Cenarth
Encyclopedia
Cenarth is a village
, parish
and community
in Carmarthenshire
, adjoining the Cenarth Falls
, bordering Ceredigion
and Pembrokeshire
, West Wales
.
, 10 km east of Cardigan
and 4 km west of Newcastle Emlyn
.
extended 5 km south of the river, and included the town of Newcastle Emlyn. In 1934, it annexed the adjoining parish of East Cilrhedyn
, and the enlarged parish corresponds with the modern community, which had a population
of 1,022 in the 2001 census
. With the community of Newcastle Emlyn
, it makes up the Carmarthenshire electoral ward of Cenarth, which had a population of 1,995 in 2001, with 60% Welsh language
speakers.
The River Teifi at this point emerges from a deep ravine
over a ledge that produces a spectacular waterfall
when the river is in full spate and this attracts many visitors throughout the year. A dramatic painting of the falls was made by Frank Miles
and is now at Nottingham City Museum. Miles's father inherited Cardigan Priory from his father, Philip John Miles, but lived in Nottinghamshire as Rector of Bingham.
Other visitor attractions are a seventeenth-century flour mill
and coracle
museum.
The parish church
is dedicated to the local saint
, St. Llawddog. Although the present building is relatively modern, it is on an important ancient site, and was the "bishop house" of the cantref of Emlyn
.
The ancient parish (less Newcastle Emlyn) had an area of 2558 hectare
s. Its census
populations were: 672 (1801): 897 (1851): 638 (1901). The percentage of Welsh speakers was 98 (1891): 96 (1931).
The enlarged parish (post-1934) had an area of 4896 ha. Its census populations were: 1098 (1951); 1066 (1961); 926 (1971); 971 (1981). The percentage of Welsh speakers was 92 (1951); 91 (1961); 82 (1971); 69 (1981).
The village is also home to the National Coracle Centre
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, adjoining the Cenarth Falls
Cenarth Falls
The Cenarth Falls is a cascade of waterfalls just upstream of the road bridge in the village of Cenarth in Ceredigion, bordering Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales....
, bordering Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
and Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, West Wales
West Wales
West Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
.
Location
It is situated on the banks of the River TeifiRiver Teifi
The River Teifi forms the boundary between the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in south-west Wales for most of its 75 mile length, flowing into the sea below the town of Cardigan. The catchment of the river is estimated to be 1,008 square kilometres yielding an average flow at Glan...
, 10 km east of Cardigan
Cardigan, Ceredigion
Cardigan is a town in the county of Ceredigion in Mid Wales. It lies on the estuary of the River Teifi at the point where Ceredigion meets Pembrokeshire. It was the county town of the pre-1974 county of Cardiganshire. It is the second largest town in Ceredigion. The town's population was 4,203...
and 4 km west of Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn is a town straddling the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in west Wales and lying on the River Teifi.Adpar is the part of the town that lies on the Ceredigion side of the River Teifi...
.
History and amenities
The ancient parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
extended 5 km south of the river, and included the town of Newcastle Emlyn. In 1934, it annexed the adjoining parish of East Cilrhedyn
Cilrhedyn (Dyfed parish)
Cilrhedyn is a hamlet and parish in the counties of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated in the hill country to the south of the Teifi valley. The Afon Cych divides it into two unequal parts: West Cilrhedyn, Pembrokeshire and East Cilrhedyn, Carmarthenshire. The parish church...
, and the enlarged parish corresponds with the modern community, which had a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 1,022 in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
. With the community of Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn is a town straddling the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire in west Wales and lying on the River Teifi.Adpar is the part of the town that lies on the Ceredigion side of the River Teifi...
, it makes up the Carmarthenshire electoral ward of Cenarth, which had a population of 1,995 in 2001, with 60% Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speakers.
The River Teifi at this point emerges from a deep ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
over a ledge that produces a spectacular waterfall
Cenarth Falls
The Cenarth Falls is a cascade of waterfalls just upstream of the road bridge in the village of Cenarth in Ceredigion, bordering Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Wales....
when the river is in full spate and this attracts many visitors throughout the year. A dramatic painting of the falls was made by Frank Miles
Frank Miles
George Francis "Frank" Miles was a London artist who specialised in pastel portraits of society ladies, also an architect and a keen plantsman.-Life and career:...
and is now at Nottingham City Museum. Miles's father inherited Cardigan Priory from his father, Philip John Miles, but lived in Nottinghamshire as Rector of Bingham.
Other visitor attractions are a seventeenth-century flour mill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and coracle
Coracle
The coracle is a small, lightweight boat of the sort traditionally used in Wales but also in parts of Western and South Western England, Ireland , and Scotland ; the word is also used of similar boats found in India, Vietnam, Iraq and Tibet...
museum.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
is dedicated to the local saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
, St. Llawddog. Although the present building is relatively modern, it is on an important ancient site, and was the "bishop house" of the cantref of Emlyn
Emlyn
Emlyn was one of the seven cantrefi of Dyfed, an ancient district of Wales. It subsequently became part of Deheubarth in around 950. It consisted of the northern part of Dyfed bordering on the River Teifi...
.
The ancient parish (less Newcastle Emlyn) had an area of 2558 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s. Its census
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
populations were: 672 (1801): 897 (1851): 638 (1901). The percentage of Welsh speakers was 98 (1891): 96 (1931).
The enlarged parish (post-1934) had an area of 4896 ha. Its census populations were: 1098 (1951); 1066 (1961); 926 (1971); 971 (1981). The percentage of Welsh speakers was 92 (1951); 91 (1961); 82 (1971); 69 (1981).
The village is also home to the National Coracle Centre
National Coracle Centre
The National Coracle Centre is a museum in Cenarth, Carmarthenshire dedicated to coracles. It is owned by Martin Fowler and entry is via the wall of his boutique. It has on display coracles from around the world including Tibetan and Iraqi examples as well as British.-External links:*...
.