captured at the battle of Maharajpur. Queen Victoria gave 200 guineas to the memorial fund. The statue occupies the site of the market cross, which was dismantled when the market was resited and Nott Square created in 1846."[49]

The Market Square was where Bishop Robert Ferrar of St Davids was executed in March 1555. A small plaque below the statue of General Nott commemorates the place where he was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions.

Listed buildings edit

 
Carmarthen Guildhall

The many listed buildings include Carmarthen Guildhall, Capel Heol Awst, Capel Heol Dŵr, Carmarthen Cemetery Chapel, Elim Independent Chapel, English Baptist Church, English Congregational Church, Penuel Baptist Chapel, Christ Church, Eglwys Dewi Sant, Church of St Mary and Eglwys Sant Ioan.

Amenities edit

Dyfed–Powys Police headquarters, Glangwili General Hospital and a campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David are located in Carmarthen.

The former cattle market in the heart of the town became a new shopping centre, which opened in 2010.[50] It includes a multi-screen cinema, a market hall, restaurants and a multi-storey car park. A new market hall opened in 2009.[51]

Transport edit

Roads edit

The A40, A48, A484 and A485 converge on Carmarthen. The M4 motorway, which links South Wales with London, terminates at junction 49, the Pont Abraham services; the route continues north-west as the dual carriageway A48 and finishes at its junction with the A40 in Carmarthen.

Railway edit

Carmarthen railway station is a stop on the West Wales Line and opened in 1852. The town has rail links to Cardiff Central via Swansea to the east and Fishguard Harbour, Milford Haven, Tenby, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock to the west; these services are operated by Transport for Wales.[52] There are daily direct inter-city trains to London, operated by Great Western Railway.[53]

The area suffered a number of railway line closures in the 1960s under the Beeching Axe: one route to Llandeilo, which was closed in 1963, and one to Lampeter and Aberystwyth in 1965.

Buses edit

Local bus services are operated by several companies, including First Cymru and Morris Travel; routes connect the town with Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Llandeilo and Llanelli.[54]

There is a Park and Ride service running daily from Monday to Saturday from 7.00 to 19.00 between Nantyci, to the west of Carmarthen town, and the town centre.[55]

National Express operate two long-distance coach routes with stops in Carmarthen. Route 112 runs from Birmingham to Haverfordwest and the 508 links London with Haverfordwest.[54]

Sport edit

The town has two rugby union teams: Carmarthen Quins and Carmarthen Athletic. Quins currently plays in the Welsh Premier Division league, after promotion to the Premiership in the 2008/2009 season. CPC Bears, a rugby league club based in Carmarthen and the regional side for Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, plays in the Welsh Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference.

The town's semi-professional football team, Carmarthen Town F.C., plays in the Cymru South. Founded in 1948, it plays its home games at Richmond Park. The club colours, reflected in its crest and kit, are gold and black. The town also has a youth football team Carmarthen Stars that plays in the local Carmarthenshire Junior Leagues from the under-12s age group to the under-16s age group.

The town has two golf courses, a leisure centre with an eight-lane, 25-metre swimming pool (where the Carmarthen district swimming club is based), a synthetic athletics track and an outdoor velodrome it also has an athletics team, Carmarthen Harriers. A cycle track opened in about 1900 and remains in use. Motorcycle speedway racing was staged in the early 2000s at a track built on the western outskirts of the town; the team raced in the Conference League.

Picton Barracks edit

Picton Barracks is a military installation, based in the west part of the town, and is used by the Ministry of Defence. Two major units currently reside there:[56]

British Army

Royal Air Force

Notable people edit

See Category:People from Carmarthen
See Category:People from Carmarthenshire

Twin towns edit

  Lesneven, Brittany, France
  Santa Marinella, Italy
  As Pontes, Galicia, Spain

References edit

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  3. ^ Paxton, John (1999). The Penguin Encyclopedia of Places. Penguin. p. 174. ISBN 0-14-051275-6.
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  53. ^ "Train Times". Great Western Railway. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  54. ^ a b "Stops in Carmarthen". Bus Times. 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  55. ^ . Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  56. ^ "Picton Barracks, Picton Terrace, Carmarthen SA31 3BS". Army Careers. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  57. ^ "157 Regiment RLC". The British Army. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  58. ^ . Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  59. ^ "Information regarding locations of Army Reserve units" (PDF). What do they know?. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  60. ^ "621 (Carmarthen)". RAF Air Cadets. Retrieved 29 March 2021.

