Dyfed, Wales

Llanelli The Five Minutes Spare Guide

Llanelli The Five Minutes Spare Guide
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Thinking of a holiday to Wales? Llanelli could be just the place for you.

Here at Five Minutes Spare, we like to review the best destinations for staycation vacations in the UK and beyond. This time we are looking at Llanelli which is in Carmarthenshire or the county of Dyfed depending on how widely you want to classify it. The town lies along an estuary about 10 miles from Swansea and its southernly location makes it a relatively warm place to visit at any time of the year. However, you come to Llanelli for the location and stay for both the people and their welcoming nature, and the many things to see and do in this historic part of Wales.

Join us as we plunge deep into the Llanelli world by researching the history, the fun things to see and do there, and everything else you ever needed to know.

The Early History of Llanelli

The town’s history begins with St. Ellyw, who was a grandchild of the fabled king Brychan. King Brychan was of Irish descent and his wife was heir to lands in mid-Wales. The king married three times but only one of his descendants became a saint. Unusually, we couldn’t find any information about who St Ellyw was, though we did find out that there are half-a-hundred churches dedicated to him. Not all of them are even in Wales.

We can only guess that they did something tremendous back before recorded history and performed a miracle that earned them sainthood. We wish we could tell you what it was, but the churches seem interested in telling their own story and not that of their saint. Just saying.

The town went by the name of Llanelly for a few hundred years up until 1966. This is an area of contention too. The name of the town is and always has been Llanelli. However, when the English invaded and occupied Wales for those medieval years, they anglicised the name to Llanelly. This obviously caused an uproar. Just as the English took away the Scots language, they tried to obliterate the Welsh tongue. This town’s name is Llanelli which has been official since 1966.

Llanelli is on the estuary, meaning that it always had some degree of strategic importance. Knowing also that it existed as long ago as 600 AD when the saint built a church here, we can discern that the town saw at least a little disruption thanks to the Vikings. From around 852 BC, the Vikings raided up and down the Welsh coast.

The Vikings raided as far as the Irish coastlines, so it’s no real surprise that they attacked along the east coast of England and Wales as well as the west coast. There were frequent attacks on Anglesey and the Gwynedd regions. This means there is a high probability that the Vikings touched down on and even raided Llanelli.

Roman Times

We didn’t find much evidence of Romans in Llanelli, but you have to remember that the Roman map of Wales is funny by comparison to the Welsh tribal map of Wales. There were thirteen main tribes in Wales. Ptolemy’s map written by the Romans documents half that number. It also gives some of them Roman names, instead of the names they actually used. This proves that the English were not the first nation to try and invade it. You really should have a look a Ptolemy’s map of the UK. It’s hilarious. He even got the shape wrong. A solid effort without tools though.

The area Llanelli sits in was home to the Silures tribe. They were a powerful clan with warlike abilities. The love of bloodshed seems forced upon this tribe, who shared borders with the Romans, then the Angles, then the Saxons, then the Normans, and then the English. It’s no wonder they were warlike. They didn’t have any choice. The Silures were known for short, dark, curly hair. There is a second legend about them.

This legend holds that when Christopher Columbus (or whoever) first landed in America and met the natives, there was a tribe there that spoke perfect Welsh. There is a legend about one of the leaders of the Silures tribe who set sail to the east and never returned. The two stories match up, but it’s just possible they were the result of English propaganda when they were laying claim to the new world. Who knows? There is also further evidence that the tribe originated in Spain, hence their darker skin tones.

The Medieval Era

The town history really picks up in 1607 when the oldest map of Wales – that’s the oldest accurate map of Wales – went to print. The map was the creation of William Camden and it represents Llanelli as a small town. About 80 years later, in 1682, Llanelli church opened for the first time. It was officially Llanelly but we have already had that conversation. The church kept parish records from 1683 onwards.

In 1714 the local construction workers started building Llanelli House. You can still visit this manor’s home today. It has its own bistro but presumably, that part came later. The local owners decorated the house in the Georgian style and you can still book a tour today. Back then it would be fairer to say that the peasantry only entered as servants.

The church records show that the famous preacher John Wesley came to visit in 1772, on some sort of pilgrimage for a saint we can’t tell you about. Which is a little annoying. He must have enjoyed his time here because he returned in 1779. The rest of the century belonged to the church. The Capel Als chapel opened in 1780 and the Calvinist Methodist church opened at Gelli On in 1785.

The town’s industrial heritage truly started in the 1700s. It started with a man named Alexander Raby, who began operating a mining and smelting operation out of Llanelli when it only had 500 people in it. He started this before mining and smelting were even popular. The blast furnace at Cwmddyche started operating in 1791 courtesy of Gevers and Ingram, but it was Raby who brought mining home four years later.

