Newcastle Emlyn

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Newcastle Emlyn
  • Welsh: Castellnewydd Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn-panorama.jpg
View across the Teifi valley towards Newcastle Emlyn
Carmarthenshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Newcastle Emlyn
Location within Carmarthenshire
Population1,144 (Community, 2021) [1]
1,883 (Built up area, 2011) [2]
OS grid reference SN305405
Community
  • Newcastle Emlyn
Principal area
Preserved county
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NEWCASTLE EMLYN
Postcode district SA38
Dialling code 01239
Police Dyfed-Powys
Fire Mid and West Wales
Ambulance Welsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
Website newcastleemlyntowncouncil.co.uk
List of places
UK
Wales
Carmarthenshire

52°02′N4°28′W / 52.04°N 4.47°W / 52.04; -4.47

Contents

Wales Carmarthenshire Community Newcastle Emlyn map.svg
Map of the community

Newcastle Emlyn (Welsh : Castellnewydd Emlyn) is a town and community on the River Teifi, in West Wales. The community is wholly in Carmarthenshire, but the built up area also includes Adpar north of the Teifi, which is in Ceredigion. Adpar was formerly called Trefhedyn and was historically a borough in its own right. Newcastle Emlyn grew around its castle, which dates from the 13th century. At the 2021 census the community had a population of 1,144. The built up area (including Adpar) had a population of 1,883 at the 2011 census.

History

Newcastle Emlyn, 1804 New Castle Emblyn, Cardiganshire.jpeg
Newcastle Emlyn, 1804
The remains of the Norman castle. DSCN4079-castle crop b.jpg
The remains of the Norman castle.

The town takes its name from the cantref of Emlyn, an administrative district in medieval Dyfed. [3]

Newcastle Emlyn Castle, was first mentioned in Brut y Tywysogion in 1215, when it was seized by Llewelyn the Great (Welsh : Llywelyn Fawr). [4] It was captured by the Welsh during the revolt of 1287–1288 and also by Owain Glyndŵr in 1403. [5]

Cawdor Hall was completed in 1892. [6]

The Teifi Valley Railway is nearby, although the town has not had a passenger train service since 1952. [7]

Newcastle Emlyn hosted the Urdd National Eisteddfod in 1981. [8]

Governance

Cawdor Hall The Market Hall, Newcastle Emlyn - geograph.org.uk - 2118109 (cropped).jpg
Cawdor Hall

There are two tiers of local government covering Newcastle Emlyn, at community (town) and county level: Newcastle Emlyn Town Council (Cynfor Tref Castell Newydd Emlyn) and Carmarthenshire County Council (Cyngor Sir Gâr). The town council meets at Cawdor Hall on Market Square. [9] North of the Teifi, Adpar forms part of the community of Llandyfriog in Ceredigion. As well as Llandyfriog, the Newcastle Emlyn community is also bordered by those of Llangeler and Cenarth, both of which are in Carmarthenshire. [10]

Administrative history

Newcastle Emlyn was historically part of the ancient parish of Cenarth. [11] Newcastle Emlyn and Adpar have always been administratively separate for local government purposes, although between 1832 and 1885 Newcastle Emlyn was in the Adpar parliamentary borough, which formed part of the Cardigan Boroughs constituency. [12] [13]

When elected parish and district councils were established in 1894, Cenarth was given a parish council and included in the Newcastle Emlyn Rural District. In 1897 part of the parish of Cenarth was converted into an urban district called Newcastle Emlyn. [14]

Newcastle Emlyn Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. A community called Newcastle Emlyn was created covering the area of the former urban district, with its community council taking the name Newcastle Emlyn Town Council. District-level functions passed to the new Carmarthen District Council. Carmarthenshire County Council was abolished as part of the same reforms, with county-level functions passing to the new Dyfed County Council. [15] The district of Carmarthen and county of Dyfed were both abolished in 1996 and their councils' functions passed to a re-established Carmarthenshire County Council. [16]

Economy

In 1932, the former Co-operative creamery was reopened by Dried Milk Products to make cheese. After a new parent firm, Unigate, decided to sell off its non-milk related dairies, it was bought by the Milk Marketing Board in 1979, but closed again in 1983. [17]

Transport

In 1895, the Teifi Valley Railway of the Great Western Railway (GWR) reached Newcastle Emlyn railway station. [18] Originally conceived as a 7 ft, ¼ inch broad-gauge line between Carmarthen and Cardigan by the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway, it was absorbed into the GWR, which developed the line only as far as Newcastle Emlyn.

Passenger services ceased in 1952, but goods services continued until 1973, due in part to milk train services to the cheese-producing creamery. [17] After the goods service ceased, the lines were removed and the station demolished. [19]

Demography

According to the United Kingdom census 2011 Newcastle Emlyn had a population of 1,883, including Adpar on the Ceredigion side of the River Teifi. A 2017 population estimate put it at 1,888, of whom 52 per cent were female and 48 per cent male, with 379 aged 0–17 years, 979 aged 18–64, and 530 aged over 65.

