St Clears

Coordinates: 51°49′14″N 4°30′15″W / 51.82043°N 4.50424°W / 51.82043; -4.50424

St Clears
Welsh: Sanclêr
St Clears  St Clears shown within Carmarthenshire
Population	2,820 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	SN275165
Principal area	Carmarthenshire
Ceremonial county	Dyfed
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
EU Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
List of places: UK • Wales • Carmarthenshire

St Clears (Welsh: Sanclêr) is a small town on the River Tâf in Carmarthenshire, Wales. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of 2,820 people, most of whom are Welsh-speaking, although there is a marked difference between the southern and northern ends of the town in percentage terms.

History

The Norman St Clears Castle was constructed in the twelfth century (the castle mound can still be seen) and the town, which was a Marcher Borough, grew around it. Below the castle there was a port on the river Tâf, which could take ships of up to 500 tons according to a plaque at the site. The castle held out against Owain Glyndŵr.

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 Sir William Lower and a neighbour, John Protheroe, set up one of Britain's first telescopes in 1609, which they used to study the craters of the Moon and Halley's Comet.^[1][2]

In 1842, one of the local toll gates was destroyed in the Rebecca Riots.

The building of the railway 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 2 miles north of the castle, and new building at the north end of the high street spread eastwards along Pentre Road, and then northwards again to the station. Pentre Road is now the main commercial centre of the town, and was formerly part of the A40 road until construction of the dual carriageway bypass.

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.

Amenities

The town boasts a variety of local shops including two prize-winning traditional butchers and two craft centres. There are also several pubs some of which are notable for their food.

The surrounding countryside is mainly rolling grassland consisting of moderate sized fields with well kept hedges. The main agricultural enterprise is dairying, but sheep and beef are very important as well. The soils are deep and productive and will grow good crops of potatoes 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.

For holiday makers St Clears has a range of Bed & Breakfast, self-catering accommodation and campsites. It is within an hour's drive of two National Parks (Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast), the Gower Peninsula AONB and also the main Irish ferry ports (Fishguard and Pembroke Dock).

Railway Station

Trains travel through St Clears, but have not stopped at the town since the 1960s. A local campaign group is attempting to persuade Network Rail to reopen the station.^[3]

References

1. ^ Trefenty: Some Observations and Reflections
2. ^ The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press 2008
3. ^ BBC NEWS | South West Wales | Station campaign picks up steam

External links

• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of St Clears and surrounding area