History

ST. CWRDAF CHURCH

Although certainly medieval in origin, St Cwrdaf may be pre-Norman conquest.
It is a Grade 2 listed building. Originally the graveyard was circular. It was rebuilt in 1812 and restored in 1870. New windows were added in the 1870s and more extensive alterations were carried out in 1893-5. The lych gate (also listed) was added in 1903.

 St Cwrdaf Church Llanwrda

St Cwrdaf Church

TABOR CHAPEL

Tabor chapel, the chapel house and the stable were erected in 1792 by Mr Thomas Jones, Bwlchgwynt on land from Cefnbennydd Farm. The plot of land, together with the garden and burial ground was donated by Thomas Jones as a gift so long as water flowed in the river Towy.

Tabor Welsh Independent Chapel Llanwrda

Tabor Welsh Independent Chapel

LLANWRDA RAILWAY STATION

This was originally built by the Vale of Towy railway in 1858 as Lampeter Road station. The line was leased by Llanelli Docks and Railway Company for 10 years, then by the Great Western Railway. After 1868 the line linked with the LNWR at Llandovery. This eventually became the Central Wales Railway, now known as the Heart of Wales Railway (Swansea to Shrewsbury).
(P. Berry Llanwrda Portrait of a Village. pub 1999.)

The is also some interesting railway memorabilia to be seen in and around The Bridgend Garage, in the centre of the village.

Llanwrda Station First railway time table Llanwrda Station Crossing Gates Llanwrda Goods Shed Diesel freight at Llanwrda Station Llanwrda Station Steam train Llanwrda Station Staff Llanwrda School Train
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Diesel freight at Llanwrda Station

VIA JULIA Roman Road Llanwrda

VIA JULIA is an ancient Roman road in Somerset, Gloucester, Monmouth, and South Wales.

It was made by the proprætor Julius Frontinus, the Roman conqueror of South Wales; it goes from Bath north-westward to Aust ferry; was there connected with the opposite bank by a ferry; goes thence westward, past Caerwent, to Caerleon; proceeds thence, under the name of Via Julia Maritima, past Ewenny, Neath, and Loughor, to Carmarthen; sends off a branch from Neath, north-eastward, to Brecon; and deflects from Carmarthen, in a line called Via Julia Montana, up the valley of the Towy, to Brecon, Abergavenny, and Usk.

(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72)

Via Julia intersects the modern A40 outside Llanwrda

Part of the Via Julia crosses the road to the station by Pentre Meurig Farm. (You can just see the faint straight white line to the left of the A40 in the fields.)

Dyfed Archaeology have investigated the site and highlighted it to be of note “Llanwrda was found to be a square enclosure possibly of Roman or Iron Age date that survives as a slight earthwork

From the Dyfed Archaeology report

“The enclosure sits on the edge of an east-facing scarp slope with extensive views of the Afon Dulais valley that leads back to the Roman gold mines at Dolaucothi, some five miles NW, and approximately 1.5 miles north of the Carmarthen-Llandovery Roman road at Llanwrda. The Ordnance Survey suggests that the shape and size of the enclosure point to it being a Roman fortlet or signal station but equally they, and its position, could indicate an Iron Age defended enclosure. Spurgeon (1981) has even proposed that it is a medieval moated site. Whatever the origin of the site it is rare to find such a feature still surviving as a visible earthwork, despite the effort put into demolishing it 60 years ago. It is necessary that further investigative work is carried out to determine the nature of the site, and to inform any decisions made on the protection or not that the earthwork should afford.

A geophysical survey of the area would enable a clearer picture of the earthwork to be formed, and particularly the character of any internal features.

A number of the fields surrounding the site that are known locally by their Welsh name include within then the element “lladron” meaning robbers of thieves. A local oral tradition (still known to those who currently live in the area) describes the area as being notorious in the past as a hiding place for highwaymen or robbers who preyed on unsuspecting travellers along the nearby road”

Via Julia intersects the modern A40 outside Llanwrda

Via Julia intersects the modern A40 outside Llanwrda

Part of the Via Julia crosses the road to the station by Pentre Meurig Farm. (You can just see the faint straight white line to the left of the A40 in the fields.)

Part of the Via Julia crosses the road to the station by Pentre Meurig Farm. (You can just see the faint straight white line to the left of the A40 in the fields.)

pic: RCAHMW Aerial photograph of a segment of the Tywi Valley Roman Road south of Llanwrda, taken on 02/07/1992 by CR Musson

Other historical resources:

In 2005 Llanwrda featured in a BBC documentary : BBC World War 2 The Peoples War

The programme includes an interesting account of a lady evacuated to Llanwrda during World War Two. She stayed at the Post Office and attended Llanwrda School. I am sure some of our older residents will remember the corrugated tin shed next to the post office where the evacuees ate lunch? or the pot-bellied stove in the school? The nearby POW camp? or even Miss Joliffe the Schoolteacher? And how about the Victory Handkerchief made by the Children?

GENUKI Records and historic information has information relating to Llanwrda at:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/Llanwrda/index.html

Other information about Llanwrda may be found here this is an external site and we cannot guarantee it will be kept up to date.

victoryhandkerchief Bridgend Garage early days Bridgend Garage Bridgend Garage by River Dulais Llanwrda Goods Shed The P & D Doldderwen Cloth Hall Llanwrda Llanwrda Shop Llanwrda Square Neuadd Fawr Bishops Mill and the Davies family Avon House & Isycoed Mill Wheel in the former woollen mill Water Wheel The river Dulais The Old Dulais Bridge School plans School photo 1894 Royal Oak in thatch Royal Oak at later date Mrs Price the landlady of the Three Horseshoes Inn Llanwrda (1900) Pentremeurig Map Pentremeurig Fields Old Station Road Llanwrda School House Dresser from the Cabinet Works, Llanwrda Cabinet Works Aqueduct River Dulais Llanwrda Hall Llanwrda Church Llanwrda By-pass Llanwrda By-pass 1946
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Mrs Price the landlady of the Three Horseshoes Inn Llanwrda (1900)