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The feature below was first shown on my website on 22 February 2003

John Ball

Images of Wales



Where's that?? - locate Llanfynydd on a map of South Wales.


Llanfynydd and the Mystery of Nant Gwilw
Carmarthenshire


Photography by John Ball - 17 February 2003
(with a Fuji FinePix S602 Zoom digital camera)

Earlier this week I visited the parish of Llanfynydd deep in rural Carmarthenshire. The visit arose out of a question posed by a contact in Washington State, USA about a flower — an iris named Nant Gwilw — named after a place in Wales. We discovered the name Nant Gwilw also formed part of the address of Unicorn Books, a book publisher based in Llanfynydd in the 1970s. A search of the relevant Ordnance Survey "Explorer" map (sheet 186) revealed a property named Nant Gwiliw situated in the valley of the river Cothi in the parish of Llanfynydd, only 30 miles from my home. As the weather was fine I decided to investigate further by making a visit. I spent a most pleasant two hours exploring the parish, the village of Llanfynydd, and Nant Gwilw itself.

This Images of Wales feature is a photographic record of my visit, and is divided into five sections:


Page 1 (below): Llanfynydd Village       Page 2: Parish Church       Page 3: Discovering Nant Gwilw

Page 4: Inside Nant Gwilw       Page 5: Nant Gwilw Brook       Updates: Latest findings


Llanfynydd Village

Stonebridge

Left: Llanfynydd village and its parish church nestle in a hollow through which flow the upper reaches of Afon Sannan, a tributary of Afon Dulas, itself a tributary of Afon Tywi. The church is in the heart of the village, near a stone bridge which carries the main road over the Sannan.

 

Below: Across the bridge from the church is this terrace of old properties in which are situated the village post office, general stores, and the village inn.

Riverside terrace

Penybont Inn
Above: The appropriately-named Penybont Inn — pen-y-bont = bridge-end.

Penybont Inn
Above: The sign indicates that the inn dates from circa 1680.

Visit the Llanfynydd Village website at http://www.llanfynydd.com/


Now turn to....

Page 2: Parish Church       Page 3: Discovering Nant Gwilw       Page 4: Inside Nant Gwilw       Page 5: Nant Gwilw Brook

Images of Wales                          Back to Webpage Archive

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Details of each website feature (for newcomers) Direct links to each website feature (for regulars) Advance news of new developments on my website Summary of all the latest updates Gateway to Welsh Family History Archive Help for those having problems accessing my website A link to the main 'gateway' page to my entire website