Carmarthen

Carmarthen is  a town situated on the banks of the River Towy and the county town of Carmarthenshire, Wales, United Kingdom.
According to the town council, Carmarthen is the oldest town in Wales. The history of Carmarthy dates back to the time when Britain was a Roman province.

After the Romans left, it fell into decay, but around 1094, the Norman Lord William Fitz Baldwin rebuilt the castle in Carmarthen, which was later destroyed several times (in particular, Llewelyn the Great and Owain Glindur) After  1215, 1223  a new building erected including a fortified city wall, possibly Carmarthen was in the Middle Ages, the first place in Wales, which was equipped with such a defensive system. Nevertheless, Owain Glyndwr took the city in 1405.
In the 16th and 17th centuries Carmarthen was characterized by agriculture, especially agriculture, and the trade in wool. In the mid-18th century, trade in iron and coal gained in importance.
The city is becoming an important port on the Taui River, and the railway between Swansea and Fishguard passes through it.

Today , Trinity College is located in Carmarthen, the second -after St. David’s College in Lampeter institution of higher education in Wales, the headquarters of the Dywed and Powis police district and the West Wales regional hospital.
Carmarthen was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017.

Arthurian legend :
The city of Carmarthen is linked to the Arthurian legend via the figure of Merlin. Some versions of the legend claim that Merlin was born in a cave near Carmarthen and that the city would take its name from him. Carmarthen’s Black Book, the oldest manuscript in Welsh, contains poems that refer to Merlin and perhaps even to King Arthur. It is, however, difficult to establish whether these texts reflect traditions that predate them, because at that time, Geoffrey de Monmouth’s writings were already popular and had shaped the outline of the Arthurian legend we know. In memory of Merlin, there are many places in the region to associate with his name.

Access : Coordinates: / The city is served via the A48 via the M4, which connects all major urban centers in South Wales and England. In addition, Carmarthen is the focal point of the A484, A40 and A485 highways connecting it to other cities in western Wales.
/ By train : The city has direct trains to the West (Milford Haven, Fishguard Harbor and Pembroke Dock, the latter two being ferry ports of departure for Ireland), the South (Llanelli, Swansea, Cardiff, Newport) and East Wales (via the line to Manchester) but also to London, twice a day.
By air : The nearest airport is Cardiff International Airport, accessible by road and rail.
BYy bike : Carmarthen is crossed by the NCR 4 (also called Celtic Trail) bike path belonging to the National Cycle Network
bus : The bus station is the hub of bus and coach lines that connect the city to all of western and southern Wales,National Express operate coach services to Carmarthen from Blackpool, Birmingham and London (Victoria)

Highlights :

•  Kidwelly Castle , Castle Road | Kidwelly, Carmarthen SA17 5BQ, Open: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm , Kidwelly Castle is a castle ruin in Carmarthenshire in Wales. Classified as a Grade I cultural monument and protected as a Scheduled Monument, the ruin is considered one of the best preserved medieval castles in Wales.
• The British Bird of Prey Centre , The National Botanic Garden of Wales, Middleton Hall, Carmarthen SA32 8HN,Open : 10:00 am – 5:00 mp , The British Bird of Prey Center houses 20 native & migrant British species. We offer 3 flying displays daily at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm including 17 different British species. Our aim is conservation through education & public engagement.
•  Carmarthenshire County Museum , The Old Bishop’s Palace | Abergwili, Carmarthen SA31 2JG, Open : 10:00 am – 4:30 pm , The museum is set in parkland in the glorious Tywi valley and was for centuries the palace of the Bishop of St Davids. In use since 1290, it became known as the home of the Welsh Renaissance and is linked to the foundation of modern Welsh language and prose. The current building is a rare example of Welsh Arts & Crafts architecture when a devastating fire presented an opportunity to rebuild the palace in 1904.
  Bones of ice age animals, fossils, Roman gold, the legend of Merlin’s Oak, memorial stones from the time of King Arthur, and folk art with mystical powers.  displays of past lives, such as Elsa’s traditional Welsh cottage, the old palace kitchen, rural food production, and the exquisite palace chapel.
• St Peter’s Church, Carmarthen , Saint Clears Road, Carmarthen SA31 1LN, St Peter’s Church is the Church in Wales parish church for the town of Carmarthen, Wales.the present building dates from at least the 14th century. It is the largest church in the Diocese of St David’s  and is a listed building.
• Carmarthen Bridge , Carmarthen Bridge  is the modern 1930s road bridge crossing the River Towy in Carmarthen, Wales, carrying the A484 road.
•  Picton’s monument – Picton Memorial Obelisk, This column, at the top of Picton Terrace in Carmarthen, Wales, was erected to commemorate General Sir Thomas Picton, (August, 1758 – June 18, 1815) 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.
• General Nott statue  , A statue of General Nott was erected in 1851, Major-General Sir William Nott was famed for his colonial military exploits in the 1840s, and this statue of him was made from melted-down guns captured in northern India.
• plaque to Bishop Ferrar : The Market Square was where Bishop Robert Ferrar of St Davids was executed in March 1555.
• Capel Heol Awst , ( 51.8561, -4.3115 ) Capel Heol Awst is an Independent Welsh chapel in the town of Carmarthen , an example of one of the outstanding early nineteenth century chapels in Wales ,The present building dates from 1826–27, replacing a 1726 building,Capel Heol Awst was designated as a Grade II*-listed building on 19 May 1981.
• English Baptist Church, ( 51.8568, -4.3092 ) The building dates from 1869 and was designated a Grade II* listed building on 19 May 1981.
•  English Congregational Church . ( 51.8567, -4.3127 ) The building dates from 1861 and was designated as a Grade II listed building on 19 May 1981.
• Penuel Baptist Chapel , ( 51.8599, -4.2992 ) The building dates from 1786 and was designated as a Grade II listed building on 9 February 1999.
• Christ Church ( 51.8562, -4.3138 ) The building dates from 1869 and was designated as a Grade II listed building on 19 May 1981
• St David’s Church (Eglwys Dewi Sant) ( 51.8567, -4.3169 ) Built in the 1830s and The church was designated a Grade II-listed building on 19 May 1981
• St Mary’s Church, Llanllwch , ( 51.8442, -4.3446 ) St Mary’s Church is an Anglican parish church in the hamlet of Llanllwch, Carmarthenshire,The church was designated a Grade II*-listed building on 19 May 1981,
• Eglwys Sant Ioan ( 51.8595, -4.3 ) is an Anglican church It was built in 1889–1890 and was designated as a Grade II listed building on 19 May 1981.
• Merlin’s Oak , ( 51.8606, -4.2989 ) was a very famous oak tree in Carmarthen, The tree is actually about. Merlin’s Oak was probably planted by a schoolmaster in 1659 ,In 1978, the last fragment of the tree was removed from its original place,

Activities : photo opportunities- photography trips-photography spots / sightseeing / Gwili Steam Railway, Welsh heritage railway that operates a standard gauge preserved railway line / Explore Carmarthenshire / Carmarthen Golf Club

Go next : St Clears / The sea-side town of Laugharne / Narberth / Laugharne / market town of Llandovery / Carmarthen / Llansteffan / Swansea