Let’s take a momentary break from all this history to revise some fun facts about the town.

Fun Trivia and Facts about Llanelli in Dyfed

In this section of the tour, we always like to pause to interrupt all of that history. Not that history is boring, it’s like a good meal. You want to eat it in courses, not all at once. Here are some fun facts about the town to break up the history and make it easier to digest.

  • There are certain places in Wales that succumbed to the Englification that the eastern neighbours thrust upon their conquered union members. Llanelli was Llanelly, but the Welsh were rightly having none of it. Don’t spell it with a ‘Y,’ it is the literal definition of cultural appropriation.
  • In the 1800s, the town’s involvement with the tin trade was so fierce that it became acceptable to call Llanelli ‘Tinopolis’. There is a local media company of the same name.
  • Parc Y Stade, the original stadium/park for the local Llanelli RFC players, closed to make way for a housing estate. The park held the 1972 game where they defeated the unbeatable All Blacks with a cool 9-3 score. It also played home to the funeral of Ray Gravell; may he rest in peace.
  • You might hear the locals called ‘Turks’ by other nearby towns. This is due to a ship full of Turks which docked here in the early 1900s. For a while, the dock was so awash with Turkish sailors that the name stuck.
  • The Co-operative supermarket in Llanelli was the first ever supermarket to reach Wales. It opened in 1958.
  • There is a Llanelly in Australia, don’t confuse the two… cultural appropriation…

And on that cheery note, let’s turn our attention back to the sands of time to discover how Llanelli flourished in the industrial period.

The Industrial Era in Llanelli

The first ever census here in 1801 showed 2,972 people. The population grew 500% between 1795 and 1801. The Waddle foundry opened in New Dock a year later. The Carmarthenshire Railway arrived in 1803, connecting the track to the docks. In 1805, the copperworks opened and in 1809 there were severe floods.

The Erw Fawr coal pit opened in 1810 and the Box coal pit opened in 1813. In 1822 a further chapel opened and in 1823 they decided they needed another church. In 1828 they put a bunch of bells in the parish church tower and the New Road opened the following year. In 1830 the town got a second copperworks and the population in 1831 was 7,646 people.

A cholera outbreak in 1832 caused 17 people to die. The railway finally arrived in 1834. The New Dock opened in 1835 and the Swansea Road Workhouse for the poor opened in 1839. By 1840, Llanelly pottery works opened but closed in 1923. The first school opened in 1847. It wasn’t until 1850 that the town lost its stocks and lynching equipment…

Stradey Park opened in 1879 with the Parc Howard Museum following in 1886. The stamping works opened down by the sea in 1897. The Llanelly Steel Works was founded in 1898 and in 1895 the town hosted the National Eisteddfod.

The Modern Town

By 1901 the population was over 25k strong. A train derailed near the town in 1904, injuring almost a hundred people and killing 5. Inquiries found it was speeding. In 1909 the Llanelli Star began production – note the name change. By this point in history, the Welsh were revolting against the overlords.

In 1911, railway workers held up trains at the level crossings and the army had to deal with it. Two bystanders died when the army shot them and an explosion killed four people. This was a classic example of why you never send the army to deal with civil uprisings. Now people were both poor and mad about their friend’s deaths. In the same year, the town got a theatre… a better way for the populace to work out their aggression.

In 1920 a second theatre opened, so it must have worked. After that, the town quickly racked up the enchantments. In 1930 it got the Regal Cinema. In 1934 it added the Ritz Ballroom. In 1970, a horse racing track opened at Machynys. The Llanelli transmitting station opened the same year. In 1972, the RFC claimed their excellent victory and the 31st of October became known as the day the pubs ran dry. Stradey Park had its last match in 2008 and, when the new stadium opened, they beat Cardiff City 32-3.

Modern Llanelli is home to some wonderful people who extend their welcome to all. It’s a town that is proud of its rugby team, and rightfully so. It has an endless history, with every street holding stories. A staycation trip to Llanelli means you are on the sea and just across the border. It’s a great place for a day out. Let’s talk attractions.

Famous People from Llanelli, Wales

At this stage in any given tour, we want to review the famous people from that town. You never know who you might meet when you are out and about, so be sure to always wear matching sets and keep your face and hands clean.

Famous faces from Llanelli include:

  • Keith Allen, who is an actor and Lilly Allen’s dad, was born here
  • The screenwriter Ronnie Class was a Llanelli man
  • The radio presenter Richard Evans came from here
  • As did Sam Evans from Big Brother
  • Composer Donald Swan was a Llanelli man
  • Sculptor Cerith Wyn Evans was from here

There are a few more famous faces in Llanelli than we expected. You can browse the rest here if you want to, but we are about to move on to the best part of the article: the top attractions in Llanelli.