Further reading edit

  • Jones, David J.V. (1968). "The Carmarthen Riots of 1831" (PDF). Welsh History Review. 4 (2). Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  • Lodwick, Joyce and Victor (1994). The Story of Carmarthen (third (updated) ed.). Carmarthen: St Peter's Press. ISBN 0-9517962-0-8.

External links edit

  •   Carmarthen travel guide from Wikivoyage
  • Carmarthenshire County Council
  • Listed buildings
  • Historical information and links on GENUKI

carmarthen, confused, with, caernarfon, ɑːr, ɑːr, ɑː, welsh, caerfyrddin, kairˈvərðɪn, merlin, fort, town, fort, county, town, shire, community, wales, lying, river, towy, miles, north, estuary, population, 2011, down, from, 2001, gauged, 2019, claim, oldest, . Not to be confused with Caernarfon Carmarthen k ɑːr ˈ m ɑːr d en RP k e ˈ m ɑː d en Welsh Caerfyrddin kairˈverdɪn Merlin s fort or Sea town fort is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales lying on the River Towy 8 miles 13 km north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay 2 3 The population was 14 185 in 2011 down from 15 854 in 2001 4 but gauged at 16 285 in 2019 5 It has a claim to be the oldest town in Wales Old Carmarthen and New Carmarthen became one borough in 1546 6 It was the most populous borough in Wales in the 16th 18th centuries described by William Camden as chief citie of the country Growth stagnated by the mid 19th century as new settlements developed in the South Wales Coalfield 6 CarmarthenWelsh CaerfyrddinCarmarthenLocation within CarmarthenshirePopulation14 185 1 2011 Census OS grid referenceSN415205CommunityCarmarthenPrincipal areaCarmarthenshirePreserved countyDyfedCountryWalesSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townCARMARTHENPostcode districtSA31 33Dialling code01267PoliceDyfed PowysFireMid and West WalesAmbulanceWelshUK ParliamentCarmarthen East and DinefwrCarmarthen West and South PembrokeshireSenedd Cymru Welsh ParliamentCarmarthen East and DinefwrCarmarthen West and South PembrokeshireWebsitewww wbr carmarthentowncouncil wbr gov wbr ukList of places UK Wales Carmarthenshire 51 51 22 N 4 18 58 W 51 856 N 4 316 W 51 856 4 316 Contents 1 History 1 1 Early history 1 2 Priory 1 3 Grey Friars 1 4 Arthurian legend 1 5 Early modern 1 6 18th century to present 1 7 Politics and governance 2 Climate 3 Religion 3 1 Anglicanism 3 2 Catholicism 3 3 Nonconformity 4 Landmarks 4 1 Carmarthen Castle 4 2 Carmarthen Bridge 4 3 Pont King Morgan 4 4 Picton s monument 4 5 The Nott statue and plaque to Ferrar 5 Listed buildings 6 Amenities 7 Transport 7 1 Roads 7 2 Railway 7 3 Buses 8 Sport 9 Picton Barracks 10 Notable people 11 Twin towns 12 References 13 Further reading 14 External linksHistory editEarly history edit Main article Moridunum Carmarthen See also Black Book of Carmarthen nbsp Carmarthen Castle main gateway nbsp A page from Carmarthen Borough s Book of Ordinances 1582When Britannia was a Roman province Carmarthen was the civitas capital of the Demetae tribe known as Moridunum 2 Sea Fort It is possibly the oldest town in Wales recorded by Ptolemy and in the Antonine Itinerary The Roman fort is believed to date from about AD 75 A Roman coin hoard was found nearby in 2006 7 Near the fort is one of seven surviving Roman amphitheatres in Britain and only two in Roman Wales the other being at Isca Augusta Roman Caerleon Excavated in 1968 the Carmarthen fort has an arena of 50 by 30 yards about 46 by 27 metres the cavea seating area is 100 by 73 yards 92 by 67 metres Veprauskas has argued for identifying it as the Cair Guorthigirn 8 Fort Vortigern listed by Nennius among the 28 cities of Britain in his History of the Britons 9 Evidence of the early Roman town has been investigated for several years revealing urban sites likely to date from the 2nd century 10 During the Middle Ages the settlement then known as Llanteulyddog St Teulyddog s 11 accounted one of the seven principal sees Cantrefi in Dyfed 12 The strategic importance of Carmarthen caused the Norman William fitz Baldwin to build a castle there probably about 1094 The current castle site is known to have been occupied since 1105 The castle itself was destroyed by Llywelyn the Great in 1215 but rebuilt in 1223 when permission was given for a town wall and crenellations making it one of the first medieval walled towns in Wales In 1405 the town was captured and the castle sacked by Owain Glyndŵr The Black Book of Carmarthen of about 1250 is associated with the town s Priory of SS John the Evangelist and Teulyddog The Black Death of 1347 1349 arrived in Carmarthen with the thriving river trade 13 It destroyed and devastated villages such as Llanllwch Local historians cite the plague pit for the mass burial of the dead in the graveyard that adjoins the Maes yr Ysgol and Llys