https://www.liquisearch.com/burry_port/ ... al_history
Also found out that the coal in these parts is impregnated with specs of gold, as at one time some of the mine owners debated if they should extract the gold out of the coal and sell that, or if they should just sell the coal as both were of generally equal value, but due to the industrial concerns they opted to mine for coal instead.
The area also has a long history of Christianity with yet again Cornish connections. The early churches here were origionally known as "Llan's" (Where most of the Welsh town and village names that start with "Llan" came from, so for example Llanarthney was the "Llan" that saint Arthney set up or lived (Llan also means village as has a dual meaning).
Here there is a Llan where the village of Pembrey first began which was a 4th to 6th centuary enclosure with its nearby beehive-like prayer cell (Demolished around 8 years ago by footpath workers looking for stone to repair footpaths), and about just over half a mile away in a field is where they buried their dead as churchyards surrounding churches is a relitlvely recent thingbin Christianity. They would bury their dead anywhere from half a mile away to two miles away as they did not want any evil spirits that were in people that after they died would be looking for a new occupier to find one. These Llans or enclosures were often mistaken for forts, though in a way they also served as village protection. A few of these Llans are on each of the hills here so they are in line of sight from each other, but to understand Christianity one must first understand how it reached Wales. Israel was in Roman occupation in the years during and after Jesus died. The Jewish converts to Christianity were persecuted by the Jewish leaders who had not converted which resulted in them fleeing to other parts of the Roman empire. Many headed through Italy and north, and evzngelised as they went, so Christianity spread. A big movement of people (Was the mini ice age around then?) headed west throughout northen Europe and became known as the Celts, who were actually quite a mixed tribe of people from Jewish to the various tribes they had passed through on the way. They first rwached some of the far northern Scottish islands and then from there they missed the rest of Britain and came down to Cornwall. Cornwall was said to be well known as one of the trade route destinations since the days before Christ came so it is understandable why they headed there. St Pirian of Cornwall 4th to 6th centuary AD) was said to have lived 212 years old and met with St David and St Patric. Both St David and St Patric came into Wales and from there St Patric felt called to go to Ireland. St David fought off and cast out the druids from Wales and quite a few other miriacles such as when he preached at Llandewi Brefi, he was short and no one could see or hear him and the ground beneath his feet rose so he stood taller and was able to continue his message.
St David was not the only one as there were a great many others (Known as saints) also heading for various areas in Wales at the time, and the rest is history, but these enclosures typically have their origions from the 4th to the 6th centuary in Wales where later they were replaced with churches surrounded with villages, even if the village later moved as it did in Pembrey where as the sea moved further away from Pembrey Mountain the villagers moved with it.
Not too far is the remains (If you are quick and if they are still there. They were about a year ago) of the village of Horton near St Ishmaels (Close to Ferryside). This village was sometimes spelt Hortin or Hawtin or Hawton etc as it was generally before most people could read or write (Welsh was always a spoken language and not a written one though quite a few place names in these parts were not origionally of Welsh origions, though with the Celtish immigrants they were said to have been responsible for the origions of much of the Welsh langage hence why many Cornish words were the same words used in Welsh).
Now this abandoned village has marvellous dressed stones which had been brought in from elsewhere so whatever these buildings were, some of them were quite something in their day! This village of Hortin was one side of a crossing point (By boat) from Kidwelly so was at one time an important place. The village was at least twice abandoned. Once in the 1607 tsunami and then again in the latter half of the 1700's I believe when they had a big storm, and the surviving villagers decided enough was enough and settled up on top of the hill where the origional "Llan" was (Llansaint). Llansaint later became known as a smugglers village and the houses and streets were purpously built to confuse any undesirables from athoritian sources so they could send them round in circles rather than being caught. (If one has been there one will understand as one can drive through and end up out the other side again and miss half the little streets that make up the village).
At StIshmaels itself with its little church, one can cross the railway and see the remains of a few early metal rails used as sea defences. Broad gauge rails and others. Is interesting! Also the old gun emplacement that had a 21mile range, and was situated where is was as it is the onlynplave in Wales that if one went in a straight line, one could reach American without Ireland or any other island or land being in the way. Aso of note in the coastal areas here is that it holds the highest difference between high and low tides with generally shallow flat beaches so when the tide goes out, it goes right out and vice versa. Many ships went down in the area and half of them met their fate due to the local "Hatchet men" who would light fires to lure ships into thinking they were heading to port only to find themselves washed up on the sands. They then took their hatchets designed for the purpose, to break in and steal the cargo, and kill those who stood in their way, and at Pembrey Church, Napolien Bonaparts niece is buried who as a little girl, met her death due to one of these events. They often would find dead bodies missing their fingers where these hatchet men cut off rings from their victims, and it wasn't until parliament sent troops down in the 1880's that this looting finally stopped. My Mum has an old map somewhere recording all the larger vessels that went down over a 100 to 200 year period (Approx) and I counted 180 of them, a great portion coming to grief on Cefn Sidan sands (Pembrey).
The very similar looking long sandy beach on the other side of the estuary is where they used to do (And still occasionally do) the land speed records at Pendine. Today is hardly worth going as due to restricted access, is only the very end of the beach one is allowed to go without special permission from the government or the American company who are contracted to test weapons etc which began during WW2 and was "Supposed" to be given back to the people, but never was and has been extended and extended over the years.
