Llanpumsaint (;

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

"Llan" church + "pum" five + "saint" saint(s)) is a village and

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...

, Wales. In the

2001 UK Census 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. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...

, Llanpumsaint community had a

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 595. It is not to be confused with

Pumsaint Pumsaint is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, halfway between Llanwrda and Lampeter on the A482 in the valley of the Afon Cothi. It forms part of the extensive estate of Dolaucothi, which is owned by the National Trust. The name is W ...

, a small village some distance away on the

River Cothi The Afon Cothi (also known as the River Cothy) in Carmarthenshire is the largest tributary of the River Tywi in south Wales. From its source at Blaen Cothi in the north of the county, north of Pumsaint, it flows south-east and then turns south ...

. The population increased in 2011 to 734, and thus the percentage of Welsh speakers declined. Llanpumsaint community comprises the neighbouring hamlet of Nebo, the spiritual community and temple at

Skanda Vale Skanda Vale is a non-denominational spiritual centre and monastery located in Carmarthenshire, Wales, near the village of Llanpumsaint. Founded in 1973 by Guru Sri Subramanium, the monastery is inhabited and run by the Community of the Many Name ...

and a number of farms. According to the 2001 Census, 50% of those living in Llanpumsaint community are able to speak, read and write Welsh, this is well above the 39% average recorded for Carmarthenshire in the same census.

Location

Llanpumsaint is located on a minor road that joins the B4336 just north of

Bronwydd Arms Bronwydd is a village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated about three miles north of Carmarthen in the valley of the River Gwili. Bronwydd community comprises the village of Bronwydd Arms, a couple of nearby hamlets ...

and the A486 at

Llandysul Llandysul, also spelt Llandyssul, is a town and Community (Wales), community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Llandysul, Capel Dewi, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen and ...

and Pentrecwrt. The village straddles the

River Gwili : ''For the river which flows into the River Loughor see Afon Gwili (Loughor)'' The River Gwili () in Carmarthenshire, is a tributary of the River Towy, the longest river entirely in Wales. Its headwater is found east of Llanllawddog, in the ...

between Bronwydd and

Llanllawddog Llanllawddog () is a community located in Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 703, and at the 2021 census this had increased to 765.Community Council websit/ref> Llanllawddog is bord ...

, at the confluence of two small tributaries, Nant-cwm-cerwyn and Nant Aeron. The nearest major settlement is

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, ; , 'Merlin's fort' or possibly 'Sea-town fort') is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community (Wales), community in Wales, lying on the River Towy north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. At the 2021 United Kingdom cen ...

, approximately away by road. The community is bordered by the communities of:

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth Llanfihangel-ar-Arth is a village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. The area includes six villages: Alltwalis, Dolgran, Gwyddgrug, Llanfihangel-Ar-Arth, New Inn and Pencader. The population of the community taken at the ...

;

Bronwydd Bronwydd is a village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated about three miles north of Carmarthen in the valley of the River Gwili. Bronwydd community comprises the village of Bronwydd Arms, a couple of nearby hamlets ...

; and

Cynwyl Elfed Cynwyl Elfed (; sometimes Conwyl and formerly anglicised as Conwil Elvet or Conwil in Elvet) is a village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. The community includes the villages of Cynwyl Elfed, Blaenycoed and Cwmduad. It i ...

, all being in Carmarthenshire.

History

Foundation

The name Llanpumsaint translates as "Parish of the Five Saints" ( "Llan" means church or enclosed area of land). The five saints were brothers named

Gwyn Gwyn or Gwynn may refer to: People * Gwyn (name), includes a list of people with the given name or surname Gwyn, including variants such as Gwynn and Gwynne Fictional or mythological characters * Gwyn ap Nudd, in Welsh mythology * Gwynn (Sluggy F ...

Gwynno Gwynno, or Gwynnog ab Gildas, is the name of a 6th-century Celtic Christianity, Welsh saint. Archives at the Vatican City, Vatican record that his festival is 26 October; that he is regarded as a confessor; and that there is said to be a sacred w ...

, Gwynoro,

Ceitho Ceitho was an abbot and a saint living in West Wales in the 6th century. According to legend he was one of the five sons born to Cynyr Farfdrwch of Cynwyl Gaeo, and a descendant of the ancient Welsh king Cunedda Wledig. Along with his brothers G ...

and Celynin who came from the nearby hamlet 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 community at the United Kingdom Ce ...

. They were sons of Cynyr Barbtruc (or "cut-beard"; Welsh: "Cynyr Farfdrwch") and descendants of Cunedda the Imperator (Welsh: "Cynyr Wledig"). The five brothers are said to have built the Llanpumsaint Parish Church around the 5th or 6th Century. It is thought that they built the church on a pre-existing pagan site. There are also five pools in Nant-cwm-cerwyn which are named after each of the saints. These pools were the destination for

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

s to the village during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Such pilgrimages tended to take place around the time of

St. David's Day Saint David's Day ( or ), or the Feast of Saint David, is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March, the date of Saint David's death in 589 AD. Traditional festivities include wearing daffodils and leeks, r ...

. The names of the five saints appear elsewhere in the area. One of the brothers, Ceitho, is the patron saint of

Llangeitho Llangeitho is a village and community (Wales), community on the upper River Aeron in Ceredigion, Wales, about four miles (6 km) west of Tregaron and north of Lampeter. Its population of 874 in 2001 fell to 819 at the 2011 census. Nonconformism ...

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

where he founded an abbey and lived as a hermit there within. Another example is St Celynin's Church in the neighbouring community of Bronwydd which was built as a missionary church to Llanpumsaint in 1894.

