![StClearsPriory](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/StClearsPriory.JPG)
St Clears ( ; cy, Sanclêr) on the
River Tâf
The River Taf ( cy, Afon Taf) is a river in West Wales. It rises in the Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire, and continues through Carmarthenshire to Laugharne. It is one of the three rivers to enter the sea on the east side of Carmarthen Bay. The oth ...
in
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, is both a small town and a
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
. At the 2011 census, the population was 2,995. The community includes the small settlements of
Bancyfelin
Bancyfelin is a village, west of Carmarthen, Wales. The English translation of the Welsh name is Hill of the Mill. There is no remnant of the mill today.
Up until the 1980s when the A40 dual carriageway bypass opened, the village was plagued ...
and Pwlltrap. It is bordered by the Carmarthenshire communities of,
Meidrim
Meidrim is a community some west of Carmarthen and north of St Clears in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Meidrim (formerly also spelled 'Mydrim') and its twin village of Drefach are situated either side of the Afon Dewi Fawr at the point where this sma ...
,
Newchurch and Merthyr
Newchurch and Merthyr is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales including the villages of Newchurch (Welsh: Eglwysnewydd) and Merthyr. The community population at the 2011 census was 676.
The community is bordered by the communities of: ...
,
Llangynog
Llangynog (; ) is a village and community at the confluence of the Afon Eirth and the Afon Tanat at the foot of the Berwyn range in north Powys (previously Montgomeryshire), Wales.
It lies at the foot of the Milltir Cerrig mountain pass on t ...
,
Laugharne Township
Laugharne ( cy, Talacharn) is a town on the south coast of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Tâf.
The ancient borough of Laugharne Township ( cy, Treflan Lacharn) with its Corporation and Charter is a unique survival i ...
,
Llanddowror
Llanddowror is a village and a community in Carmarthenshire, Wales situated from St. Clears. Previously on the trunk road to Pembroke Dock, the village is small, historic and relatively unspoilt.
Llanddowror is famous for being the home of it ...
,
Eglwyscummin
Eglwyscummin ( cy, Eglwys Gymyn) is a community (Wales), community situated on the south-western boundary of Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales. It is made up of the three ward parishes of Ciffig, Eglwyscummin, and Marros, all surrounding the vil ...
,
Llanboidy
Llanboidy is a village and community in the principal area and historic county of Carmarthenshire, West Wales. The community includes the village of Llanglydwen.
Location
According to the 2001 United Kingdom Census, the community had a populat ...
and
Llangynin
Llangynin is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The Welsh language name of the village means "the church of St. Cynin" The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 284.
St Cynin's church is a grade II* listed buildi ...
.
History
The Priory Church of St Mary Magdalene (
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales ( cy, Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) is an Anglicanism, Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.
The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishop ...
) is a grade II* listed building and was founded ; a
Cluniac
The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement began wit ...
priory of
St Martin-des-Champs. It is considered to have the best surviving
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
stone carving in Carmarthenshire. The church was restored in 1853-55 and again in 1883–84. The
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
is from .
The
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
castle was constructed in the 12th century. St Clears, a
Marcher Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
, grew around it. The castle held out against
Owain Glyndŵr
Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
. The castle mound can still be seen. According to a plaque at the site, a quay on the river Tâf below the castle could accommodate ships up to 500 tons.
Nearby, Trefenty House became the home of a branch of the
Perrot family in the 16th century, and it was here that the amateur
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
Sir
William Lower and a neighbour, John Protheroe, set up one of Britain's first
telescope
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...
s in 1609, which they used to study the craters of the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
and
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the o ...
.
In 1842, St Clears was an epicentre of the "
Rebecca Riots
The Rebecca Riots (Welsh: ''Terfysgoedd Beca'') took place between 1839 and 1843 in West and Mid Wales. They were a series of protests undertaken by local farmers and agricultural workers in response to levels of taxation. The rioters, often me ...
". At least one local toll gate was destroyed there.
The building of the
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway ( cy, Rheilffordd De Cymru) was a main line railway which opened in stages from 1850, connecting the Great Western Railway from Gloucester to South Wales. It was constructed on the broad gauge. An original aspiration was to ...
in the 1850s was responsible for the decline of many of the small ports along the
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel ( cy, Môr Hafren, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Seve ...
coast, and St Clears was no exception. The railway passed about two miles north of the castle, and new building at the north end of the High Street spread eastwards along Pentre Road, and then northwards to the station. Pentre Road is now the main commercial centre of St Clears and was formerly part of the
A40 road
A4 most often refers to:
*A4 paper, a paper size defined by the ISO 216 standard, measuring 210 × 297 mm
A4 and variants may also refer to:
Science and mathematics
* British NVC community A4 (''Hydrocharis morsus-ranae - Stratiotes aloide ...
until the bypass opened.