Model housing at the rear of St Catherine Street Priory edit Main article Carmarthen Priory In 1110 the ancient Clas church of Llandeulyddog an independent pre Norman religious community became the Benedictine Priory of St Peter 14 only to be replaced 15 years later by the Augustinian Priory of St John the Evangelist and St Teulyddog 15 16 This stood near the river at what is now Priory Street 51 51 36 N 4 17 51 W 51 8601 N 4 2975 W 51 8601 4 2975 St John s Priory SN418204 The site is now a scheduled monument Grey Friars edit Franciscan Friars Grey Friars or Friars minor became established in the town in the 13th century and by 1284 had their own Friary buildings in Lammas Street 51 51 21 N 4 18 33 W 51 855794 N 4 309076 W 51 855794 4 309076 Carmarthen Greyfriars on a site now holding a shopping centre 17 The Franciscan emphasis on poverty and simplicity meant the church was smaller some 70 to 80 feet long and 30 feet broad 21 24 by 9 m and more austere than the older foundations but this did not prevent an accumulation of treasures as it became a sought after location for burial 18 In 1456 Edmund Tudor 1st Earl of Richmond died of plague in Carmarthen 19 three months before the birth of his son the future King Henry VII Edmund was buried in a prominent tomb in the centre of the choir of the Grey Friars Church 18 Other notables buried there were Rhys ap Thomas and Tudur Aled 17 The Friary was dissolved in 1538 and many unsuccessful plans were made for the building Even before the friars had left in 1536 William Barlow campaigned to have the cathedral moved into it from St David s 18 where the tomb and remains of Edmund Tudor were moved after the Carmarthen buildings were deconsecrated There were repeated attempts to turn the buildings into a grammar school 18 Gradually they became ruined although the church walls were still recognisable in the mid 18th century 18 By 1900 all the stonework had been stripped off and there were no traces above ground The site remained undeveloped until the 1980s and 1990s after extensive archaeological excavations of first the monastic buildings and then the nave and chancel of the church These confirmed that the former presence of a church a chapter house and a large cloister with a smaller cloister and infirmary added later Over 200 graves were found in the churchyard and 60 around the friars choir 20 Arthurian legend edit nbsp Merlin from the Nuremberg Chronicle 1493 Geoffrey of Monmouth writing in 1188 began the legend that Merlin was born in a cave outside Carmarthen 21 The town s Welsh name Caerfyrddin is widely claimed to mean Merlin s fort but a reverse etymology is also suggested the name Merlin may have originated from the town s name in the anglicised form of Myrddin 22 See Merlin Name An alternative explanation is that Myrddin is a corruption of the town s Roman name Moridunum meaning sea fort 23 Legend also had it that if a certain tree called Merlin s Oak fell it would bring the downfall of the town Translated from Welsh it reads When Merlin s Oak comes tumbling down Down shall fall Carmarthen Town 24 To obstruct this the tree was dug up when it died pieces of it remain in the town museum The Black Book of Carmarthen includes poems that refer to Myrddin Ymddiddan Myrddin a Thaliesin Conversation of Merlin and Taliesin and possibly to Arthur Pa ŵr yw r Porthor What man is the porter Interpretation of these is difficult as the Arthurian legends were known by this time and details of the modern form had been described by Geoffrey of Monmouth before the book was written Some historians suggest that Vortigern along with his army from Powys may have invaded the Ystrad Tywi in order to gain control of it but had to retreat either due to local rebels fighting back or being defeated by Dyfed but in the process may have kidnapped a young Merlin from Carmarthen hence why the character is legendary within the town Early modern edit nbsp John Speed s 1610 map of Carmarthen nbsp Carmarthen 1823 nbsp Carmarthen Entrance from the Bridge 1865One of the earliest recorded Eisteddfodau took place at Carmarthen in about 1451 presided over by Gruffudd ap Nicolas 25 26 The Book of Ordinances 1569 1606 is one of the earliest surviving minute books of a town in Wales It gives a unique picture of an Elizabethan town 27 After the Acts of Union Carmarthen became judicial headquarters of the Court of Great Sessions for south west Wales The town s dominant pursuits in the 16th and 17th centuries were still agriculture and related trades including woollen manufacture Carmarthen was made a county corporate by a charter of James I in 1604 This decreed that Carmarthen should be known as the County of the Borough of Carmarthen and have two sheriffs This was reduced to one sheriff in 1835 and the