The 2001 UK census had 69 per cent of the 950 people then living in Newcastle Emlyn speaking fluent Welsh, although the proportion fell in the next decade to 54 per cent, as the town population increased to 1,138 aged 3 or over by 2011. [20] The drop in Welsh usage in Newcastle Emlyn between 2001 and 2011 was among the biggest in Wales, though not uncommon across Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

The latest Estyn inspection report in 2012 on the town's English-medium secondary school notes that only 12 per cent of pupils came from homes where Welsh is spoken, with 31 per cent considered fluent in the language. Parents have the option of sending their children to a designated Welsh-medium secondary school, Ysgol Bro Teifi in Llandysul, Ceredigion. Only 64.8 per cent of the town's residents were born in Wales.

The town has a dual-language primary school, [21] and also a pre-school establishment known as Meithrinfa Teifi Tots Nursery. [22]

Education and culture

Newcastle Emlyn has a secondary school, Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn. The town's attractions include an art gallery, the Attic Theatre company and the National Woollen Museum. [23]

Sports

Newcastle Emlyn has association football and rugby teams. Newcastle Emlyn Football Club are members of the Football Association of Wales and Newcastle Emlyn RFC of the Welsh Rugby Union.

Legend

The entrance to King George's Field in Church Lane, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire. Holy Trinity Church is in the background on the right. King George's Fields SN3040 203.jpg
The entrance to King George's Field in Church Lane, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire. Holy Trinity Church is in the background on the right.

A legend of the Wyvern of Newcastle Emlyn (Gwiber Castell Newydd Emlyn) tells how on a fair day when the town was full, a winged wyvern breathing fire and smoke landed on the castle walls, stared threateningly, then settled down to sleep. The general terror gave way to an effort by a few townsfolk to destroy it. A soldier waded the Teifi to a vantage point on the castle side and released a red cloak into the river. The creature, suddenly woken, caught sight of the cloak, fell on it with shrieks and tore it to shreds, but was shot in its vulnerable underparts. The assailant escaped to safety. The dying wyvern turned over and floated down the river, its wound gushing venom that fouled the water and killed all the fish. There was joy at the monster's death. [24]

Twin town

Newcastle Emlyn is twinned with Plonévez-Porzay in Brittany, France.

Notable people

In birth order:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmarthenshire</span> County in Wales

Carmarthenshire is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as the "Garden of Wales" and is also home to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceredigion</span> County in Wales

Ceredigion ( ), historically Cardiganshire, is a county in the west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. Aberystwyth is the largest settlement and, together with Aberaeron, is an administrative centre of Ceredigion County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammanford</span> Town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales

Ammanford is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. At the 2021 census the community had a population of 5,445, and the wider built up area had a population of 8,285.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardigan, Ceredigion</span> Town and community in Wales

Cardigan is a town and community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. Positioned on the tidal reach of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire, Cardigan was the county town of the historic county of Cardiganshire. Cardigan is the second-largest town in Ceredigion. The largest town, Aberystwyth, is one of the two administrative centres; the other is Aberaeron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cenarth</span> Village in Carmarthenshire, Wales

Cenarth is a village, parish and community in Carmarthenshire, on the border between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, and close to the border with Pembrokeshire, Wales. It stands on the banks of the River Teifi, 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Cardigan and 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Newcastle Emlyn, and features the Cenarth Falls, a popular visitor attraction, and several other listed structures including an 18th-century corn mill incorporating the National Coracle Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Teifi</span> River in Wales

The River Teifi, formerly anglicised as Tivy, forms the boundary for most of its length between the Welsh counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, and for the final 3 miles (4.8 km) of its total length of 76 miles (122 km), the boundary between Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Its estuary is northwest of Cardigan, known in Welsh as Aberteifi, meaning 'mouth of the Teifi'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A478 road</span> Major road in Wales

The A478 road is a major road in Wales. The route is from its junction with the A487 at Cardigan, Ceredigion, to Tenby, Pembrokeshire. It crosses the Preseli Hills and winds through farmland for almost all of its route. The road just touches the very west of Carmarthenshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beulah, Ceredigion</span> Village and community in Ceredigion, Wales

Beulah is a small village, wider community and electoral ward located halfway between the market town of Newcastle Emlyn and the seaside resort of Aberporth in Ceredigion, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pencader, Carmarthenshire</span> Village in Carmarthenshire, Wales

Pencader is a small village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, in the community of Llanfihangel-ar-Arth. It is located around 3 miles (5 km) south-east of Llandysul and 6.5 miles (10 km) south-west of Llanybydder, in the valley of the Gwen brook, shortly before the confluence with the River Talog, to form the River Tyweli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teifi Valley Railway</span> Heritage railway in west Wales

The Teifi Valley Railway is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway occupying a section of the former standard gauge Great Western Railway line between Llandysul and Newcastle Emlyn. After the closure of the former line by British Rail in 1973, a preservation group built and periodically extended a narrow-gauge railway along the route, westwards from Henllan, eventually operating a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long line as a tourist attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A475 road</span> Road in Wales

The A475 road in Wales links Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire with Lampeter in Ceredigion; a distance of 19 miles (31 km).

