|
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40/A483 roads.Llandovery is a corruption of 'Llanymddyfri', meaning 'Llan ymlith y dyfroedd' or, in English, 'Church enclosure amidst the waters'.
The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line. Llandovery owes its name to its position between the River Tywi and the Afon Brân just upstream of their confluence. A smaller watercourse the Bawddwr, runs through and under the town. Llandovery is twinned with Pluguffan in Brittany, France.
Also in the town are a charity-run theatre (Llandovery Theatre), a heritage centre and Llandovery College. A tourist information and heritage centre is situated in the heart of the town. It houses exhibitions on the Tonn Press, the area's droving history and the nineteenth century geologist Sir Roderick Impey Murchison whose work in the area resulted in the name of Llandovery being assigned to rocks of a certain age across the entire world.
Many visitors use Llandovery as a touring base for the western part of the Brecon Beacons National Park which lies immediately to the south of the town. For others it is a stop en route to Pembrokeshire and West Wales. Large numbers of motorcyclists congregate, particularly at weekends, in the West End cafe on Broad Street, part of the A40.
The church of St Mary is a grade I listed building.
The Physicians of Myddfai practised in the area, healing subjects with their herb lore and potions as well as their mystical powers and insight into the human condition.
Llandovery is also the place where one of the first independent Welsh banks, The Black Ox, was established by a wealthy drover (later to become a bank). The building is part of the King's Head inn which was the home of The Bank of the Black Ox.
Llandovery is home to the rugby union team Llandovery RFC, nicknamed The Drovers.
|
