Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales Genealogy

Wales Carmarthenshire  Carmarthenshire Parishes Cedweli, Cydwele, Kidwelly, Kidwelly St. Mary

History
"KIDWELLY, or CYDWELI, an incorporated market town, and a parish, having a separate jurisdiction, locally in the hundred of Kidwelly, county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 9 miles (S. by E.) from Carmarthen, and 225 (W.) from London, containing 1681 inhabitants. . . This is a place of great antiquity . . . The town occupies a low and uninteresting situation on the banks of the Gwendraeth Vach, or Lesser Gwendraeth river, which divides it into two portions, called respectively the Old and the New Town, the former of which, situated on the Western side, is connected with the latter by a handsome bridge. . . The Old Town, which was formerly surrounded by walls, having three gates . . . now consists, with few exceptions, merely of hovels; and the New Town contains very few respectable dwelling houses, the majority being thatched cottages of very inferior appearance. The air is salubrious, and the place is considered very healthy; but the importance which it formerly derived from its position on a fine navigable river. . . has ceased with the obstruction of this navigation. . . The present remains of [Kidwelly Castle] occupy a bold rocky eminence on the western side of the Gwendraeth Vach, and are in a more perfect state of preservation than any other of a similar character in the principality." [From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1833).] For more information see Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire at genuki.org.uk

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