Beacon Bog

Dan-Lan-Y-Castell Quarry is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales.

Llangynog is a village and community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales, the main settlement of which was once called ‘Ebenezer’village. It is bordered by the communities of: Newchurch and Merthyr; Carmarthen; Llangain; Llansteffan; Laugharne Township; and St Clears, all being in Carmarthenshire. The population at the 2011 census was 492. Rocks found in a quarry near to the village in 1977 contain some of the Earth's oldest fossils which date from the Ediacaran period, 564 million years ago, when Wales was part of the micro-continent Avalonia. There are a number of Iron Age hillforts in the area but centuries of ploughing have reduced most to cropmarks only visible from the air. Several neolithic burial monuments have also been identified, notably the cromlech of Twlc-y-Fihast (‘the lair of the grey bitch’) and the nearby stone slab, Bwrrd Arthur (‘Arthur’s Table’) both associated with the legends of the Mabinogion. Medieval Llangynog lay within the boundaries of the Norman lordship of Llansteffan. The parish is named after the church, at that time a chapelry of St Ystyffan parish in the medieval Deanery of Carmarthen. It stands in an isolated location and gained grade II* listed status in 2001. Evidence of pre-conquest religious use of the site is shown through its dedication to the prominent Celtic saint Cynog and circular churchyard. The "Coomb Chapel" has a distinctive mosaic mural and was added by the Kylsant family in the 19th century. At the southern end of the parish lay an important pilgrimage route to St David's fording the Cywyn at ‘Pilgrims Rest’, a medieval hall still survives close to the ruined church of Llanfihangel Abercowin. A school for 124 children was built in 1705 and later endowed by Judge Vaughan of Derllys in 1711 for the provision of clothing and books. Ebenezer Chapel was built in 1811, its members were baptized by total immersion in the nearby ‘Afon Cynog’ steam. The 1841 tithe survey showed nearly seventy farms and three water mills grinding corn in Llangynog parish. In 1860 the Morris banking family of Carmarthen built Coombe mansion on the site of an 18th-century manor house. In 1884, the community was described as follows:Llangynog is a parish, in the higher division of the hundred of Derllys, union and county of Carmarthen, South Wales. Llangynog is 6 miles (9.7 km) south-west from Carmarthen; containing 800 inhabitants. The community comprises about 5,429 acres (21.97 km2) of good land, chiefly arable, and has been greatly improved since the year 1806. The greater part of it being now in a good state of cultivation. The surrounding scenery, with few exceptions, is tame and uninteresting, though some of the distant views are picturesque and beautiful. The soil is poor, rocky, and barren, and the chief produce is oats and barley, with a little wheat... The parish church, dedicated to St Cynog is a very plain edifice, consisting of two aisles. The War Memorial near the village hall commemorates both world wars, and was unveiled by Princess Marie Louise (granddaughter of Queen Victoria) in 1922. Lady Kylsant sold Coombe Mansion to the Home Office in 1941 and it became a National Childrens Home, initially for war evacuees. In 1960 the property was purchased by the Leonard Cheshire Foundation as a facility for ex-service veterans, remaining as residential home until 2006. The triangle formed by Llangynog, Llangain and Llansteffan was described by Dylan Thomas as his ' "breeding-box valley". His mother's family, the Williamses, lived in the triangle, in farms such as Waunfwlchan, Llwyngwyn, Maesgwyn and Penycoed.

Cors Goch National Nature Reserve, a couple of miles west of Carmarthen and near the hamlet of Llanllwch, is one of the few raised bogs in West Wales. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Formed through the accumulation of the remains of plants, and later on peat, it reaches a depth of 5 metres in some places. Its various types of wet and dry habitats are home to a wealth of wildlife, from insect-eating intermediate sundews, to buzzards and kestrels.

Maesyprior is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr, Wales. A system of glacial meltwater channels preserved at this site contains important geological evidence concerning the nature of late Pleistocene geomorphological processes in west Wales.

Sarnau railway station served the village of Bancyfelin, Carmarthenshire, Wales; it was close to the hamlet of Sarnau. It was on the West Wales Line.

Coed Cochion Quarry is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Carmarthenshire, Wales, in which the geology of the site has preserved rare Precambrian fossils.

Llanybri is a rural farming village situated between the estuaries of the River Tywi and River Taf in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is one of two villages with their own churches in the community of Llansteffan (the other being Llansteffan on the Tywi estuary).

Yr Hen Gapel (Welsh for The Old Chapel) is a now ruined religious building and scheduled ancient monument in the village of Llanybri, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The tower and ruins have been given Grade II heritage listing.It is unusual in having been subsequently converted for use by a non-conformist congregation.

Llangain is a village and community in Carmarthenshire, in the south-west of Wales. Located to the west of the River Towy, and south of the town of Carmarthen, the community contains three standing stones, and two chambered tombs as well as the ruins of 15th century great house, Castell Moel. In 2001 the community's population was recorded at 574, decreasing slightly to 573 at the 2011 census.

Llanllwch is a hamlet in Carmarthenshire, Wales approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Carmarthen.

Bancyfelin is a village, 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Carmarthen, Wales. The English translation of the Welsh name is Hillside of the Mill. There is no remnant of the mill today. The village is known for producing international sporting stars despite having a population of only 300 or so people. These include three British & Irish Lions rugby players from Bancyfelin, Delme Thomas, Mike Phillips and Jonathan Davies. When The Lions toured Australia in the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour, all 3 of the 23-man squads to play Australia had more players from Bancyfelin than from Scotland.Up until the 1980s when the A40 dual carriageway bypass opened, the village was plagued by traffic jams in the summer months due to holidaymakers driving to the West Wales coast. The village is located mainly on the old A40 with the exception of the Council Estate built on a nearby hill. The village has gradually expanded with the building of houses on the outskirts. There is a small primary school, a post office, a pub, a chapel, a garage and Hafod Bakery, a family run bakery which has been baking bread for 60 years. Werndale Hospital, run by BMI Healthcare, is located at the western end of the village.

St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in the hamlet of Llanllwch, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was originally a chapel attached to St Peter's Church, Carmarthen, both of which were conferred on the Priory of St. John the Evangelist at Carmarthen in the Early Middle Ages. The building has medieval origins and was rebuilt in the early eighteenth century. It is located in the centre of Llanllwch at the street address 1 Manor Way. The church was originally a medieval building dating back to the 15th century or earlier. It is built from stone rubble and the nave and chancel are partially whitewashed. The north aisle was added later and is built of rock-faced stone in courses with ashlar quoins and a plinth. The slate roofs overhang the walls at the gables. The short tower is supported by battlements. By 1710 the church was in a state of disrepair and had no roof. It was rebuilt by John Vaughan of Derllys Court. Further repair and restoration took place in 1827–1829 and again in 1869–1870.The church was designated a Grade II*-listed building on 19 May 1981, as "a church of medieval origins early fabric. Memorials include one fine early C18 example." The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales curates the archaeological, architectural and historic records for this church. These include a photographic survey and several black and white negatives on glass.