ceremonial post continues to this day The Priory and the Friary were abandoned after the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII The chapels of St Catherine and St Barbara were lost The Church of St Peter s survived as the main religious establishment During the Marian persecutions of the 1550s Bishop Ferrar of St David s was burnt at the stake in the market square now Nott Square His life and death as a Protestant martyr are recorded in Foxe s Book of Martyrs In 1689 John Osborne 1st Earl of Danby was created 1st Marquess of Carmarthen by William III He was then created Duke of Leeds in 1694 and Marquess of Carmarthen became the courtesy title for the Duke s heir apparent until the Dukedom became extinct on the death of the 12th Duke in 1964 18th century to present edit In the mid 18th century the Morgan family founded a small ironworks at the east end of the town In 1786 lead smelting was established to process the ore carried from Lord Cawdor s mines at Nantyrmwyn in the north east of Carmarthenshire Neither of these firms survived for long The lead smelting moved to Llanelli in 1811 The ironworks evolved into a tinplate works that had failed by about 1900 The borough corporation was reformed by a 1764 charter and again by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 In the late 18th century John Spurrell an auctioneer from Bath settled in Carmarthen He was the grandson of Robert Spurrell a Bath schoolmaster who printed the city s first book The Elements of Chronology in 1730 In 1840 a printing press was set up in Carmarthen by William Spurrell 1813 1889 who wrote a history of the town and compiled and published an 1848 Welsh English dictionary and an 1850 English Welsh dictionary 28 Today s Collins Welsh dictionary is known as the Collins Spurrell A local housing authority in Carmarthen is named Heol Spurrell in honour of the family 28 The origins of Chartism in Wales can be traced to the foundation in the autumn of 1836 of Carmarthen Working Men s Association 29 Carmarthen gaol designed by John Nash was in use from about the year 1789 until its demolition in 1922 The site is now taken by County Hall designed by Sir Percy Thomas The gaol s Felons Register of 1843 1871 contains some of the earliest photographs of criminals in Britain In 1843 the workhouse in Carmarthen was attacked by the Rebecca Rioters The revival of the Eisteddfod as an institution took place in Carmarthen in 1819 The town hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1867 1911 and 1974 although at least in 1974 the Maes was at Abergwili Carmarthen Grammar School was founded in 1587 on a site now occupied by the old hospital in Priory Street The school moved in the 1840s to Priory Row before relocating to Richmond Terrace At the turn of the 20th century a local travelling circus buried one of its elephants that fell sick and died The grave is under what was the rugby pitch The population in 1841 was 9 526 30 World War II prisoner of war camps were placed in Johnstown where the Davies Estate now stands and at Glangwilli the huts being used as part of the hospital since its inception To the west of the town was the Carmarthen Stop Line one of a network of defensive lines created in 1940 1941 in case of invasion with a series of ditches and pill boxes running north and south Most have since been removed or filled in but two remain 31 32 The Carmarthen community is bordered by those of Bronwydd Abergwili Llangunnor Llandyfaelog Llangain Llangynog and Newchurch and Merthyr all in Carmarthenshire Carmarthen was named as one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017 33 Politics and governance edit See also Mayor of Carmarthen and Sheriff of Carmarthen From 1536 until 1832 Carmarthen as the borough town of Carmarthenshire was a Carmarthen UK Parliament constituency electing its own MP to the House of Commons By the late 18th century Carmarthen as one of the largest towns in Wales at the time was the scene of a succession of hotly contested electoral contests between the Blues Whigs and Reds Tories These reached a climax in 1831 with the general election fought in the midst of the Reform Crisis The contest was characterised by riots and disturbances described as exceptional because of their intensity and duration 34 From 1832 Carmarthen shared the borough member with Llanelli which ultimately became dominant due to its larger population The borough constituency was abolished in 1918 In 1966 Carmarthen attracted widespread attention following the by election in Carmarthenshire which led to the election of Gwynfor Evans as the first Plaid Cymru MP Carmarthen Town Council established in 1974 and replacing the former Carmarthen Borough Council consists of 18 town councillors elected from the three wards of