Llandysul a’r Fro

Llandysul a’r Fro includes Llandysul and the adjacent villages. There are no precise limits to the Fro (territory). The number of inhabitants involved is more or less the same as in Plogonnec. Llandysul is localised in South Ceredigion , on the river Teifi, in West Wales , at about 16 miles from Carmarthen and 35 miles from Aberystwyth. Llandysul means llan (church or enclosure) of Tysul (Saint-Tysul).

The Teifi River , which flows beside Llandysul, is the border between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. The choice of this border has a special relevant as it places Llandysul in Ceredigion and across the bridge Pont-Tyweli in Carmarthenshire even though these two villages function as one. There are about 1300 inhabitants in Llandysul and Pont-Tyweli together.

The Teifi

Pont-Tyweli

The community council and the county council run the public life. The population elects the councillors for 4 years, each of them representing a specific area. The county council is more powerful than the community council and has the responsibility for the vast majority of the finance. The county council is responsible for town planning, social services, health, tourism, education, sport, and public transport… The community council is responsible for minor problems of every day life: lighting in the streets, floral decoration of the villages etc.

In Llandysul there is a leisure centre, a swimming-pool, halls, a library with free access to Internet, sport fields, a canoeing centre etc. There are also banks, medical centres, solicitors’ offices, pharmacies, veterinary centres, estate agency, fire station, police station, etc… bibliothèque ll.

The Library

The hall

The fire station

The leisure centre

The canoe centre

Llandysul is surrounded by smaller villages and is the biggest town in the immediate area. Even though it is in a rural area, there is some employment. There are number of shops selling toys, furniture, bric-a-brac, clothes. There are also garages, grocers, butchers, bakers, public houses, hotels and restaurants…

In addition to these, there is also the Tregroes Waffles’ factory in Pont-Tyweli. This Dutch biscuit is now famous all over Wales . The factory employs about fifteen people.

The Gwasg Gomer printers employ about forty people. It was founded by John David Lewis in 1892 and is famous all over Wales and produces many publications in both Welsh and English. It has just moved to a large new site on the outskirts of Llandysul.

Tregroes Waffles

Gwasg Gomer

Another business is in the process of being established in Llandysul, a harp making centre, Telynau Teifi Cyf. Allan Shiers has been making concert harps and Celtic harps for 30 years, the last ten in Capel Dewi. He hopes to pass on his skills as a harp maker by virtue of this centre, where it is projected 8 local people will be employed. The production should be launched in May 2005. This has been established using money from Objective 1.

In the field of education, the primary school in Llandysul (about 150 pupils) has close relationship with the three others primary schools in adjacent villages: Capel Dewi (30 pupils), Pont-Sian (56 pupils), Tregroes (24 pupils). The secondary school in Llandysul, Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi (about 600 young people) is a Welsh-medium school. Newcastle Emlyn, which is ten miles away, has an English-medium secondary school (about 800 young people).

Pont Sian primary school

Capel dewi primary school

Tregroes primary school

Llandysul primary school

Dyffryn Teifi school

Many tourists visit Llandysul a’r Fro. Most come from other parts of Britain to take advantage of the countryside, coastline, beaches and sea (the nearest about 10 miles away). Hotels, Bed and Breakfast and other accommodations welcome them.

Llangrannog

View on Llandysul