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Tours > Wales > Newcastle Emlyn
Newcastle Emlyn
 This pleasant little town acts as a centre for a large, surrounding farm community. Its Norman Castle, severely damaged by followers of Owain Glyndwr, later held by the Royalists, was destroyed after the English Civil Wars; hardly any trace remains. In 1719 the very first book printed in Welsh came from the printing press (the first in Wales) set up at Adpar, across the River Teifi from the castle grounds. The name of the town in Welsh is Castell Newydd Emlyn (Casteth Newith Emlyn) derived from the words for New Castle plus am glyn, meaning "round the valley."
Several Bronze Age cairns can be found in the surrounding hillsides. At nearby Cenarth, there is a spectacular rush of water over the rocks during the spring melt-off, and occasionally coracles can be seen on the salmon-filled Teifi. Annual coracle races keep alive the centuries-old tradition of local coracle making. There is also a 17th century working mill at Cenarth, and a small, but interesting coracle and fly-fishing museum: the National Coracle Centre.
The Museum of the Welsh Woolen Industry is located at Dre-fach Felindre (Dray Vack Velindray) just off the A484 to Llandysul, (Thlan Dusill), where another Woolen Mill Museum can be found. The town is the home of one of the most successful cooperatives, helping revive small-scale rural industries, many of which include products made from wool. Each August the town celebrates its River Festival, centered on the picturesque Teifi Valley and featuring river recreation including angling lessons, a conservation project, canoeing competition and tuition, performing arts workshops and live music performances.
Newcastle Emlyn is reached from Carmarthen on the A484 to Cardigan; it can also be reached from Lampeter west on the A475.
Next Stop: Laugharne
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