11/08/2024
Llandeilo is a beautiful town today - but have you ever wondered about its history and roots? Here are ten historical facts and intriguing stories about Llandeilo...
1. Roman influence:🏺There is thought to have been a roman fort not far from present-day Llandeilo, and the land would have been considered very attractive due to the farming, the fishing, and the gold in the nearby hills.... It is very likely roman roads would have crossed the Tywi in a similar place to the current bridge. So potentially thousands of Roman footsteps have gone before us!
2. Saintly Roots: 🙏 Llandeilo is one of the oldest holy towns in Wales, flourishing from 550AD after Saint Teilo founded a church here in the early days of Christianity. The church and its large churchyard still dominates the town.
3. Welsh heroes: 🏰 Dinefwr castle was the seat of the influential rulers of the Kingdom of Deheubarth. It became a symbol of Welsh resistance against Norman and later English dominance. The so-named Robin Hood and Maid Marion of Wales (Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd with her husband Gruffydd ap Rhys) fought passionately here with the castle as their base.
4. Strategic Location: 🐟 Situated on the River Towy, Llandeilo has historically been an important crossing point, which contributed to its significance in trade and transport throughout the centuries. In fact in the medieval period, Llandeilo would probably have had competition from the nearby settlement of Dinefwr - but it is thought Llandeilo won out due to its proximity to the river.
5. The agricultural riches of the valley: 🌾The corn and produce of the fertile Tywi Valley was renowned, and landowners grew powerful and influential. In fact the Tywi Valley is dotted with manor houses and large estates that are testament to this. Corn and cheese were once sold on the ground floor of the Shire Hall.
6. The Civil War: 💥 Llandeilo saw action during the Civil War in the 17th century, with local gentry taking sides between the Royalists and Parliamentarians. Dinefwr Castle was fortified and occupied during this period.
7. The changing use of the Provisions Market: 🛒 Built in Carmarthen Street in 1838; the building has had many uses over the years including as a fire station, a slaughter house, an auction room, an operatic theatre and as a foundry.
8. 19th-Century Growth: 🚂 The arrival of the railway in the 19th century boosted Llandeilo's economy and accessibility, making it a hub for agriculture and commerce. This era saw the construction of many notable buildings in the town, with new roads being built and a surge in trade and visitors.
9. A bank for the drovers: 🐃 Drovers took herds of cattle from surrounding farms all the way to London to sell at Smithfield market. The roads were dangerous, and carrying large quantities of money put the drovers at risk of highwaymen. In Llandovery this was solved by the first Black Ox bank, where money could easily be deposited (they had their own Black Ox banknotes). Llandeilo had its own branch in Bank Terrace, which can still be seen today. The Black Ox bank later became replaced with a black horse and became Lloyds Bank.
10. The Turner bridge: 🎨 J.M.W Turner, the landscape artist, painted an older version of the bridge in 1795 in an artwork known as "Llandeilo Bridge and Dinefwr Castle". It portrayed a bridge with several arches, one of which had been destroyed in a flood and replaced with a flimsy wooden structure. In fact Llandeilo bridge has been destroyed and rebuilt so many times over the centuries by countless floods of the Tywi, until the current single-span bridge was completed in 1848.
That's it! There is a team working behind the scenes to create a new architecture and historical trail for our lovely town - so watch this space! In the meantime, for more info about our town and its history, see https://llandeilo.org/
