Surrounded by dairy and beef farms, St Clears is a picturesque town in the Welsh county of Carmarthenshire. It is renowned for its 12th-century church and Norman-built motte-and-bailey castle. In 1609, Sir William Lower set up one of Britain’s first telescopes near St Clears to study the Moon.
Things to do in St Clears
On the southern edge of the town are the remains of St Clears Castle, a motte-and-bailey fortification that appears as a large, grassy mound. It is believed to have been founded in the 11th century and was one of the castles taken by Llywelyn the Great during his campaigns in southern Wales. In addition to climbing the eight-metre-high motte, you can see a visual illustration of what the castle would have once looked like.
St Clears Castle is just one of the stops on the St Clears Town Heritage Trail, which is dotted with 12 interpretive panels that help to bring the past to life. Admire the wooden sculpture depicting the 19th-century “Rebecca Rioters”, who were protesting against increased taxation, and learn about some of the wildlife that can be found on the banks of the River Cynin.
At the southern end of the St Clears Town Heritage Trail is the Priory Church of St Mary Magdalene, a 12th-century building that is dominated by a Romanesque tower. Alongside the church is a handsome lychgate that leads to the church graveyard where some of St Clears most prominent residents are laid to rest.
Getting around St Clears
St Clears is around an hour’s drive from Swansea and 1.5 hours from Cardiff Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Regular buses connect to St Clears and the town is compact enough to explore on foot.