Our Heritage

Few places in Britain are blessed with such a perfect setting as Llandeilo. From whichever direction you approach the town, Llandeilo rises up to greet you from miles away, the towering beech copses acting as a beacon to draw you in.

The town stands on a commanding promontory on the northern bank of the River Tywi (or Towy). It is a thriving market town, comprising an attractive blend of Mediaeval, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian streets, clustered along which are many fine buildings of historic and architectural interest. The high quality of a large part of Llandeilo's townscape has been formally recognised by its designation as a Conservation Area.

Surrounding the town is arguably the greatest variety of beautiful and unspoilt countryside in Wales. The picturesque Tywi Valley and the gracefully landscaped Dinefwr Park, which contribute to much of Llandeilo's charm and character, contrast with the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside.

Llandeilo’s heritage is a complex one, and the Town Council and Community Association recently commissioned a full survey – a “Heritage Audit” – undertaken by Cambria Archaeology. We hope to develop town trails, display boards and other ways of showing and explaining our town’s history. This brief overview will be just a taste of what we hope will be developed in the near future.

Llandeilo is named after one of the most celebrated Celtic Saints, St Teilo, who was a contemporary of Saint David, the patron Saint of Wales. He established a small monastic settlement on the site of the present day Church in the 6th century. Teilo is often pictured riding a white hart or stag. Although he spent time travelling, he died at the Abbey of Llandeilo Fawr. His settlement later acquired one of the Principality's most beautiful and finely illustrated manuscripts - the Gospel Book of St. Teilo, now known as the Lichfield Gospels and Book of St. Chad.

However, recent archaeological evidence shows that Llandeilo’s history goes back much further than St Teilo. Traces of two Roman forts have been found under a field in Dinefwr Park. This exciting discovery indicates that the Romans were here in strength, both in the invasion phase and in the more settled times that followed. It is hoped that future excavations will be able to contribute much to our knowledge of the Romans in Wales.

In Medieval times, Dinefwr Castle was the seat of the Welsh Kings and princes of Deheubarth (which roughly corresponds with the modern Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire). These include Rhodri Mawr, a man of culture who promoted scholarship and art; Hywel Dda, the lawgiver; and Lord Rhys, who held the forerunner of the modern Eisteddfod.

The town grew over the years, and still has many fine Georgian buildings, especially at the top of the Churchyard. Banks developed, following the route of the drovers who drove cattle, sheep, pigs and geese to the London markets. “Capability Brown” landscaped Dinefwr Park, reputedly, for the Lords of Dynevor, and the fine trees of Penlan Park make a noticeable landmark from the south. The first bypass, “New Road” was built in 1837 to allow westbound traffic to avoid the town centre. The long stone bridge spanning the river was described as “the finest stone bridge in Wales”. Around the same time, St Teilo’s Church was rebuilt to a design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, and the Llanelli-Llandeilo railway line opened in 1857.

Development has continued to the present day, but has stayed within the natural boundaries formed by the river and Dinefwr Park, making Llandeilo a compact, varied and attractive place to live and work.

Town Heritage Trail

Visitors and local people have been full of praise for the Llandeilo town heritage trail, which has now been completed. All the bills have been paid and the grant money has replenished the council’s bank account. The project has greatly enhanced the town, for a cost to us of less than £7,000. The impact on our cultural life, education and tourism will continue to develop, as more people become aware of what we value in this lovely historic town.

The town trail leads the walker around the oldest part of Llandeilo, starting from the main car park and town map. Colourful bilingual leaflets, available from many outlets locally and across south and west Wales, explain the historic and cultural background to the sights. Bilingual interpretation panels and blue plaques mark various notable places on the route.

The 6 panels have an attractive design, with a consistent background theme of the river and ravens. In a striking way they incorporate diverse elements:

• historic paintings such as JMW Turner’s “Llandeilo Bridge” and “The Weavers of Rhosmaen” by Carey Morris
• photographs of Llandeilo in former times by well-known photographers including D C Harris
• specially commissioned art work and photographs
• extracts from contemporary texts such as Thomas Jenkins’ diary and shop advertisements
• and even graffiti done by troops stationed here during the Rebecca Riots.

Our thanks go to the designer Phil Waite and director Gwilym Hughes of Cambria Archaeology for their work on delivering the project, to Dilwyn Thomas for installing the hardware and to staff at Menter Bro Dinefwr for their support in the grant process. We wish to thank County Councillor Ieuan Jones, Lyn Hughes, Simon Jones and Lyn Davies for their input. Within the town council team, Roy Davies did a huge amount of work on the historical research, Richard Wallace visited all the land and property owners to obtain the necessary permissions, Pam Steane Price supported the design and proof-reading, and Ros Bellamy administered the project. The council’s financial officer Chris Plummer monitored the grant and technical officer Des Davies supervised the installation work.

The work was done by local businesses wherever possible, and we were pleased that this Carmarthenshire County Council grant helped to safeguard 2 full-time jobs with a major employer in town. Our aim of increasing the knowledge and awareness of the local cultural identity is being fulfilled, and the Council will continue to look at ways of developing this further in the years to come.

Click to download the Heritage Audit for Llandeilo published in March 2004 in Adobe Acrobat format (1.8Mb) (opens in new window)

For more information on the history and heritage of our town, visit www.llandeilofawr.net (opens in new window)

St Teilo's Church have their own website with extensive notes on the history of the church (opens in new window)

The Cambria Archaeological Trust who are based in Llandeilo have information about the area on their website at www.acadat.com (opens in new window)

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