Carmarthen

Carmarthen (Welsh, Caerfyrddin), port and county town, Carmarthenshire, south-western Wales. Carmarthen is located just above the upper tidal reaches of the River Towy, inland of Carmarthen Bay on the Bristol Channel. It is a busy market town for the produce of the surrounding agricultural area, in particular wool and milk. It shares with Caerleon the title of the oldest town in Wales, and was the site of strategic Roman and Norman settlements. Carmarthen was granted a charter by King John in 1201. The first known manuscript in the Welsh language, The Black Book of Carmarthen (c. 1170-1230), was written in the town's priory. The 14th-century church of St Peter has an impressive fortified tower and is the resting place of the 18th-century essayist and author, Sir Richard Steele. According to Welsh folklore, Merlin, the legendary wizard and adviser to King Arthur, was born near Carmarthen in 480. One of the oldest traditions of Wales, salmon fishing by coracle, still survives on the River Towy at Carmarthen. Population (1991 estimate) town 14,600; district 53,920.