Pencader, Carmarthenshire: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 20:27, 9 February 2012

Pencader is a small village in the Welsh county of Carmarthenshire, and is part of the Community and Parish of Llanfihangel-ar-Arth.^[1] It is located around 5 km south-east of Llandysul and 10 km south-west of Llanybydder.

It is a quiet village set in a west Wales valley with little more than 500 houses two shops and two pubs. Pencader's history goes back a long way. For many years it was one of the main stops on the Carmarthen - Aberystwyth rail route, and was the junction for the service to Newcastle Emlyn. The decline of the railways saw the Newcastle Emlyn branch line closed in 1952 and the main line closed to passengers in 1965.

History

It hosts the site of an old castle, which was probably erected by Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke in 1145.^[2]

An old man of Pencader made this declaration to Henry II "This nation, O King, may now, as in former times, be harassed, and in a great measure weakened and destroyed by your and other powers, and it will also prevail by its laudable exertions, but it can never be totally subdued through the wrath of man, unless the wrath of God shall concur. Nor do I think that any other nation than this of Wales, nor any other language, whatever may hereafter come to pass, shall on the day of severe examination before the Supreme Judge, answer for this corner of the earth.", according to Gerald of Wales, who recorded it at the end of his Descriptio Cambriae.

Railway Village (past and present)

The broad gauge Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway connected Pencader to both the West Wales Line of the Great Western Railway, and north to Newcastle Emlyn.

From 1845, a scheme was proposed to connect the industrialised Northwest England and Manchester to the deep water port at Milford Haven, to provide an alternative to the congested Port of Liverpool. Given Parliamentary approval in 1865 as a standard gauge railway, the Manchester and Milford Railway junctioned with the C&CR at Pencader, and then drove north to Strata Florida, and onwards to the coast at Aberystwyth. Having constructed and made operational the easy section from Pencader to Aberystwyth, the M&MR ran out of money building the connection from Llanidloes to Strata Florida, leaving the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) stub of the Llangurig branch from the Mid-Wales Railway. After being operated by the Cambrian Railways from the 1890s, the M&MR was absorbed into the GWR in 1911.

Under the Beeching Axe of British Railways, in 1965 passenger services to Pencader ceased, with freight and goods ceassing in 1973.

Today, the Gwili Railway currently own 8 miles (13 km) of the former C&CR line from Abergwili Junction to Llanpumsaint. Any proposed extension to Pencader would involve restoring the old Pencader Tunnel, which is still under consideration.

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Terminus		Gwili Railway Future Extension		Llanpumsaint Proposed

References

^ "Town and Community Clerks". Carmarthenshire County Council. 4 January 2011 (updated). Retrieved 13 January 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Adrian Pettifer (2009). "Pencader Castle". Welsh Castles. castlewales.com. Retrieved 10 June 2010.

External links

Village website
Map sources for Pencader, Carmarthenshire

52°00′02″N 4°16′00″W / 52.00060°N 4.26661°W / 52.00060; -4.26661

This Carmarthenshire location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Town and Community Clerks". Carmarthenshire County Council. 4 January 2011 (updated). Retrieved 13 January 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[2] Adrian Pettifer (2009). "Pencader Castle". Welsh Castles. castlewales.com. Retrieved 10 June 2010.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ==Railway Village (past and present)==
-The old Camarthen to Aberystwyth line once passed Pencader for over a 100 years until closure to passengers in 1965 and to freight/goods in 1973. The station was also a terminus for a [[Great Western Railway]] built line to [[Newcastle Emlyn]].
+The broad gauge [[Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway]] connected Pencader to both the [[West Wales Line]] of the [[Great Western Railway]], and north to {{rws|Newcastle Emlyn}}.
+From 1845, a scheme was proposed to connect the industrialised [[Northwest England]] and [[Manchester]] to the deep water port at [[Milford Haven]], to provide an alternative to the congested [[Port of Liverpool]]. Given Parliamentary approval in 1865 as a standard gauge railway, the [[Manchester and Milford Railway]] junctioned with the C&CR at Pencader, and then drove north to [[Strata Florida]], and onwards to the coast at {{rws|Aberystwyth}}. Having constructed and made operational the easy section from Pencader to Aberystwyth, the M&MR ran out of money building the connection from {{rws|Llanidloes}} to Strata Florida, leaving the {{convert|1.5|mi}} stub of the [[Llangurig branch]] from the [[Mid-Wales Railway]]. After being operated by the [[Cambrian Railways]] from the 1890s, the M&MR was absorbed into the GWR in 1911.
-However the Gwili Railway currently own around 8 miles in length (from Abergwili Junction to as far as Llanpumsaint), Although the railway could someday purchase a further mile or two into Pencader (which could involve restoring and re-using the old [[Pencader Tunnel]]). As there's is hope the Welsh village could see trains again once fundraising for a possible Pencader extension is considered.
+Under the [[Beeching Axe]] of [[British Railways]], in 1965 passenger services to Pencader ceased, with freight and goods ceassing in 1973.
+Today, the [[Gwili Railway]] currently own {{convert|8|mi}} of the former C&CR line from Abergwili Junction to {{rws|Llanpumsaint}}. Any proposed extension to Pencader would involve restoring the old [[Pencader Tunnel]], which is still under consideration.
 {{Heritage rail start}}