Caio or ''Caeo'' is a village in the county of
Carmarthenshire, south-west
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, sited near to the
Dolaucothi Gold Mines.
Location
It is located between
Llandovery and
Lampeter
Lampeter (; cy, Llanbedr Pont Steffan (formal); ''Llambed'' (colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigio ...
, north-east of the
A482 that connects these two towns. Caio lies at the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the
Afon Annell and the
Nant Frena. It forms part of the parish of
Cynwyl Gaeo
Cynwyl Gaeo is a parish and community located in rural Carmarthenshire, Wales, near the boundary with Ceredigion, in the upper Cothi valley about halfway between Lampeter and Llandovery. The population of the village at the United Kingdom Cen ...
.
[ In former times it gave its name to Cayo Hundred.
]
History
The parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
, consecrated to Saint Cynwyl, now stands at the centre of the village, near the Roman road that linked the Roman forts at Llandovery (''Alabum'') and Llanio ( Bremia), and the Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
gold mines at Dolaucothi. The Roman road remained in use until the late 18th century, mainly as a cattle-road or Drover's road
A drovers' road, drove ''roador droveway is a route for droving livestock on foot from one place to another, such as to market or between summer and winter pasture (see transhumance). Many drovers' roads were ancient routes of unknown age; ot ...
. The Dolaucothi Estate
The Dolaucothi Estate (''also'' Dolaucothy) is situated about north-west of the village of Caio up the picturesque Cothi Valley in the community of Cynwyl Gaeo, in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Its name of ''Dolaucothi'' means ‘the meadows of the ...
long held by the Johnes family is now a tourist attraction owned by the National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
. A pounding-stone long known as ''Carreg Pumsaint'' and a possible holy well are located nearby.
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan (c. 1341 – 9 October 1401) was a Caio landowner, who was executed by Henry IV for his allegiance to Owain Glyndŵr. The hymnist Dafydd Jones (1711–1777), also known as ''Dafydd Jones o Gaeo'' was born in the area. Two other hymnists, the brothers John Dafydd (1727–1783) and Morgan Dafydd (m. 1762) are also connected to the village.
The oldest record of a chapel in the village is the Tynewydd Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists were born out of the 18th-century Welsh Methodist revival and survive as a body of Christians now forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Calvinistic Methodism became a major denomination in Wales, growing rapidly in the 1 ...
chapel which was built around 1774.Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
, but closed in 2012.
Wales rugby union football international, later clergyman, John Strand-Jones (1877–1958) was born in Caio, and Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
recipient James Hills-Johnes
Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes, (20 August 1833 – 3 January 1919) was a British Indian Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and ...
(1833–1919) is buried here.
Amenities
Other amenities include Caio Post Office (closed in the 1990s) and a public house, the Brunant Arms. At the turn of the 20th century there were several public houses, the "Brunant Arms", the "Sexton's Arms", which was run out of someone's front room, and the "King's Head Inn".
In 1966 BBC Wales produced the documentary ''"A Village Called Caio"'' about rural life in rural West Wales. They paid a retrospective visit in 2008,
See also
*James Hills-Johnes
Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes, (20 August 1833 – 3 January 1919) was a British Indian Army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and ...
References
External links
Caio Online
Photographs of Caio and surrounding areas
Villages in Carmarthenshire
{{Carmarthenshire-geo-stub