Newcastle Emlyn was a railway station terminus in the town of Newcastle Emlyn, West Wales, on the proposed broad gauge Teifi Valley line of the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emlyn</span> Welsh medieval cantref

Emlyn was one of the seven cantrefi of Dyfed, an ancient district of Wales, which became part of Deheubarth in around 950. It consisted of the northern part of Dyfed bordering on the River Teifi. Its southern boundary followed the ridge of the line of hills separating the Teifi valley from the valleys of the Tâf and Tywi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llangeler</span> Hamlet and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales

Llangeler is a hamlet and community located in north Carmarthenshire, Wales. The name is believed to refer to St. Gelert. Llangeler parish covers a wide area including to the west, the textile village of Drefach Felindre, Waungilwen, Cwmpengraig and to the east, Pont Tyweli which adjoins Llandysul on the Carmarthenshire side of the River Teifi. The population of the parish was 3,222 at the Census of 2001, increasing to 3,427 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle Emlyn RFC</span> Welsh rugby union club

Newcastle Emlyn RFC is a Welsh rugby union club based on the outskirts of the town of Newcastle Emlyn, in the community of Adpar, Ceredigion on the north bank of the River Teifi. The club currently plays in the WRU Division One West having spent 4 seasons in the Welsh Championship following the title win in 2015. The club is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adpar</span> Village in Ceredigion, Wales

Adpar, formerly Trefhedyn, is a village in Ceredigion, Wales, in the community of Llandyfriog, now considered as a part of Newcastle Emlyn to which it is joined by a bridge across the River Teifi. In ancient times Adpar was a borough in its own right.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henllan railway station</span> Preserved railway station in Wales

Henllan was a railway station near the village of Henllan, Ceredigion, West Wales, serving the hamlet and the rural locale.

Cenarth is an electoral ward, representing the communities of Newcastle Emlyn and Cenarth, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is strangely named Cenarth, rather than Newcastle Emlyn as Newcastle Emlyn has the larger population. A similar ward for local elections prior to 1987 was named Newcastle Emlyn.

Ceredigion District Council was one of six district-level authorities in the county of Dyfed, Wales, from 1974 until 1996. The district had an identical area to the pre-1974 administrative county of Cardiganshire. From its creation in 1974 the district used the name "Ceredigion" rather than "Cardiganshire", which had been used for the former county council. Further local government reorganisation in 1996 saw Dyfed County Council abolished and Ceredigion become a unitary authority, with the district council taking over county-level services to become Ceredigion County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cenarth Bridge</span> Bridge in Cenarth, Wales

Cenarth Bridge, also spelt Kenarth Bridge, is a three arch bridge which spans the River Teifi at Cenarth, Carmarthenshire in Wales. The bridge was built between 1785 and 1787 and designed by David Edwards, the son of William Edwards who built the Old Bridge at Pontypridd. The bridge straddles the border between Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. It is both a Grade II* listed structure and a scheduled monument.

References

  1. "Newcastle Emlyn community". City Population. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. "Usual Resident Population: Table KS101EW". NOMIS. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 January 2025. (Download table for built-up areas to see individual areas' statistics.)
  3. Richards, Melville, Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units, UoW Press, 1969, p 268
  4. The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pg609 ISBN   978-0-7083-1953-6
  5. Breverton, Terry (2009). Owain Glyndwr The Story of the Last Prince of Wales. Amberley Publishing. ISBN   978-1445608761.
  6. Cadw. "Town Hall & Market Buildings (9706)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  7. Catford, Nic. "Newcastle Emlyn". Disused Stations. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  8. May, John (1994). Reference Wales. University of Wales Press. p. 81. ISBN   978-0708312346.
  9. "Newcastle Emlyn Town Council" . Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  10. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  11. "Cenarth Ancient Parish / Civil Parish". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  12. Parliamentary Boundaries Act. 1832. p. 372. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  13. Knight, Charles (1853). The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge: Volumes 3–4. p. 1014. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  14. Annual Report of the Local Government Board. 1897. p. 271. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  15. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 6 October 2022
  16. "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 9 October 2022
  17. 1 2 "Dairies in Ceredigion". Ceredigion.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  18. "Newcastle Emlyn railway station". disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  19. "About the Railway". Teifi Valley Railway. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  20. "2011 Census results by Community". Welsh Language Commissioner. 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. School site. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  22. Details. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  23. "National Woollen museum re-opens". BBC News. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  24. Newcastle Emlyn Millennium Edition Historical Notes About Our Town p. 10, Pamela Jenkins (1999) Castle Publications.