Local lad Marc Pienazek shares 5 Top reasons for visiting Llanelli....
Situated on the coastline of South West Wales, the historic town of Llanelli has a wide range of attractions and activities that are suitable for all ages. It has even recently been the site for filming 2011's Doctor Who Christmas special!
In this 2-part series we'll take a look at what makes Llanelli such a great place to visit.
Rich (and haunted?) History
With Parish records dating back to 1683 and an official map that dates back to 1761, it can be truly said that Llanelli has a very rich history. By the late 19th century, Llanelli was already a (coal) mining town, but soon thereafter became a major producer of tin. In fact, in those days, Llanelli was often referred to as “Tinopolis”, as tin production was that significant!
This year (2011) also saw the centennial remembrance event for the Llanelli Railway Strikes of 1911 – also known as “the great unrest” - during which 6 men tragically lost their lives. For more information regarding the 1911 Railway strike, and its significance to past and present residents of the town, visit their website
And for those with more of a penchant for the paranormal; Llanelli has also been dubbed one of Wales' most haunted towns! For more info click here The locals can tell a haunting story or two of the Halfway Hotel, Stradey Woods, and a few of the older pubs in the area... if you dare listen to them!
Proud Rugby Tradition
In 1875, the town's rugby union club – Llanelli RFC – was established. It has since gone on to be one of Wales' most talked about, as well as one of the top sides playing in the Welsh Premier League. Arguably more famous and popular however, is the town's professional Welsh Rugby Union team, the Scarlets. The team have put Llanelli on the map this year thanks to players like Rhys Priestland, Stephen Jones, Jonathan Davies, Tavis Knoyle and George North, who took the world by storm in this year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Avid sports fans will thoroughly enjoy a game or two at the town's brand new Parc y Scarlets stadium in Pemberton and after the match can head to the nearby Sosban restaurant, newly opened – and co-owned - by international rugby stars Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel.
2 Major Shopping Centres
Rugby not your thing? Prefer shopping instead? Worry not! Pemberton is also the site of a major retail park, the other being Trostre – conveniently situated right next to it! The older of the two parks – Trostre – has been around since 1988, although it has since seen a major overhaul/reconstruction. It includes major retail outlets such as Boots, BHS, Tesco, Laura Ashley, HMV, Marks & Spencer, and several clothing stores such as La Senza, Accessorise, and River Island. Food outlets include a restaurant in BHS and Marks & Spencer, Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut.
On the other side, in Parc Pemberton, shoppers will find big name stores such as Next, Argos, Currys/PC World, Maplins, Homebase, Carpet Right and Comet's – ideal for those buying for the home! Also situated in Parc Pemberton is the supermarket giant Morrison's. Food outlets include Morrison's own restaurant as well as the highly recommended Frankie and Benny's (an American-Italian style diner).
While the two retail parks are great places to shop, Llanelli town centre also offers a wide variety of stores and food outlets. The town centre's St Elli shopping mall is home to big names such as Peacocks, ASDA, and Wilkinson's. It is also the location of the town's popular indoor market.
In part 2 of the Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Llanelli you'll find a little taste of the Caribbean as well as discover which part of Llanelli attracts over a million visitors per year. Come back soon!
PS if you have any photographs recent or older of the area do email them or post them to us here at thebestof Carmarthenshire ( see address below) With the impending launch of our brand new website we will be able to have a local photo gallery.
Ailgynnau Consulting, Ailgynnau, Abercych, Boncath, Pembrokeshire, SA37 0HB