the town Its responsibilities include maintenance of the town s five parks and the town cemetery 35 There are two county electoral wards Carmarthen Town North and South formerly Carmarthen Town North and Carmarthen Town South electing three councillors and Carmarthen Town West electing two councillors to Carmarthenshire County Council Climate editClimate data for Carmarthen 26m elevation 1981 2010Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearMean daily maximum C F 8 3 46 9 8 7 47 7 10 6 51 1 13 4 56 1 16 6 61 9 19 0 66 2 20 9 69 6 20 7 69 3 17 9 64 2 14 6 58 3 11 1 52 0 8 7 47 7 14 2 57 6 Mean daily minimum C F 1 7 35 1 1 7 35 1 3 1 37 6 4 2 39 6 6 9 44 4 9 6 49 3 11 6 52 9 11 0 51 8 9 5 49 1 6 9 44 4 3 9 39 0 1 9 35 4 6 0 42 8 Average rainfall mm inches 136 0 5 35 104 7 4 12 106 4 4 19 76 7 3 02 71 5 2 81 70 5 2 78 71 6 2 82 109 4 4 31 122 1 4 81 160 6 6 32 143 0 5 63 150 7 5 93 1 323 2 52 09 Average rainy days 1 0 mm 16 7 13 0 13 7 11 7 9 3 9 6 10 5 11 8 12 0 15 9 16 9 15 8 156 9Mean monthly sunshine hours 55 6 81 2 111 5 180 4 204 8 195 5 195 2 174 4 135 0 102 7 67 6 47 8 1 551 7Source metoffice gov uk 36 Religion editAnglicanism edit Main article St Peter s Church Carmarthen The Anglican Church in Wales Eglwys yng Nghymru has six dioceses St Peter s is the largest parish church in the Diocese of St David s and has the longest nave 200 60 metres from west porch to east window and 50 15 metres across the nave and south aisle In 1954 St Peter s became a Grade I listed building 37 It consists of a west tower nave chancel south aisle and a Consistory Court built of local red sandstone and grey shale The tower contains eight bells of which the heaviest tuned to E weighs 15 cwt 18 lb 783 kg By the early 19th century St Peter s was too small to accommodate the congregation which had grown in line with the town s population After several false starts a new church St David s was consecrated in 1841 Another church in the same western part of the town Christ Church opened in 1869 to serve the English speaking congregation Catholicism edit St Mary s Carmarthen is part of the Carmarthen Deanery Nonconformity edit Carmarthen has several notable nonconformist chapels some of which date back to the 18th century or earlier A Baptist chapel was founded in Dark Gate in 1762 and then moved in 1812 to Waterloo Terrace under the ministry of Titus Lewis The new chapel became known as the Tabernacle 38 Another Baptist chapel Penuel dates from 1786 with the present building erected in 1872 39 The English Baptist Church in Lammas Street dates from 1870 40 All three chapels remained open in 2020 Lammas Street Chapel is the town s oldest Congregational or Independent chapel traceable back to 1726 with the present building erected a century later 41 Union Street Chapel now closed was formed after a split among the Lammas Street congregation 42 Priory Chapel in Priory Street was founded in 1872 as a branch of Ebenezer Abergwili The earliest Calvinistic Methodist Chapel was Water Street Chapel which is now closed It had ties with Peter Williams who produced a celebrated Welsh language version of the Bible in the 18th century 43 Bethania Chapel in Priory Street dating from 1909 closed shortly after celebrating its centenary Landmarks edit nbsp Carmarthen Bridge nbsp Pont King Morgan footbridge with Carmarthen Bridge in the backgroundCarmarthen Castle edit Main article Carmarthen Castle Little remains of the medieval castle at Carmarthen but the old Gatehouse still dominates Nott Square The motte is also accessible to the public Castle House within the old walls is a museum and Tourist Information Centre 44 Carmarthen Bridge edit Main article Carmarthen Bridge The concrete A484 road bridge across the River Tywi designed by the Welsh architect Clough Williams Ellis was completed in 1937 It was Grade II listed in 2003 45 The loss of the original medieval bridge that it replaced caused controversy citation needed Pont King Morgan edit To create better pedestrian access across the River Tywi from the railway station to the town centre a cable stayed bridge was constructed in 2005 linking to the foot of Blue Street The cost was 2 8 million 46 The bridge was commended in 2007 by the British Constructional Steelwork Association s Structural Steel Design Awards for its high quality detailing Previously access was across Carmarthen Bridge some 700 feet 210 m to the east 47 Picton s monument edit Main article Picton Monument Carmarthen nbsp The Picton Monument in 2008In 1828 a monument was erected at the west end of the town to honour Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton from Haverfordwest who had died at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 The pillar which was about 75 ft 23 m was designed to echo Trajan