Adpar, formerly Trefhedyn, is a village in
CeredigionCeredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
now considered as a part of
Newcastle EmlynNewcastle Emlyn is a town straddling the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in west Wales and lying on the River Teifi.Adpar is the part of the town that lies on the Ceredigion side of the River Teifi...
to which it is joined by a fine bridge across the
River TeifiThe River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...
. Adpar used to be an ancient Welsh
boroughA borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in its own right.
History
The
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of WalesThe Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales is a Welsh Government sponsored body based in Aberystwyth, Wales. It was founded in August 1908...
records a "possible medieval castle
motteMotte may be:*Motte-and-bailey, a type of construction used in castles*Isaac Motte, an 18th century American statesman*La Motte , various places with this name-See also:* Mote * Mott...
" within the village. The mound is low, about 3½ metres in height and damaged in subsequent periods.
At one time Adpar was relatively more important than it is now. It used to be an ancient borough, returned its own member of parliament and had a
port-reeveA portreeve, or 'port warden' is a historical British political appointment with a fluctuating role which evolved over time.The origins of the position are in the reign of Edward the Elder, who, in order to ensure that taxes were correctly exacted, forbade the conducting of trades outside of a...
and two
bailiffA bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
s. It had a market and several seasonal animal fairs. Several industrial enterprises used the fast-flowing waters of the River Teifi for power, including a woollen mill that produced flannel, blankets and knitting yarn. There was also a
fishing weirA fishing weir, or fish weir, is an obstruction placed in tidal waters or wholly or partially across a river, which is designed to hinder the passage of fish. Traditionally they were built from wood or stones. They can be used to trap fish...
above the bridge to catch migratory
salmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
.
The first permanent
printing pressA printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
was established in Adpar in 1719 by Isaac Carter (printer and native of Carmarthenshire). it's believed that the first two publications from this press were
Welsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
Cân o Senn i’w hen Feistr Tobacco by
Alban ThomasAlban Thomas was a Welsh doctor, librarian and antiquarian, who followed in his father's footsteps in supporting Welsh literature, being particularly associated with efforts by Moses Williams to publish Welsh-language manuscripts.-Life:...
and
Cân ar Fesur Triban ynghylch Cydwybod a’i Chynheddfau. The press was transferred to Carmarthen in about 1725.
The last
duelA duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
that took place in
CeredigionCeredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
occurred in Adpar in 1814. The last recorded use of
stocksStocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
in the United Kingdom was in Adpar in 1872.