St Clears
St Clears
| |
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Location within Carmarthenshire | |
Population | 2,995 (2011 census) |
OS grid reference | SN275165 |
Community |
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Principal area | |
Preserved county | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | CARMARTHEN |
Postcode district | SA33 |
Dialling code | 01994 |
Police | Dyfed-Powys |
Fire | Mid and West Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
UK Parliament | |
Website | stclearstowncouncil.co.uk |
St Clears (.
The name
St Clare was either a church founder in the 5th/6th century (Clara), or an assembly of the Welsh bards (Clair – in Welsh).[2]
History
The Priory Church of St Mary Magdalene (
The Norman castle was constructed in the 12th century. St Clears, a Marcher Borough, grew around it. The castle surrendered to Owain Glyndŵr in 1405.[6]
Nearby, Trefenty House became the home of a branch of the
In 1842, St Clears was an epicentre of the "Rebecca Riots". At least one local toll gate was destroyed there.[10]
The building of the South Wales Railway in the 1850s was responsible for the decline of many of the small ports along the Bristol Channel 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 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
Neville Hughes (1945–2015) was born in St. Clears. He was a British actor and later a successful businessman in the motor manufacturer sales and marketing sector.
Governance
St Clears is also an
Railway
The original railway was constructed by the
Amenities
The town has a large bilingual primary school, Ysgol Griffith Jones.
There are a variety of local shops including two prize-winning traditional butchers and two craft centres. There are several pubs.
The surrounding countryside is mainly rolling grassland consisting of moderate-sized fields with well-kept hedges. The main agricultural enterprise is
The highlight of the farming year is the St Clears YFC annual show which is held in May.
Sport
St Clears AFC association football club play in the Pembrokeshire League.
References
- ^ "Ward and community populations 2011". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ A Topographical Dictionary of Wales. London. 1849. pp. 241–248.
- ^ "Priory Church of St Mary Magdalene, St Clears, Carmarthenshire". Stained Glass in Wales. University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "St Mary Magdalene's Church, St Clears (103852)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ "Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, St Clears". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ "St Clears". Ecastles. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ISSN 0576-7849. Archived from the originalon 21 November 2008.
- ^ The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press (2008).
- ^ Jenkins, David Erwyd (1911). Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 937–938. . In
- ^ "Rebecca Riots Sculpture". Hither & Thither. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "The Last March of Mr. Jonah Rees at St. Clears [motion picture]". National Library of Wales. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Mezzanine transformed into gallery cataloguing village past". Carmarthen Journal. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ St Clears Ward - Electoral Division Profile, Carmarthenshire County Council, January 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ Council Members, St Clears Town Council.
- National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ BBC NEWS | South West Wales | Station campaign picks up steam
- ^ Ruth Davies (3 December 2020). "St Clears' new rail station welcomed by Carmarthenshire County Council". Tivyside Advertiser. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
External links
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of St Clears and surrounding area
- Pearce, Christopher. "The Cluniacs in Wales: Malpas and St Clears". Monastic Wales.