Legends & Literature

Llandovery has always been a place of ideas and stories. Here are the figures that shaped our history.

The Welsh Robin Hood

Hidden in the woods at the RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas reserve (12 miles north) is the cave of Twm Siôn Cati. A 16th-century bard and trickster, legends say he hid here from the Sheriff of Carmarthen. It is a wonderful, wild walk to find his hideout.

The Sweet Songster

Local farmer William Williams Pantycelyn (1717–1791) is Wales's greatest hymn writer. He wrote the famous anthem "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah," sung at rugby matches and state funerals alike. You can visit his grave in the churchyard at Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, just outside town.

The Candle of the Welsh

Keep an eye out for the name Vicar Prichard. In the 1600s, this local vicar realised ordinary people couldn't understand the dry church services. He wrote catchy, simple poems in the local Welsh dialect to teach them morality and faith. His work, "The Welshman's Candle," became as popular as the Bible in Welsh homes.