History
The earliest written form of the name, 'Cetgueli', is recorded by the monk, Nennius, writing in the 9th century. One theory is that the name means the land, territory, or kingdom of Cadwal. Another theory is that the name is the combination of the two words ''Cyd'' (joint) and ''Gweli'' (bed), i.e., the joining of the two river beds Gwendraeth Fawr and Gwendraeth Fach, wherein Cydweli lies. The town itself is ancient and is shrouded in mystery of its founding, but the most popular theory is that it was founded by local warlords since the area was part of the''Kidwelly Parish Church records, 1851 "Remarks: S torn. . . Lords day in this Town is but very little regarded as a day for spiritual worship ublick houses are allowed to be open, and frequented during Divine Service. Publick oues are very numerous in this place, and even the Town Clerk keeps a . . . publick house. Often times on the Lord's day we are not only hear cursing and . . . once swearing in our streets, but frequently we see most brutal fighting, and . . . tice taken thereof by the authority of the Town. This is the cause why places f worhip are so little frequented and religion so little appreciated and professed at Kidwelly." Thomas Griffiths, Vica
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Tourism
Local attractions include Kidwelly Castle, founded in 1106; a fourteenth-century bridge and gate; the formerquay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( mooring locatio ...(now anature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...); a Norman parish church, and an industrial museum. Kidwelly Carnival is an annual event held on the second Saturday of July. Previous carnivals have featured aerial displays. The town is twinned with French village Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer on the north coast ofBrittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ....
Transport
Road – Kidwelly is connected toLlanelli Llanelli (" St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarth ...andCarmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...by the A484 road. Bus/Coach – There are local buses running through Kidwelly, linking the town with Llanelli and Carmarthen, with a main stop in the town centre. Some services were withdrawn in 2014. There is a Coach Park located in the town centre. Rail – Kidwelly railway station is on the West Wales Line. Westbound services from Kidwelly terminate atCarmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...or Pembroke Dock, with less frequent direct services toFishguard Harbour Goodwick (; cy, Wdig) is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, immediately west of its twin town of Fishguard. Fishguard and Goodwick form a Community (Wales), community that wraps around Fishguard Bay. As well as the two towns, it consists o ...and Milford Haven. Eastbound services terminate at Swansea or Cardiff Central, with less frequent direct services to Manchester Piccadilly and London Paddington. Cycling – Kidwelly is connected to theNational Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...along the coast from the east and west by NCR 4.Sustrans
/ref> The cycle path runs directly through the town centre. Air –Pembrey Airport Pembrey West Wales Airport ( Welsh: Maes Awyr Pen-Bre) is located west northwest of Llanelli ( south of Carmarthen) in Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, in Wales. Pembrey has one hard runway designated as 22LH/C and 04RH/C. The airport and its ICAO co ...is approximately east of Kidwelly. The nearest airport with domestic and international scheduled flights is Cardiff Airport. Walking – There are numerous public footpaths and bridleways in Kidwelly and Mynydd-y-Garreg, including Glan yr Afon, just behind the Wesleyan Chapel on the Bridge and Summer Way (Maes yr Haf) off Water Street.
Government
Kidwelly is governed on a local level byCarmarthenshire County Council Carmarthenshire County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin) is the local authority for the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It provides a range of services including education, planning, transport, social services and public safety. The counc ...and on a community level by Kidwelly Town Council, who appoint aMayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...of Kidwelly and Mynydd-y-Garreg. It is located within the UK Parliament constituency of Llanelli, represented by the Welsh Labour MP Nia Griffith, and within the Welsh Assembly Constituency of Llanelli, also represented by the Welsh Labour AM Lee Waters. The community is bordered by the communities of:Llandyfaelog Llandyfaelog () is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. According to the 2001 census the community has a population of 1,272, of which 71.88 percent are Welsh speaking. The population at the 2011 Census had increased to 1,304. The commu ...;Llangyndeyrn Llangyndeyrn () is a village, community and electoral ward in the River Gwendraeth valley, Carmarthenshire, in Dyfed region of West Wales, United Kingdom. The village name is often spelt as Llangendeirne. The Welsh language name of the villag ...; Trimsaran; Pembrey and Burry Port Town; and St Ishmael, all being in Carmarthenshire.
Sport
The localrugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...team is Kidwelly RFC, a club formed in the 1880s which now plays in the Welsh Rugby Union league. They play their home games at Parc Stephen's, Kidwelly. Parc Stephen's is also the home venue of local football,cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...andlawn bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...teams. The football team is Kidwelly Town AFC.Pembrey Circuit Pembrey Circuit is a motor racing circuit near Pembrey village, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is the home of Welsh motorsport, providing racing for cars, motorcycles, karts and trucks. The circuit's facilities have also been used for a single-venue ...is about 3 miles away hosting races and rallies.
See also
* Church of Saint Mary, Kidwelly *Mynyddygarreg Mynydd-y-Garreg or Mynyddygarreg ("The mountain of the stone") is a village in the county of Carmarthenshire, West Wales. It borders the historic town of Kidwelly. Governance Mynydd-y-Garreg is in the Kidwelly community and shares with it a mayor ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Kidwelly Town Council
- Includes Visitors` Guide
Kidwelly Castle Official Website
Kidwelly Industrial Museum Official site
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Kidwelly and surrounding area
{{Authority control Towns in Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire electoral wards Communities in Carmarthenshire