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Carmarthen

Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin in Welsh) boasts the distinction of having a higher proportion of Welsh speakers than anywhere else in the country. It also lays claim to being the oldest town in Wales with a history going back to Roman times when it was the most westerly of their forts. It is now the county town of Carmarthenshire and lies at the centre of the West Wales agricultural community.

The name means “fort of Myrddyin”, and some people have linked this Myrddyin with Merlin the Magician. One particular story associated with the town has, thankfully, so far turned out not to be true. Carmarthen’s inhabitants are eternally grateful that, when Merlin’s Oak was removed during a road widening scheme, the town remained unharmed, and the prophecy, “When Merlin’s Oak shall tumble down, then shall fall Carmarthen town” was not realised. According to another tradition, the magician is said still to live in a cave on Merlin’s Hill (Bryn Myrddin) just outside Carmarthen where he is kept in perpetual enchantment by Vivien, the lady to whom he taught all his spells.

The historic old part of Carmarthen grew up around Carmarthen Castle, which was originally built around 1109 by Henry I. Overlooking the River Tywi, little remains of the castle today except a stretch of wall and the squat early 15th-century gatehouse with its two round towers. The Guildhall, which was built in 1767 to replace the hall of 1583, is in Nott Square – named after Major General Sir William Nott, victor of the First Afghan War in the 1840s and a native of Carmarthen. A bronze statue of the general stands in the centre of the square.

One of the town’s most impressive buildings is Carmarthen County Hall overlooking the River Tywi. It was designed by the renowned architect John Nash, son of a Welsh millwright.

The town’s Victorian Old Art College has, since 1991, been the home of Oriel Myrddin, a contemporary craft gallery and regional art venue. Focusing on the present and the future, the work of some of the most innovative and interesting craftspeople in Wales is displayed here. In the retail area, there is a wide range of crafts for purchase. By contrast, housed in a new development on the banks of the River Tywi, is the Carmarthen Heritage Centre, which, through displays, multi-media and video presentations, tells the story of the town from the time of the Roman occupation in AD75 through to the present day.

Carmarthen is home to Trinity College, which, since 2005, has been part of the University of Wales. After Lampeter, it is the second oldest higher education institution in the country. It was originally a teacher training college, but has now widened its curriculum.

The Ivy Bush Royal Hotel in Carmarthen has notable literary connections. A stained-glass window and stone circle commemorate the 1819 eisteddfod, when Iolo Morganwg introduced the Gorsedd (society of bards) to the eisteddfod. The essayist and dramatist Sir Richard Steele stayed at the Ivy Bush in the later years of his life. Steele is best known for his periodical essays and for his collaboration with Joseph Addison. Educated, like Addison, at Charterhouse and Oxford, Steele published his first work in 1701, when he was 28. It had the far from catchy title of The Christian Hero: An argument proving that no principles but those of religion are sufficient to make a great man. Steele had two wealthy wives and several children. Bad health and pressing debts forced him to move to Wales, and he died in Carmarthen in 1729. A brass plaque on the wall of the Parish Church of St Peter commemorates him. This church, which dates back to the 12th century, has many interesting features, including an organ thought to have been built in the reign of George III for Windsor Palace. There’s also an impressive tomb of Sir Rhys ap Thomas, who led an army to fight for Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field, where Richard III was killed and Henry crowned as King Henry VII on the battlefield.

The Picton Monument at the west end of the town commemorates Sir Thomas Picton (1758–1815) who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo. He had the rank of Lieutenant General, and was the Member of Parliament for Pembroke. His body lies in St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London.

Carmarthen has a thriving food market, where one of the local specialities on sale is Carmarthen ham, which is air-dried, sliced and eaten raw, like the Spanish Serrano ham.