Everything about Ammanford totally explained
Ammanford is the third largest
town in the
county of
Carmarthenshire,
Wales with a population 5,299 according to the
United Kingdom Census 2001. Ammanford town is the main
shopping centre for many
villages in the surrounding area.
According to the 2001 census, 75.88% of the population are competent in the
Welsh language, compared to roughly 55% in Carmarthenshire as a whole and 21.8% in Wales as a whole.
Ammanford is
twinned with
Breuillet, Essonne.
History
Ammanford took its current name on
November 20,
1880. The community that existed then and now known as Ammanford dates back to around the early 1800s. At that time the main highways went through the area, not to it. The north-south road from
Llandeilo and
Llandybïe went to
Betws, and the east-west road from the
Amman Valley went to Penybanc and
Tycroes, and further afield, both converging at a
crossroads (now Ammanford Square). This in turn led to the development of coaching or staging
inns and
taverns catering for the needs of the traveller. The area eventually became identified by the name of one of these hostelries - Cross Inn.
The community of Cross Inn centred on the activity of the cross road, along with a small group of low-grade
cottages sited in the vicinity of Carregaman Isaf which became known as Pentrefacas. Betws was a larger
hamlet with the parish
church - St David's - as its focal point. All the area to the west of the
River Amman fell within the parish of Llandybïe.
The
Industrial Revolution created a demand for
coal, an essential source of power to operate the
boilers of
steam engines. Coal attracted investment which led to various companies, one of which was the
Llanelly Railway and Dock Company, building an elaborate
transport system of
railways. The first railway was opened in
1840, linking
Llanelli with Ammanford, reaching
Brynamman by 1842 and later extending northwards to
Llandeilo and beyond. (See
Ammanford railway station).
Coal couldn't be mined without manpower, and so an influx of workers began. People needed
houses, services,
entertainment, and
schools. Within a relatively short period of time, what was once a quiet and tranquil
agricultural community changed to a bustling town, hungry to absorb the land of old established
farmsteads. The population increased explosively, with many of the migrants and their families coming from
English language-speaking areas of Wales as well as from
England,
Scotland and
Ireland.
Naming
This rapid growth appeared to have been the reason for changing the name of the village, as there was already another village in Carmarthenshire called
Cross Inn. Prominent
citizens convened a public meeting with a view to changing the name, and there was overwhelming support for the proposal, especially amongst the strong representation of church and
chapel members who perhaps resented the hamlet bearing the name of a
public house. Another consideration appears to be that the largest chapel in the village was then known as Cross Inn Chapel: a conflict of ideals, to say the least. There is still an
engraved stone in the grounds of the chapel, now called Gellimanwydd or the Christian Temple, bearing its original name.
On the
October 1,
1880, this
article appeared in the local
newspaper:
» "It has been proposed to call CROSS INN, which is in the parish of Llandybïe, in the County of Carmarthen, from this time forth, after the Right Hon. Baron, who owns the place, Dynevor.
"By adopting a new name, it's hoped to get rid of all previous annoyances, and also, that the other Cross Inn may benefit by the change."
From later press reports, it seems that there was by no means unanimity in the selection of the new name. Several public meetings followed and eventually it was decided to refer the choice of a new name to a group of prominent local dignitaries.
On 20 November, the nominated
committee met at the Ivorites Hall (on Hall Street, which took its name from this building). After a long discussion it was proposed by Mr. A. A. Morris of Wernolau, and seconded by Mr. W. Jones of the Cross Inn Hotel, that from this time forth, the village should be known as Ammanford. The proposal was accepted unanimously, there being no other name before the meeting. After the
vote was taken, the
chairman of the meeting, Watkin Hezekiah Williams (Watcyn Wyn), a local schoolmaster, couldn't resist announcing that 'Cross Inn' had finally been 'crossed out'.
Tragic events
A high profile killing took place in Ammanford on
12 August 1991. 15-year-old Simon McBride drowned his sister Rebecca (aged six) in a local pond, where she was found
the next day. He was found guilty of her
manslaughter at
Swansea Crown Court on
24 March 1992 and sentenced to be
detained for life.
(External Link
) In January 1997, McBride, who was by now 20 years old and still in custody, caused outrage by urging members of the public to send him information about the
Aberfan disaster of 1966, which he was researching. His father, however, urged members of the public not to feed his son's "obsession" with killing.
(External Link)
Twentieth Century
Ammanford was an important location as the
1904-1905 Welsh Revival unfolded.
The
Ammanford Anthracite Strike was a riot at Ammanford in 1925 during a strike by
anthracite miners who took control of the town by force and violence for 10 days. 200 Glamorgan police were ambushed by strikers at Pontamman Bridge during the so-called 'Battle of Ammanford'.
There have also been other high profile killings in Ammanford in the last year - 2 in the community of
Pantyffynnon
Ammanford hosted the
National Eisteddfod in 1922 and 1970.
Recent developments
On
July 4,
2002, Ammanford was granted
Fairtrade Town status. This status was renewed by the
Fairtrade Foundation on December 27, 2003.
The Old Lloyds Bank situated on the main square in Ammanford has been converted into an Education Centre that the
Amman Valley Enterprise now own.
Famous people from Ammanford
Famous bands from Ammanford
Jarcrew - Now-defunct eletronica-punk-funk band.
Tracey Curtis - singer-songwriter.
Rick Smith - Electronic/Rock Band Underworld
Sport
A motorcycle speedway long track meeting, one of the few held in the UK, was staged at Ammanford.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ammanford'.
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