Caersws
Caersws (Welsh pronunciation: [kɑːɨrˈsuːs]) is a village and community sitting on the River Severn, at grid reference SO0392 some four miles west of Newtown, Powys, and halfway between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury.
History & Amenities
The name Caersws means 'fort of Sws'. The prefix is Welsh 'Caer' meaning fort and Swswen was an ancient Roman queen.[1] The village is the location of two Roman forts of Roman Wales. These may be Mediomanum, 'the central fist' of the Ravenna Cosmography, although this is disputed.
Caersws has a railway station on the Cambrian Line from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury.
Llanwnnog Church in the community of Caersws is a single-chambered structure, variously considered to be of 13th century or 15th century date and restored in 1863. It contains the best example of a 15th century or 16th century rood screen and loft in Montgomeryshire, a medieval font bowl and one 17th century memorial.Church of St Gwynnog, Llanwnnog
Sport
Downhill Mountain Biking has flourished in forestry at Henblas farm, to the north of the village, with a number of national races being held there. The current series - The Caersws Cup[2] - began in March 2009.
Welsh Premier League club Caersws F.C. are based in the village, and play their home matches at the Recreation Ground.
Caersws is home to current and past champions of a number of sporting disciplines, leading some to christen it the "Sporting Capital of Wales".[3]
Elvis Costello Controversy
Elvis Costello has for many years had seemingly strong links with the village, having upon interview listed Mid Wales as a favoured holiday destination.[4] However, in recent years tensions between the village and the ageing punk rocker have been building, primarily due to the lack of name checks in any of his most recent albums. In reply to the subsequent bitter vitriol targeted against Costello, a statement was released by his management in an attempt to defuse the situation. This was largely a failure, with a hotly contested stalemate remaining to this day.
References
- ^ History in Brief - Mid Wales at BBC.co.uk
- ^ [1]
- ^ Sporty Village Boasts Famous Five at BBC.co.uk
- ^ Andrews, Robert (2004). The Rough Guide to Britain. Rough Guides Ltd. p. 838. ISBN 978-1843533016.
External links
- Official Caersws F.C. site
- Mediomanum
- Caersws Cup Downhill Mountain Bike Race
- 6 pages of artifacts and documents associated with Caersws and held on Gathering the Jewels the website of Welsh cultural history
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Caersws and surrounding area
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