Caersws
Encyclopedia
Caersws (kɑːɨrˈsuːs) is a village
and community
sitting on the River Severn
, at 4 miles (6.4 km) miles west of Newtown, Powys, and halfway between Aberystwyth
and Shrewsbury
.
'Caer' meaning fort and it has been suggested that Swswen was an ancient queen from Roman times. The village is the location of two Roman forts
of Roman Wales. These may be Mediomanum
, 'the central fist' of the Ravenna Cosmography
, although this is disputed.
Caersws has a railway station
on the Cambrian Line
from Aberystwyth
to Shrewsbury
. The Welsh romantic poet John Ceiriog Hughes
was stationmaster and Manager of the Van Railway
from 1868 until his death in 1887. He is buried in the churchyard at Llanwnnog
.
Llanwnnog Church in the community of Caersws is a single-chambered structure, variously considered to be of 13th century or 15th century date and restored in 1863. It contains the best example of a 15th century or 16th century rood screen
and loft in Montgomeryshire
, a medieval font bowl and one 17th century memorial.Church of St Gwynnog, Llanwnnog
Maesmawr Hall
was built in the early 19th century.
The population was about 1,500 in 2006.
Local newspaper
s the Shropshire Star
, Cambrian News
, and Daily Post are all available in the town's shops.
has flourished in forestry at Henblas farm, to the north of the village, with a number of national races being held there. The current series - The Caersws Cup - began in March 2009.
Welsh Premier League club Caersws F.C.
are based in the village, and play their home matches at the Recreation Ground
.
Caersws is home to current and past champions of a number of sporting disciplines, leading some to christen it the "Sporting Capital of Wales".
has for many years had seemingly strong links with the village, having upon interview listed Mid Wales as a favoured holiday destination. However, in recent years tensions between the village and the ageing punk rocker have been building, primarily due to the lack of name checks in any of his most recent albums. In reply to the subsequent bitter vitriol targeted against Costello, a statement was released by his management in an attempt to defuse the situation. This was largely a failure, with a hotly contested stalemate
remaining to this day.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
sitting on the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
, at 4 miles (6.4 km) miles west of Newtown, Powys, and halfway between Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
.
History & Amenities
The name Caersws means 'fort of Sws'. The prefix is the WelshWelsh language
Welsh 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...
'Caer' meaning fort and it has been suggested that Swswen was an ancient queen from Roman times. The village is the location of two Roman forts
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
of Roman Wales. These may be Mediomanum
Caersws Roman Forts
The Caersws Roman Forts were two forts in the Roman province of what was to become Britannia Superior. Their original Latin names are unknown, although they may have been called Mediomanum...
, 'the central fist' of the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
, although this is disputed.
Caersws has a railway station
Caersws railway station
Caersws railway station is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the village of Caersws. Trains call here once in every two hours and there is only a minimal Sunday service, but two extra Sunday trains are planned for summer evenings after 2009.The notable Welsh romantic poet...
on the Cambrian Line
Cambrian Line
The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
from Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth railway station
Aberystwyth railway station is a railway station serving the seaside and university town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It is served by passenger trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, being situated at the terminus of the Cambrian Line and also by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.-...
to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury railway station
Shrewsbury railway station is the railway station serving Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire, England. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended...
. The Welsh romantic poet John Ceiriog Hughes
John Ceiriog Hughes
John Ceiriog Hughes , was a Welsh poet and well-known collector of Welsh folk tunes. Sometimes referred to as the "Robert Burns of Wales"...
was stationmaster and Manager of the Van Railway
Van Railway
The Van Railway was a standard gauge railway in mid Wales. The line was built in 1871 to link the highly productive lead mines at Van, near Llanidloes to the main Cambrian line at Caersws. The mines closed in 1920, but the railway remained open until 1940....
from 1868 until his death in 1887. He is buried in the churchyard at Llanwnnog
Llanwnnog
Llanwnnog is a village in Powys, Wales. It is located one-and-a half miles north of Caersws on the B4568 road.The Ordnance Survey spell the name with a single 'n'....
.
Llanwnnog Church in the community of Caersws is a single-chambered structure, variously considered to be of 13th century or 15th century date and restored in 1863. It contains the best example of a 15th century or 16th century rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
and loft in Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
, a medieval font bowl and one 17th century memorial.Church of St Gwynnog, Llanwnnog
Maesmawr Hall
Maesmawr Hall
Maesmawr Hall is a historical Tudor manor house to the southeast of Caersws, Powys, Wales. It was built in 1535 and is currently run as a hotel. A long avenue approaches the property at the front.-History:...
was built in the early 19th century.
The population was about 1,500 in 2006.
Local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s the Shropshire Star
Shropshire Star
The Shropshire Star is a regional newspaper covering the whole of Shropshire, plus parts of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, the Llangollen area and northern Powys in the United Kingdom.-About:The editor is Keith Harrison....
, Cambrian News
Cambrian News
The Cambrian News is a weekly newspaper distributed in Wales. It was founded in 1860 and is based in Cefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth. Cambrian News Ltd was bought by media entrepreneur Sir Ray Tindle in 1998.- History :...
, and Daily Post are all available in the town's shops.
Sport
Downhill Mountain BikingMountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
has flourished in forestry at Henblas farm, to the north of the village, with a number of national races being held there. The current series - The Caersws Cup - began in March 2009.
Welsh Premier League club Caersws F.C.
Caersws F.C.
Caersws F.C. is a football team, playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1887 as Caersws Amateurs, and adopted the present name when amateur status was dropped in 1974. The team plays at the Recreation Ground, Caersws, which accommodates 4000 spectators .The team's first choice strip...
are based in the village, and play their home matches at the Recreation Ground
Recreation Ground (Caersws)
Recreation Ground is a multi-use stadium in Caersws, Wales. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Caersws F.C.. The stadium holds 2,500 people....
.
Caersws is home to current and past champions of a number of sporting disciplines, leading some to christen it the "Sporting Capital of Wales".
Elvis Costello Controversy
Elvis CostelloElvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
has for many years had seemingly strong links with the village, having upon interview listed Mid Wales as a favoured holiday destination. However, in recent years tensions between the village and the ageing punk rocker have been building, primarily due to the lack of name checks in any of his most recent albums. In reply to the subsequent bitter vitriol targeted against Costello, a statement was released by his management in an attempt to defuse the situation. This was largely a failure, with a hotly contested stalemate
Stalemate
Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. A stalemate ends the game in a draw. Stalemate is covered in the rules of chess....
remaining to this day.