Llandeilo / Introduction

An introduction to Llandeilo by Greg Stevenson

The story of Llandeilo starts in the Roman period. With its fertile land, and gold in the hills around Dolaucothi, it is no surprise that the Romans wanted to control this valley. Two roman forts have been found during excavations here in Dinefwr park.

Dinefwr was the seat of the Princes of the Southern Counties, and thus the town of Llandeilo has long been affected by the fortunes of Dinefwr. The castle is an important Welsh castle, built by Rhys Grug, Rhys Mewchyll and Rhys Fychan until surrender to Edward I in 1277

We know that by the early fourteenth century, after the Norman invasion there were around 30 ‘burgage’ plots in the ‘villa de Lanteilo’.

The town remained small until the Victorian period. The landed gentry sold off land around the town in the nineteenth century, and farmers moved into town to become businessmen.

But the town didn’t grow substantially until the nineteenth century. One of the problems of Llandeilo had been the access up the steep hill from the bridge, and around the churchyard.But in 1815 a road was made right through the middle of the Churchyard, which was then widened and improved when a better bridge was built in the 1840s.

The three local estates of Dinefwr, Cawdor and Derwydd all played a part in the development of the buildings of the town, and today it is essentially a town of buildings from the late Georgian to the late Victorian period.

The Llandeilo that we see today is one formed from its nineteenth century heyday as the main market town of the Towy valley. Once the railway was introduced it brought in traders and customers from a huge catchment area. About 2000 people live here today.

In the mid nineteenth century there were 73 shops, 23 public houses and 290 homes in the town.

The town must have looked completely different on market day when the streets were full of livestock and stalls.The corn of the Towy valley was renowned, and corn and cheese were sold on the ground floor of the Shire Hall (Carmarthen St). Butter and farm produce were sold in the Provisions Market (Carmarthen St.). Fish stalls were under the chestnut tree on the Church square., and across the road were the shambles where the cattle were slaughtered. Welsh flannel was sold at stalls in King St. Cows were sold in Church Street and Bridge Street, whereas pigs were sold in King Street and Market Street. Horses were sold on Carmarthen Road.

Commerce is what has made Llandeilo, and although the streets aren’t packed with cows and pigs for sale today, it still has a lively selection of independent shops.In fact it has become quite posh – I can’t think of any other town so small that has three delicatessens! At least it is still a centre for quality produce!