Llanfihangel-ar-Arth

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth is a village and parish in Carmarthenshire. The area includes six villages namely: Alltwalis, Dolgran, Gwyddgrug, Llanfihangel-Ar-Arth, New Inn and Pencader.

Location

The village is located around the B4336 road between Llanllwni and Llandysul from the east to west and the B4459 between Capel Dewi and Pencader from the north to south.

Etymology

Llanfihangel ar Arth is the most northerly village in the parish, nearest the river Teifi. It is believed that the village's name derives from the name of the parish church, Saint Michael's, which was established in the 6th century.

History

There was a toll house in the village during 1840-1850 to collect tolls from travellers and one of the Rebecca Riots occurred here when the gate was destroyed by 150 people in June, 1843. It was a one level building and now it is a residential bungalow.

The railway from Carmarthen and Lampeter travelled through Llanfihangel ar Arth, which later had its own station. But the station was closed for travellers in the 1960s. Today there is only part of the track left. From the 1840s to 1920s many of the village houses were used as woollen workshops when the wool industry was important in the area.

The resident population of the parish of Llanfihangel-ar-Arth, as measured in the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 2,727 of which 50% were male and 50% were female.

As well as the church, the village has two friendly pubs and a school that opened in 1864 but was later closed in 2003 and the school now acts as a community centre or village hall. There are quite a few small businesses and the electricity board store. Agriculture along with the aforementioned businesses supply employment in the area. The village has an annual carnival and part of Gwyl Bibau Pencader is held at the church.

Outside links

• www.llanfihangel-ar-arth.com
• www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Llanvihangel-ar-Arth and surrounding area