Pentrecwrt
Encyclopedia
Pentrecwrt is a village in north Carmarthenshire
, Wales
on the A486 road
half way between Carmarthen
and New Quay
.
that can be seen on the hillside above Pentrecwrt.
The village takes its name from the court or farmyard of the Maenor Forion Grange at Whitland. The antiquary Edward Lhuyd, described it as the abbot’s summer retreat. It was established during the second half of the 12th century, when the land was granted to the Cistercian Whitland Abbey
by the sons of the local Welsh lord Maredudd of Cilrhedyn. A corn mill and a fulling mill were located on the Afon Siedi at Geulan Felen, demonstrating that the abbey may have been an early pioneer of the textile industry in the area. Court Farm now stands on this site.
Uphill from the village is the grange chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Capel Mair survived the Dissolution
and became a chapel-of-ease to Llangeler parish. This suggests that many people lived on or near the grange lands by the sixteenth century. An early medieval inscribed stone was found in the churchyard. It has an inscription in Latin
and Ogham
, DECABARBALOM FILIUS BROCAGNI, which translates as Cabarbalom son of Brocagnus. Near the church are two farms, Llwynyffynnon Uchaf and Llwynffynnon Isaf (Upper and Lower Well or Spring Grove). They are named after the holy well of Ffynnon Mair.
A fine bridge over the River Teifi was built adjoining Alltcafan Mill in 1841. There is a plaque on the bridge commemorating the exertions of John Lloyd Davies of Blaendyffryn in commissioning the project.
In 1895 the Great Western Railway
extended their track by building a line from Llandysul
to Newcastle Emlyn
. Pentrecwrt Halt was opened in 1912. Milk was taken to the creamery from here and children travelled to school at Llandysul Grammar School. The station was closed in 1952.
and its tributaries provided plentiful water-power. They both closed in the late 20th century. Derw Mills now houses industrial units including a pine furniture manufacturer.
Farming, particularly dairy farming, and tourism are now the main industries of the area.
A plaque on the wall of Bwlch Melyn commemorates the fact that the writer and poet T. Llew Jones
was born in the cottage.
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales 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...
on the A486 road
A486 road
The A486 is an A road in Carmarthenshire, Wales, which links Saron with New Quay.The A486 begins at the junction with the A484 south of Saron. After departing Saron from the south it crosses the settlements of:*Pentrecwrt*Dolgran*Llandysul*Horeb...
half way between Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
and New Quay
New Quay
New Quay is a seaside town in Ceredigion, West Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town.-History:...
.
History
Pencastell is a bracken and tree-clad motteMotte
Motte 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...
that can be seen on the hillside above Pentrecwrt.
The village takes its name from the court or farmyard of the Maenor Forion Grange at Whitland. The antiquary Edward Lhuyd, described it as the abbot’s summer retreat. It was established during the second half of the 12th century, when the land was granted to the Cistercian Whitland Abbey
Whitland Abbey
Whitland Abbey was a Cistercian abbey near Whitland in south-west Wales, now in Carmarthenshire.Whitland was founded on 16 September 1140 by monks from the mother house of Clairvaux. In 1144 it was located at Little Trefgarn near Haverfordwest. It moved to Whitland in about 1155, a site having...
by the sons of the local Welsh lord Maredudd of Cilrhedyn. A corn mill and a fulling mill were located on the Afon Siedi at Geulan Felen, demonstrating that the abbey may have been an early pioneer of the textile industry in the area. Court Farm now stands on this site.
Uphill from the village is the grange chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Capel Mair survived the Dissolution
Dissolution
Dissolution or dissolve may refer to:* Dissolution , in law, means to end a legal entity or agreement such as a marriage, adoption, or corporation...
and became a chapel-of-ease to Llangeler parish. This suggests that many people lived on or near the grange lands by the sixteenth century. An early medieval inscribed stone was found in the churchyard. It has an inscription in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Ogham
Ogham
Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language. Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.There are roughly...
, DECABARBALOM FILIUS BROCAGNI, which translates as Cabarbalom son of Brocagnus. Near the church are two farms, Llwynyffynnon Uchaf and Llwynffynnon Isaf (Upper and Lower Well or Spring Grove). They are named after the holy well of Ffynnon Mair.
A fine bridge over the River Teifi was built adjoining Alltcafan Mill in 1841. There is a plaque on the bridge commemorating the exertions of John Lloyd Davies of Blaendyffryn in commissioning the project.
In 1895 the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
extended their track by building a line from Llandysul
Llandysul
Llandysul is a small town in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. The community of Pont Tyweli lies directly across the Teifi River in Carmarthenshire. It is in the valley of the River Teifi and is visited for its fishing and canoeing....
to Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle 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...
. Pentrecwrt Halt was opened in 1912. Milk was taken to the creamery from here and children travelled to school at Llandysul Grammar School. The station was closed in 1952.
Economy
Alltcafan Mill and Derw Mill were once part of the textile manufacturing industry that flourished in the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the fast-flowing River TeifiRiver Teifi
The 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...
and its tributaries provided plentiful water-power. They both closed in the late 20th century. Derw Mills now houses industrial units including a pine furniture manufacturer.
Farming, particularly dairy farming, and tourism are now the main industries of the area.
Culture and community
There is a village hall that was refurbished in the late 20th century. The WI and other organisations meet here.A plaque on the wall of Bwlch Melyn commemorates the fact that the writer and poet T. Llew Jones
T. Llew Jones
Thomas Llewelyn Jones was a Welsh language writer who, over a writing career of more than 50 years, was one of the most prolific and popular authors of children's books in Welsh. He wrote, and was generally known, as T. Llew Jones.- Biography :T. Llew Jones was born at 1 Bwlch Melyn, Pentrecwrt,...
was born in the cottage.