Betws
Encyclopedia
Betws is a small village on the River Amman
, some 15 miles north of Swansea
, Wales
; it is part of the ecclesiastical parish
of Betws and Ammanford. The nearby mountain
, at the western end of the Black Mountain
, is named after the village, and has a large area of common land
.
'bed-hus' - a house of prayer, or oratory
, and means "chapel" in the Welsh language
. Until the 19th century, when Ammanford developed extensively, Betws was the largest village in the area.
Until the 13th century, Betws was part of Gower
, which is now known as the county of Swansea
but the old commote border of the rivers Amman and Loughor
moved south and Betws has since the Acts of Union been part of Welsh-speaking Carmarthenshire
.
Until 1817, when a road was built along the Amman valley, Betws was only accessible by roads crossing the mountain from Neath
and Swansea
. This inaccessibility is commemorated in a local saying, which refers to the division between Betws a'r Byd (Betws and the world). There was a sign on the Amman bridge to this effect: Betws this way, the rest of the world that way.
The people of Betws like to make the distinction between themselves and those over the river in Ammanford.
The road bridge between Betws and Ammanford on Park Street was completed in 1892 and rebuilt in 1990 by T Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd. T. Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd. ('TRJ') is a major building contractor, originally based in the village but now located on the Ammanford side of the river.
The land for Betws Park was gifted to Ammanford district Council by Lord Dynevor
in 1903, but the council used it as a rubbish dump until the early 1930s. After this, it was properly developed by local volunteers as a park with tennis court
s. On 23 June 2007, a new 'Memorial and Sensory Garden' was opened in the park.
Betws Park Workshops are a collection of industrial units rented by various businesses. The workshops were opened in 1991, having previously been a screw manufacturing factory (1970-1981) and a lightbulb factory (1983-1986).
The parish church
in the village is dedicated to St David. It dates to the 14th century but was renovated in 1872.
Betws Primary School was built before 1846, extended in 1928 and refurbished in 1988.
The Caemawr housing estate was built in 1947, and the Bwtrimawr estate in 1976.
Ammanford No. 1 (1890-1925) and No. 2 (1891-1976) Collieries
were at the north end of Betws. The Tycoch nightclub now occupies some Ammanford No. 1 buildings. Betws drift coal
mine opened in 1976 and closed in 2003 and the land is being redeveloped as housing and industrial units, including LBS Builders Merchants.
There are plans to build a wind farm
on Betws Common.
75.1% of residents of Betws and Pontamman said they had 'knowledge of Welsh language
' compared to 63.6% in Carmarthenshire
and 28.4% in Wales
.
As of May 1, 2008, the Betws ward electorate was 1,450 and the County Councillor is Audrey Jones (Independent), replacing John Dorian Evans (Labour).
currently fields two rugby union
teams: The first team finished 1st in WRU League Five South West
in 2007-8 season and the second team finished bottom of Llanelli District Division 1.
Ammanford football club
have a ground at Rice Street, Betws, which is currently being reconstructed.
, raven
s, buzzards
, kestrel
s and sparrowhawks on the mountain; Kingfishers, dippers
and cormorant
s on the river; Jays
and woodpeckers in the woods.
River Amman
The River Amman is a river of south Wales, which joins the River Loughor at Pantyffynnon. The river gives its name to the town of Ammanford and the villages of Pontamman, Glanaman, Brynamman and Rhosaman. Garnant and Betws also lie in the Amman Valley....
, some 15 miles north of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
; it is part of the ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Betws and Ammanford. The nearby mountain
Mynydd y Betws
Mynydd y Betws is a mountain located on the border between Swansea and Carmarthenshire, south Wales.It is the highest mountain in Swansea, and the highest land between the River Loughor and the Upper Clydach River. A small road between Ammanford and Clydach passes very close to the summit, on which...
, at the western end of the Black Mountain
Black Mountain (range)
The Black Mountain is a mountain range in Mid and West Wales, straddling the county boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys and forming the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its highest point is Fan Brycheiniog at 802 metres or 2,631 ft. The Black Mountain also forms a part...
, is named after the village, and has a large area of common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
.
History and location
The name 'Betws' is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
'bed-hus' - a house of prayer, or oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
, and means "chapel" in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. Until the 19th century, when Ammanford developed extensively, Betws was the largest village in the area.
Gower (Lordship)
thumb|350px|right|Map of the Lordship, showing the area detached , the area added and the Town and Franchise of Swansea. The language boundary is shown as a dotted line....
, which is now known as the county of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
but the old commote border of the rivers Amman and Loughor
River Loughor
The River Loughor in Carmarthenshire, Wales has its source at an underground lake at the Black Mountain. It flows past settlements like Ammanford and Hendy in Carmarthenshire and Pontarddulais in Swansea. The river divides Carmarthenshire from Swansea for much of its course and it separates Hendy...
moved south and Betws has since the Acts of Union been part of Welsh-speaking Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
.
Until 1817, when a road was built along the Amman valley, Betws was only accessible by roads crossing the mountain from Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
and Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. This inaccessibility is commemorated in a local saying, which refers to the division between Betws a'r Byd (Betws and the world). There was a sign on the Amman bridge to this effect: Betws this way, the rest of the world that way.