s column in Rome A statue of Picton wrapped in a cloak and supported by a baluster above emblems of spears surmounted the column Within a few years the monument became dilapidated The entire pillar was taken down in 1846 In the 1970s the replacement sculptures were rediscovered in Johnstown and are now displayed in Carmarthenshire County Museum After demolition of the first monument a new structure honouring Picton was commissioned from the architect Frances Fowler The foundation stone was laid on Monument Hill in 1847 In 1984 the top section was declared unsafe and taken down Four years later the whole monument was rebuilt stone by stone on stronger foundations A campaign to remove the monument due to Picton s treatment of slaves arose in the wake of the removal of the Statue of Edward Colston in Bristol on 6 June 2020 48 The Nott statue and plaque to Ferrar edit A statue of General Nott was erected in 1851 According to the PMSA The bronze statue was cast from cannon captured at the battle of Maharajpur Queen Victoria gave 200 guineas to the memorial fund The statue occupies the site of the market cross which was dismantled when the market was resited and Nott Square created in 1846 49 The Market Square was where Bishop Robert Ferrar of St Davids was executed in March 1555 A small plaque below the statue of General Nott commemorates the place where he was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions Listed buildings edit nbsp Carmarthen GuildhallThe many listed buildings include Carmarthen Guildhall Capel Heol Awst Capel Heol Dŵr Carmarthen Cemetery Chapel Elim Independent Chapel English Baptist Church English Congregational Church Penuel Baptist Chapel Christ Church Eglwys Dewi Sant Church of St Mary and Eglwys Sant Ioan Amenities editDyfed Powys Police headquarters Glangwili General Hospital and a campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David are located in Carmarthen The former cattle market in the heart of the town became a new shopping centre which opened in 2010 50 It includes a multi screen cinema a market hall restaurants and a multi storey car park A new market hall opened in 2009 51 Transport editRoads edit The A40 A48 A484 and A485 converge on Carmarthen The M4 motorway which links South Wales with London terminates at junction 49 the Pont Abraham services the route continues north west as the dual carriageway A48 and finishes at its junction with the A40 in Carmarthen Railway edit Carmarthen railway station is a stop on the West Wales Line and opened in 1852 The town has rail links to Cardiff Central via Swansea to the east and Fishguard Harbour Milford Haven Tenby Pembroke and Pembroke Dock to the west these services are operated by Transport for Wales 52 There are daily direct inter city trains to London operated by Great Western Railway 53 The area suffered a number of railway line closures in the 1960s under the Beeching Axe one route to Llandeilo which was closed in 1963 and one to Lampeter and Aberystwyth in 1965 Buses edit Local bus services are operated by several companies including First Cymru and Morris Travel routes connect the town with Aberystwyth Cardiff Llandeilo and Llanelli 54 There is a Park and Ride service running daily from Monday to Saturday from 7 00 to 19 00 between Nantyci to the west of Carmarthen town and the town centre 55 National Express operate two long distance coach routes with stops in Carmarthen Route 112 runs from Birmingham to Haverfordwest and the 508 links London with Haverfordwest 54 Sport editThe town has two rugby union teams Carmarthen Quins and Carmarthen Athletic Quins currently plays in the Welsh Premier Division league after promotion to the Premiership in the 2008 2009 season CPC Bears a rugby league club based in Carmarthen and the regional side for Carmarthenshire Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion plays in the Welsh Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference The town s semi professionalfootball team Carmarthen Town F C plays in the Cymru South Founded in 1948 it plays its home games at Richmond Park The club colours reflected in its crest and kit are gold and black The town also has a youth football team Carmarthen Stars that plays in the local Carmarthenshire Junior Leagues from the under 12s age group to the under 16s age group The town has two golf courses a leisure centre with an eight lane 25 metre swimming pool where the Carmarthen district swimming club is based a synthetic athletics track and an outdoor velodrome it also has an athletics team Carmarthen Harriers A cycle track opened in about 1900 and remains in use Motorcycle speedway racing was staged in the early 2000s at a track built on the western outskirts of the town the team raced in the Conference League Picton