The town's cattle market was important until its closure, but the town still has a large agricultural cooperative store. The town has also hosted an oil distribution centre and milk processing plant. Now, smaller industrial units provide the main local employment.
Photographer and film-maker Stanley Phillips lived in St Clears and documented life in the town and the surrounding area (active 1910–1961). His work appeared in the ''
News Chronicle
The ''News Chronicle'' was a British daily newspaper. Formed by the merger of '' The Daily News'' and the ''Daily Chronicle'' in 1930, it ceased publication on 17 October 1960,''Liberal Democrat News'' 15 October 2010, accessed 15 October 2010 be ...
'', ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'', and ''
Sunday Mirror
The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...
'', as well as local newspapers. His films include ''The Last March of Mr. Jonah Rees at St Clears'' (1930), which is in the collection of the
National Library of Wales. He worked closely with Colonel William Buckley (whose work is also in the National Library of Wales) and E.V. Williams, both keen filmmakers. The permanent exhibition of Phillips' photographs and film at the Mezzanine Gallery in St. Clears includes photographs of the aviator
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson (born 1 July 1903 – disappeared 5 January 1941) was a pioneering English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia.
Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, she set many long-distance records duri ...
, World War I flying ace Wing Commander
Ira Jones
Ira Jones (July 10, 1923 – July 11, 2004) was an author, best known as the first sergeant in charge of Elvis Presley for a portion of the time Elvis served in the army.
Early life and family
Ira Jones was born in Johnson county, Arkansas the ...
, and racing drivers
Sir Malcolm Campbell
Major Sir Malcolm Campbell (11 March 1885 – 31 December 1948) was a British racing motorist and motoring journalist. He gained the world speed record on land and on water at various times, using vehicles called ''Blue Bird'', including a 1 ...
and
J. G. Parry-Thomas
John Godfrey Parry-Thomas (6 April 1884 – 3 March 1927) was a Welsh people, Welsh engineer and motor-racing driver who at one time held the land speed record. He was the first driver to be killed in pursuit of the land speed record.
Ear ...
, who both attempted world land speed records at nearby
Pendine Sands
Pendine Sands ( cy, Traeth Pentywyn) is a beach on the shores of Carmarthen Bay on the south coast of Wales. It stretches west to east from Gilman Point to Laugharne Sands. The village of Pendine ( cy, Pentywyn, link=no) is close to the wester ...
.
Governance
St Clears is also an
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
, electing councillors to
Carmarthenshire 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 St Clears Town Council.
Railway
![Level crossing, St Clears - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Level_crossing%2C_St_Clears_-_geograph.org.uk_-_580502.jpg)
The original railway was constructed by the
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway ( cy, Rheilffordd De Cymru) was a main line railway which opened in stages from 1850, connecting the Great Western Railway from Gloucester to South Wales. It was constructed on the broad gauge. An original aspiration was to ...
. Although trains travel on the
West Wales Line through St Clears, they have not stopped since 1964. After a local campaign to persuade the
Welsh Government
The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...
and
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
to reopen
St Clears railway station
St Clears railway station served the town of St Clears, Carmarthenshire, Wales between 1854 and 1964. It was on the West Wales Line.
History
The station opened on 2 January 1854. It was on the section of the South Wales Railway which opened t ...
, funding was secured to do so by 2024.
Amenities
The town has a large bilingual primary school, Ysgol Griffith Jones.
There are a variety of local shops including two prize-winning traditional
butcher
A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesal ...
s and two craft centres. There are several
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s.
The surrounding countryside is mainly rolling grassland consisting of moderate-sized fields with well-kept hedges. The main agricultural enterprise is
dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
ing, but
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
and
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
are very important as well. The soils are deep and productive and will grow good crops of
potatoes
The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Wild potato species can be found from the southern United ...
and cereals, and the climate allows fruit growing as well. Although most of the land is farmed commercially the area is a haven for wildlife.
The highlight of the farming year is the St Clears
YFC annual show which is held in May.
Sport
St Clears AFC association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club play in the
Pembrokeshire League
The Pembrokeshire League (currently the ''Manderwood Pembrokeshire League'') is a football league in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, running from levels five to nine of the Welsh football league system.
Teams promoted from Division One may enter the W ...
.
References
External links
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of St Clears and surrounding area*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Clears
Towns in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire electoral wards
Communities in Carmarthenshire