Llansteffan
| Llansteffan | |
|---|---|
 Llansteffan viewed from Ferryside | |
  Llansteffan Location within Carmarthenshire | |
| Population | 941 [1] |
| OS grid reference | SN355105 |
| Community |
|
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CARMARTHEN |
| Postcode district | SA33 |
| Dialling code | 01267 |
| Police | Dyfed-Powys |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Llansteffan, is a village and community situated on the south coast of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Tywi, 7 miles (11 km) south of Carmarthen.
Description
[edit]The community includes Llanybri and is bordered by the communities of: Laugharne Township; Llangynog; Llangain; St Ishmael; and Pembrey and Burry Port Town. The population of the community was 941 in 2011 which includes the Llansteffan village population of 424.[2]
Llansteffan means "Llan of Saint Stephen", but honours a 6th-century Welsh associate of Saint Teilo rather than the more widely known protomartyr.
The parish of Llansteffan consists of two distinct villages with separate churches: Llansteffan by the estuary and Llanybri inland on the hilltop. St Ystyffan's church is a grade II* listed building.[3] Between the castle and village sits Plas Llanstephan, Lord Kylsant's former residence, which is also a grade II* listed building [4]
Castle
[edit]
Llansteffan Castle, built by the Normans in the 12th century and granted to the Marmion family, stands above the village on a promontory commanding the estuary passage. Located between the ferry crossing-points of the Tywi and Tâf rivers, Llansteffan was an important staging post on the coastal route from Glamorgan via Kidwelly to Pembroke.
Ferry Crossing
[edit]The village was connected to Ferryside, on the opposite bank of the Towy estuary, by a ferry until the 1950s. It saved visitors a 16 mile road trip.
In 2018, a ferry service resumed using an amphibious boat to negotiate Llansteffan beach by Carmarthen Bay Ferries using a customized Sealegs Amphibious Craft offering 5-10 minute crossings to Llansteffan and 45 minute estuary and 1 hour trips, having received a grant of £300,000 from the Coastal Communities Fund. The grant had been applied for by a former resident of the community, Professor Kenton Morgan and local reactions to the service and the culture of grantsmanship was covered in a BBC Radio 4 programme.[5][6]
Governance
[edit]At the local level, Llansteffan is governed by Llansteffan & Llanybri Community Council[7] comprising up to 10 community councillors.
Until 2022 a county electoral ward of Llansteffan existed. This ward stretched north from Llansteffan to include Llangynog and Llangain, with a total population of 2,006.[8] From the 2022 local elections Llansteffan was merged with the St Clears ward to become 'St Clears and Llansteffan', represented by two county councillors.
Notable people
[edit]- The poet Dylan Thomas had strong family links to Llansteffan. The triangle formed by Llangynog, Llangain and Llansteffan constitutes as Thomas once put it, his "breeding-box valley". His mother's family, the Williamses, lived within this triangle in farms such as Waunfwlchan, Llwyngwyn, Maesgwyn and Penycoed. His mother's half-sister, Anne, lived in Rose Cottage in the village.[9]
- The artist Osi Rhys Osmond, lived in Llansteffan for 30 years until his death.
- Lieutenant Tomos Stephens, an SAS soldier who was taken prisoner during Operation Bulbasket in World War II, then beaten to death by a German officer.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Community population 2011". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Custom report - Nomis - Official Labour Market Statistics".
- ^ "Church of St Ystyffan, Llansteffan". British Listed buildings. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ "Y Plas, Llansteffan". British Listed buildings. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ "007-like ferry takes to water at Ferryside and Llansteffan". BBC News. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Patch, Ferryside". BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Welcome to Llansteffan & Llanybri Community Council". Llansteffan & Llanybri Community Council. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ Dylan Remembered 1914-34 vol 1 by D N Thomas, Seren 2003, as well as A True Childhood: Dylan’s Peninsularity by D. N. Thomas in Dylan Thomas: A Centenary Celebration ed. H. Ellis, Bloomsbury 2014, which is also online at A True Childhood: Dylan's Peninsularity
- ^ "SAS World War Two hero honoured 75 years after death in France". BBC News. 3 July 2019.
External links
[edit]| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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