Evidence of medieval settlement at Pant Glas

At Allt Pant Glas, to the south of Llanpumsaint village, there are

earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour *Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), mi ...

indicating the site of a possible

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

timber castle of the

motte and bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy ...

ringwork A ringwork is a form of fortified defensive structure, usually circular or oval in shape. Ringworks are essentially motte-and-bailey castles without the motte. Defences were usually earthworks in the form of a ditch and bank surrounding the site ...

form.

Railway village 1864-1965

In 1860 the

Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway The Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway was a broad gauge railway line in Wales that was intended to connect Carmarthen on the South Wales Railway with Cardigan, Ceredigion, Cardigan. In fact, it was unable to raise the necessary capital and was loss ...

was opened. "Llanpumpsaint" station was opened in 1864 when the line was extended as far as

. At the height of its operation, the Carmarthen Aberystwyth Line linked Llanpumsaint to

in the south (connecting to the

West Wales Line The West Wales lines () are a group of railway lines from Swansea through Carmarthenshire to Pembrokeshire, West Wales. The main part runs from Swansea to Carmarthen and Whitland, where it becomes three branches to Fishguard, Milford Haven and ...

) and to Cardigan,

Aberaeron Aberaeron (), previously anglicised as Aberayron, is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales. Located on the coast between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, its resident population was 1,274 in the 2021 census. The name of the town i ...

and

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

(connecting to the

Cambrian Line The Cambrian Line (), sometimes split into the Cambrian Main Line () and Cambrian Coast Line () for its branches, is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury in England, westwards to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli in Wales. Passenger train services ...

) in the north. The railway served the village for over 100 years until the line finally closed (having ceased carrying passengers in February 1965 and the station). Freight trains continued to pass through the village on their way between Felin Fach and Carmarthen until 1973 when the line was finally closed and lifted. The dismantled railway still passes through the village and, until recently, the original "Llanpumpsaint" station sign could be seen in front of the Railway Inn. In neighbouring Bronwydd, a 1 mile long section of the line was reopened in 1978 for tourists and named the

Gwili Railway The Gwili Railway () is a Welsh heritage railway, that operates a preserved standard gauge heritage railway, railway line from the site of Abergwili Junction (near Carmarthen) in South West Wales, southwest Wales along a section of the former ...

. The Gwili Railway aims to eventually restore the railway as far as Llanpumsaint. Plans are currently underway to extend the line Southwards to the site of Abergwili Junction. However, the logistics of restoring the track as far north as Llanpumsaint (there are around seven derelict bridges crossing the Gwili between Conwyl Elfed and Llanpumsaint) mean that there is currently no timetable for restoration.

Llanpumsaint Parish Church

Llanpumsaint Parish Church (The Church of St Celynin, Ceitho, Gwyn, Gwyno and Gwynoro) is a medieval church belonging to the

Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The position is currently held b ...

. The precise age of the church is unknown. At the time of the Religious census of 1851, the parish priest William Henry Powell attested that the church had been "...consecrated from time immemorial." There is a 6th-century

Ogham Ogham (also ogam and ogom, , Modern Irish: ; , later ) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish language ( scholastic ...

stone in the churchyard which may give some indication of the church's age. The original church building was restored in 1882. An extension to the nave and the porch date from 1933. The east window of the nave was designed by Mildred "Elsi" Eldridge, the wife of renowned Welsh poet

R. S. Thomas Ronald Stuart Thomas (29 March 1913 – 25 September 2000), published as R. S. Thomas, was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest noted for nationalism, spirituality and dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. John Betjeman, introducing ''Song at the ...

. Very near to Llanpumsaint Parish Church is Bethel

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Chapel which was originally built in 1796. Nearer to the old railway line there is also Caersalem

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Chapel which was built in 1904.http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/Llanpumsaint/index.html UK & Ireland Genealogy online: Llanpumsaint

Skanda Vale

Skanda Vale, also known as "The Community of the Many Names of God", is an interfaith temple/monastery located in the Llanpumsaint Community, at a distance of from Llanpumsaint village. The temple holds festivals which are attended by pilgrims from all over the UK and even further afield. Skanda Vale also runs a

hospice Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life b ...

and is a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

. Valli the elephant was given to Skanda Vale as a gift from the Sri Lankan president in 1981.

Notable people

* Martha Llwyd (1766–1845) Welsh poet and hymnist. * William Williams (1788–1865) Welsh businessman based in London,

Radical Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...

MP 1835–1847 and 1850–1865 *

David Owen (Brutus) David Owen (December 1795 - 16 January 1866) known by the pseudonym Brutus, was a Welsh satirical writer, editor and preacher. He was born in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire where he was brought up as a Congregationalist. Thereafter he spent peri ...

(1795–1866), a satirical writer, editor and preacher. *

Timothy Davies (politician) Timothy Davies (17 January 1857 – 22 August 1951) was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician. He represented Fulham as a Borough Councillor, Borough Alderman, County Councillor, Mayor and Member of Parliament. Background Timo ...

(1857–1951) Welsh businessman based in London, Mayor of Fulham,

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

MP 1906–1920 *

Jennie Eirian Davies Jennie Eirian Davies (6 January 1925 – 6 May 1982) was a Welsh politician and magazine editor. Early life Jennie Howells was born in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire and educated at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. She trained as a te ...

(1925–1982), Welsh politician and magazine editor.

References

External links

Llanpumsaint community websitewww.geograph.co.uk : photos of Llanpumsaint and surrounding area
{{authority control Communities in Carmarthenshire Villages in Carmarthenshire