Best Things to See and Do in Llanelli

This is the part of the tour where we do the actual guiding. Here are some of the best things to see and do in town.

Historic Sites and Landmarks

You can still visit the 18th-century Llanelly House, which retains the English form of the spelling. This house has its own bistro for dining pleasure and the owners routinely run tours. The Stepney family lived in the house for generations until its recent refurbishment. You can book the tour, take pics from the outside, enjoy the grounds, eat your meal, have a coffee, or lounge around it. People like old houses, especially those with Georgian architecture.

If you want to see something even more impressive, we recommend the tour at Stradey Castle. Now a hotel and wedding venue, you can visit for high tea or to take the tour. The home belonged to the Mansel Lewis family from the 1850s onwards. It has become a Grade II listed building in recent years. It is no wonder the government want to preserve it because it is a magnificent example of Victorian architecture. A+. Go have a gander.

Galleries and Museums

Parc Howard Museum Llanelli

Image: Tony Baggett/Shutterstock.com

Arguably the best museum in the area is the Parc Howard Museum and Gardens. Ideal for an afternoon of pleasant learning, this museum is inside the former home of the Buckley’s, a brewing family from the 1800s. They began collecting fine art and the building achieved museum status in 1912. They have unique items created by the Llanelli pottery company here which you just can’t find anymore. There is also a gallery here where you can enjoy some of the fine artworks from their collections.

You can spend the day at the theatre here, too. Although not technically a museum or an art gallery, the Ffwrnes is the place to go to catch a show in town. Go along and see what is on, catch a matinee or join in with some community drama. Everyone loves to express themselves.

You will find a lovely gallery called the John Street Gallery where you can buy art from local artists.

Outdoor Attractions

People rant and rave about how good the Llanelli Wetland Centre is. This place offers an adventure in the marshes, with LEGO brick animals and even some real ones to spot. Legend has it there are flamingos here. You can even see the wetlands via a canoe, which is a great way to see nature in a new light. It’s definitely an improvement on a petting zoo that makes a great day out.

If you’re not a fan of animals, have no fear. You can still get outside and enjoy the coastal views offered by the Llanelli and Millennium Coastal Park. This location is what became of the industrial grounds around town. Where once tracks led to docks and smelting furnaces powdered the sky with soot – there now stands a lovely area of scenic natural beauty for residents to enjoy. There is also the Millennium Coastal Park Discovery Centre to visit here. It contains a café and a few exhibits explaining how the land was once used, and how we fixed it.

Sports and Recreation

Llanelli wouldn’t be what it is today without the hugely successful rugby team it produced. Visit the effervescent Llanelli RFC at the Parc and cheer them on. Go to an important game or take the stadium tour to learn all about them.

Llanelli Town AFC is the local football club. They are not as successful as their rugby counterparts but they do put on a good show. They go by the nickname ‘the Reds’ and they are in the Welsh Feeder League.

Every single Welsh town has a golf club and Llanelli is no exception. You can check out Birdie’s Second Hand Golf store to the north of town or visit Machynys Golf Academy and driving range in town. It has a spa and hotel attached for those who want to book a golfing holiday in Wales.

Shopping and Retail

There are a few different places you can go shopping around town. The town centre has a few good stores, but head to the Parc Trostre Retail Park, or to the Park Pemberton Retail Park, for some real shopping.

Other Notable Attractions

If there is anything left that we can’t fit in above, we put it in this section. So if you are sticking in Llanelli for more than a weekend or short break, try to see the following sites:

  • Visit the Parc Y Scarlets, home of the reds, which has an amusement park for entertaining the family pre-match.
  • Go swimming or to the gym at the Llanelli Leisure Centre
  • Visit the Industrial Symphony statues
  • Browse yet more stores at the St Elli shopping centre
  • There is a group called Baywater Adventures that will take you canyoning and rappelling if you are the adventurous type.
  • Have a pint at the Joiner’s Arms

How to Get to Llanelli?

Now you are up to date on all things Llanelli, let’s talk about how you get there. We wouldn’t want you becoming lost on the road either though, so consider using a sat nav.

By Road

Take the M4 east out of England and it runs past Llanelli.

By Rail

Head for Llanelli train station on Great Western Crescent.

By Air

Your nearest international airport is in Cardiff.

By Sea

Head for Llanelli docks.

Got Five More Minutes?

If you still have five minutes to spare then we know how you can use them wisely. Hop over to our Facebook page and drop us a follow, or head to the website and read another travel guide. If you look hard enough, you might find your own home town.

Header Image: Andrew Chisholm/Shutterstock.com

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