Barracks editPicton Barracks is a military installation based in the west part of the town and is used by the Ministry of Defence Two major units currently reside there 56 British Army 224 Pembroke Yeomanry Transport Squadron 157th Welsh Regiment Royal Logistic Corps Army Reserve 57 58 Detached Carmarthen Platoon 160 Theatre Support Company 103rd Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Army Reserve 59 Royal Air Force 621 Carmarthen Squadron Air Training Corps No 3 Welsh Wing 60 Notable people editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed May 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message See Category People from Carmarthen See Category People from CarmarthenshireJoe Allen born 1990 Wales and Swansea City FC midfielder Dorothea Bate 1878 1951 archaeo zoologist Charles Brigstocke 1876 1951 civil servant Dale Buggins 1961 1981 motorcycle stunt rider Fflur Dafydd born 1978 writer and musician Barry Davies born 1981 Ospreys full back Gareth Davies born 1990 Scarlets scrum half Mark Delaney born 1976 former Wales and Aston Villa football defender Mark Drakeford born 1954 Welsh politician leader of Welsh Labour and current First Minister of Wales Wynne Evans born 1972 opera singer broadcaster and actor Emma Finucane born 2002 cyclist Rhod Gilbert born 1968 television host and comedian Rhodri Gomer Davies born 1983 rugby union Scarlets centre Gorky s Zygotic Mynci formed 1991 folk rock band Geraint Griffiths born 1949 singer songwriter and actor Elis James born 1980 comedian Stephen Jones born 1977 Wales rugby captain Helen Lederer born 1954 actress and comedian Manon Lloyd born 1996 cyclist Global Cycling Network GCN presenter Kate McGill born 1990 singer songwriter Daniel Mulloy born 1977 screenwriter and director John Nash 1752 1835 architect living in Carmarthen from 1784 Daniel Newton born 1989 Scarlets Centre full back William Norton 1862 1898 Wales international rugby union player Joshua T Owen 1822 1887 American military officer and politician Ken Owens born 1987 rugby union Scarlets Centre hooker Adam Price born 1968 Welsh politician current leader of Plaid Cymru Rhys Priestland born 1987 rugby union Scarlets fullback Iwan Rheon born 1985 actor famous for role in Game of Thrones and singer songwriter Byron Rogers born 1942 journalist historian and biographer Matthew Stevens born 1977 snooker pro Nicky Stevens born 1949 member of pop group Brotherhood of Man European Song Contest winner Terence Thomas Baron Thomas of Macclesfield 1937 2018 Labour Party UK politician and banker Nik Turner 1940 2022 jazz musician Tudur Aled c 1465 1525 poet buried in Carmarthen s Franciscan graveyard Philip Vaughan died 1824 ironmaster and inventor of the ball bearing Mary Wynne Warner 1932 1998 mathematician John Weathers born 1947 rock drummer Barry Williams born 1974 British and Irish Lions rugby union hooker Ifan Williams 1889 1957 violinist conductor and music educator Scott Williams Scarlets Centre and Wales rugby union player David Glyndwr Tudor Williams 1930 2009 first full time Vice Chancellor of the University of CambridgeTwin towns edit nbsp Lesneven Brittany France nbsp Santa Marinella Italy nbsp As Pontes Galicia SpainReferences edit Carmarthen North South and West wards 2011 http ukcensusdata com carmarthenshirew06000010 sthash KIAkXPeF Zq1LWHU4 dpbs a b Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Carmarthen Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed Cambridge University Press Paxton John 1999 The Penguin Encyclopedia of Places Penguin p 174 ISBN 0 14 051275 6 KS01 Usual resident population Census 2001 Key Statistics for urban areas Office for National Statistics Retrieved 30 August 2010 City Population site Retrieved 3 December 2020 a b Davies John Jenkins Nigel 2008 The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales Cardiff University of Wales Press p 123 ISBN 978 0 7083 1953 6 Roman treasure discovered on farm BBC News 17 June 2006 Retrieved 28 April 2010 Nennius attrib Theodor Mommsen ed Historia Brittonum VI Composed after AD 830 in Latin Hosted at Latin Wikisource Veprauskas Michael www vortigernstudies org uk artgue mikecaer htm The Problem of Caer Guorthigirn at Vortigern Studies 1998 Carmarthen Roman dig is filled in after key findings BBC News 30 September 2018 Retrieved 30 September 2018 Heather James The Geography of the Cult of St David in St David of Wales Cult Church and Nation p 68 Boydell Press 2007 Accessed 26 March 2013 Arthur Wade Evans Welsh Medieval Law s Page Welsh Medieval Law djvu 365 p 263 Philip Ziegler The Black Death Penguin 1969 p 199 Site details Carmarthen St John s Priory 275700 Coflein RCAHMW Retrieved 28 November 2016 Site details Carmarthen Monastic Wales A Comprehensive Database of Sites and Sources Monastic