The people of Betws like to make the distinction between themselves and those over the river in Ammanford.
The road bridge between Betws and Ammanford on Park Street was completed in 1892 and rebuilt in 1990 by T Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd. T. Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd. ('TRJ') is a major building contractor, originally based in the village but now located on the Ammanford side of the river.
The land for Betws Park was gifted to Ammanford district Council by Lord Dynevor
Arthur Rice, 6th Baron Dynevor
Arthur de Cardonnel FitzUryan Rice, 6th Baron Dynevor was a British peer. He was the son of Francis William Rice, 5th Baron Dynevor and Harriett Ives Barker....
in 1903, but the council used it as a rubbish dump until the early 1930s. After this, it was properly developed by local volunteers as a park with tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s. On 23 June 2007, a new 'Memorial and Sensory Garden' was opened in the park.
The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the village is dedicated to St David. It dates to the 14th century but was renovated in 1872.
Betws Primary School was built before 1846, extended in 1928 and refurbished in 1988.
The Caemawr housing estate was built in 1947, and the Bwtrimawr estate in 1976.
Ammanford No. 1 (1890-1925) and No. 2 (1891-1976) Collieries
Mining in Wales
Mining in Wales provided a significant source of income to the economy of Wales throughout the nineteenth century and early twentieth century....
were at the north end of Betws. The Tycoch nightclub now occupies some Ammanford No. 1 buildings. Betws drift coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mine opened in 1976 and closed in 2003 and the land is being redeveloped as housing and industrial units, including LBS Builders Merchants.
There are plans to build a wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
on Betws Common.
75.1% of residents of Betws and Pontamman said they had 'knowledge of Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
' compared to 63.6% in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
and 28.4% in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
As of May 1, 2008, the Betws ward electorate was 1,450 and the County Councillor is Audrey Jones (Independent), replacing John Dorian Evans (Labour).
Sports
Betws Rugby ClubBetws RFC
Betws Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union based in Betws, Ammanford, South Wales. Betws RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Ospreys....
currently fields two rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams: The first team finished 1st in WRU League Five South West
WRU Division Five South West
The Welsh Rugby Union Division Five South West is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented for the 1995/96 season.- Competition:...
in 2007-8 season and the second team finished bottom of Llanelli District Division 1.
Ammanford football club
Ammanford A.F.C.
Ammanford A.F.C. is a football club from Ammanford, Carmarthenshire in Wales, formed by a merger of Ammanford Town and Ammanford Athletic in 1992. They are members of the Welsh Football League and currently play in the Welsh Football League Division Two...
have a ground at Rice Street, Betws, which is currently being reconstructed.
Notable people from Betws
- Balladeer, Donald PeersDonald PeersDonald Peers was a popular Welsh singer. His best remembered rendition and signature song was "In a Shady Nook by a Babbling Brook".-Biography:...
, was brought up in Heol-y-felin. - Jim GriffithsJim GriffithsJames "Jim" Griffiths CH , was a Welsh Labour politician, trade union leader and the first ever Secretary of State for Wales.-Background and education:...
, first Secretary of State for WalesSecretary of State for WalesThe Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
and MP for LlanelliLlanelliLlanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
lived at the corner of Pentwyn Road and Park Street, where his father William was the village blacksmithBlacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
(an anvil stands outside the house that occupies the site today). His elder brother David Rees GriffithsDavid Rees GriffithsDavid Rees Griffiths , also known by his bardic name of Amanwy, was a Welsh poet, and an older brother of politician Jim Griffiths....
found fame as the poet Amanwy. - Ivor Richard, Baron RichardIvor Richard, Baron RichardIvor Seward Richard, Baron Richard, PC , is a British politician belonging to the Labour Party and former member of the Commission of the European Communities.-Background:...
was born in Betws and attended Betws Primary School. - Henry Grindell "Death Ray" MatthewsHarry Grindell MatthewsHarry Grindell Matthews was an English inventor who claimed to have invented a death ray in the 1920s.-Earlier life and inventions:...
had a laboratory on Betws mountain from 1934 until his death in 1941. - Terry MageeTerry MageeTerry Magee is a former professional boxer. Magee, the older brother of Eamonn and Noel, fought at Light Middleweight but also fought at heavier weights towards the end of his career.-Background:...
, charity volunteer and former boxer.
Wildlife
A wide variety of birds can be seen around Betws: Red kitesRed Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
, raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s, buzzards
Common Buzzard
The Common Buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.-Description:...
, kestrel
Kestrel
The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
s and sparrowhawks on the mountain; Kingfishers, dippers
White-throated Dipper
The White-throated Dipper , also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies, based primarily on colour differences, particularly of the pectoral band...
and cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s on the river; Jays
Eurasian Jay
The Eurasian Jay is a species of bird occurring over a vast region from Western Europe and north-west Africa to the Indian Subcontinent and further to the eastern seaboard of Asia and down into south-east Asia...
and woodpeckers in the woods.
External links
- Historical data
- Parish website
- Betws Mas o'r Byd (Betws Beyond the world) Carol Murphy & Chris Dixon, eds. Index only online.
- Website about Ammanford with much about Betws
- Betws community website
- Forlorn Britain - Exploring the remains of Betws Colliery
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Betws and surrounding area