Wales Retrieved 10 February 2014 a b Site details Carmarthen Monastic Wales A Comprehensive Database of Sites and Sources Monastic Wales Retrieved 10 February 2014 a b c d e TheGreyFriarsOfCarmarthen lt Historian lt Thayersfarm Carmarthenshirehistorian org Archived from the original on 22 February 2014 Retrieved 10 February 2014 People Edmund Tudor Earl of Richmond Monastic Wales A Comprehensive Database of Sites and Sources Monastic Wales Retrieved 10 February 2014 Remnants of Carmarthen Friary article from Monastic Wales A Comprehensive Database of Sites and Sources Monastic Wales Retrieved 10 February 2014 Manning Jo 20 September 2008 Merlin Myths and Links with Wales BBC News Retrieved 14 September 2022 Merlin s Town Carmarthen Town Council Retrieved 21 August 2018 Gwyndaf Robin 1999 Welsh Folk Tales Cardiff National Museums and Galleries of Wales p 85 ISBN 9780720003260 Retrieved 14 September 2022 9 11 inspires trip to Merlin s Oak walesonline co uk 1 October 2003 Retrieved 25 August 2013 Jones Evan David 1959 GRUFFUDD ap NICOLAS fl 1425 1456 an esquire and a leading figure in the local administration of the principality of South Wales in the middle of the 15th century Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales Retrieved 17 March 2019 John T Koch ed 2006 Celtic Culture A Historical Encyclopedia vol I A Celti ABC CLIO p 665 ISBN 1 85109 440 7 Carmarthenshire Archives Service Mus 156a a b Davies William Llewelyn 1959 SPURRELL family of Carmarthen printers Dictionary of Welsh Biography National Library of Wales Williams David 1939 John Frost A study in Chartism Cardiff University of Wales Press Board pp 100 104 107 The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge Vol III London 1847 Charles Knight p 1011 myADS Archaeology Data Service Retrieved 10 February 2014 myADS Archaeology Data Service Retrieved 10 February 2014 These towns have been named as the best places to live in Wales Wales Online 10 March 2017 Jones 1968 p 129 Carmarthen Town Council Carmarthen Town Council Retrieved 9 March 2018 Climate Normals 1981 2010 Met Office Retrieved 24 February 2021 St Peter s and its History netministries org Retrieved 26 October 2013 Lodwick 1994 p 158 Lodwick 1994 pp 156 57 Lodwick 1994 p 164 Lodwick 1994 pp 152 54 Lodwick 1994 p 154 Lodwick 1994 pp 154 56 Discover Castle House Discovering Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire County Council Archived from the original on 16 April 2016 Retrieved 2 April 2016 Towy Bridge that part in Carmarthen Community Llangunnor British Listed Buildings Retrieved 21 September 2017 Pont King Morgan Lunemillenniumbridge info Archived from the original on 3 January 2015 Retrieved 3 January 2015 Pont King Morgan Carmarthen SteelConstruction org Archived from the original on 3 January 2015 Retrieved 3 January 2015 Robert Harries and Alex Seabrook 9 June 2020 Monuments to brutal slave owner Thomas Picton in Carmarthen and Cardiff should be removed Wales Online Archived from the original on 9 June 2020 Retrieved 9 June 2020 Public Monument and Sculpture Association on General Nott Statue from National Recording Project Carmarthen s 74m retail centre opens BBC News 30 April 2010 Retrieved 10 February 2014 UK Wales South West Wales Revamp of the town cattle mart starts BBC News 20 March 2008 Retrieved 10 February 2014 Timetables Transport for Wales May 2023 Retrieved 27 August 2023 Train Times Great Western Railway 21 May 2023 Retrieved 27 August 2023 a b Stops in Carmarthen Bus Times 2023 Retrieved 27 August 2023 Park and Ride Archived from the original on 21 October 2011 Retrieved 9 May 2015 Picton Barracks Picton Terrace Carmarthen SA31 3BS Army Careers Retrieved 29 March 2021 157 Regiment RLC The British Army Retrieved 29 March 2021 157 Transport Regiment V UK Land Forces of Britain the Empire and Commonwealth 20 October 2007 Archived from the original on 20 October 2007 Retrieved 29 March 2021 Information regarding locations of Army Reserve units PDF What do they know 6 July 2020 Retrieved 7 March 2021 621 Carmarthen RAF Air Cadets Retrieved 29 March 2021 Further reading editJones David J V 1968 The Carmarthen Riots of 1831 PDF Welsh History Review 4 2 Retrieved 18 November 2020 Lodwick Joyce and Victor 1994 The Story of Carmarthen third updated ed Carmarthen St Peter s Press ISBN 0 9517962 0 8 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carmarthen nbsp Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Carmarthen nbsp Carmarthen travel guide from Wikivoyage Carmarthenshire County Council Listed buildings Historical information and links on GENUKI Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carmarthen amp oldid 1190719467, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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