Caersws
| Caersws | |
| Welsh: Caersŵs | |
 The village church |
|
  Caersws |
|
| Population | 1,526 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | SO0392 |
| Community | Caersws |
| Principal area | Powys |
| Ceremonial county | Powys |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Caersws |
| Postcode district | SY17 |
| Dialling code | 01650 |
| Police | Dyfed-Powys |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Montgomeryshire |
Coordinates: 52°31′17″N 3°25′21″W / 52.521458°N 3.422429°W
Caersws (Welsh: Caersŵs) (Welsh pronunciation: [kɑːɨrˈsuːs]) is a village and community on the River Severn, in the Welsh county of Powys, 5 miles (8 km) miles west of Newtown, and halfway between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury. It has a station on the Cambrian Line from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury. At the 2001 census it had a population of 1,526.[1]
Name
In modern Welsh, Caersws literally means "Fort Kiss", although sws almost certainly derives from some other source.[2] It has been argued that the site may retain a Roman-era dedication to Zeus[2] or preserve the name of a conjectured British queen Swswen.[3]
History
Caersws was the location of two Roman forts of Roman Wales. Although the Mediolanum of the Antonine Itinerary has since been identified as Whitchurch in Shropshire, Caersws is sometimes identified as the Mediolanum among the Ordovices described in Ptolemy's Geography,[2] although others argue for Llanfyllin[4] or Meifod.[4][5] Further, this second Mediolanum may be identical or distinct from the "Mediomanum" (lit. "Central Hand") mentioned by the Ravenna Cosmography.[2]
Buildings
Llanwnnog Church in the community of Caersws is a single-chambered structure, variously considered to date from the 13th or 15th century and restored in 1863. It contains the best example of a 15th or 16th century rood screen and loft in Montgomeryshire, a medieval font bowl and one 17th century memorial. Maesmawr Hall was built in the early 19th century.
Sport
Downhill Mountain Biking has flourished in forestry at Henblas farm, to the north of the village, with a number of national races being held there. The current series - The Caersws Cup[6] - began in March 2009.
Cymru Alliance club Caersws F.C. are based in the village, and play their home matches at the Recreation Ground.
Caersws is home to current and past champions of a number of sporting disciplines, leading some to christen it the "Sporting Capital of Wales".[7]
Notable People
- Walter Watkins, former Welsh international footballer was born here
- The Welsh romantic poet John Ceiriog Hughes was stationmaster and manager of the Van Railway from 1868 until his death in 1887. He is buried in the churchyard at Llanwnnog.
- Elvis Costello has for many years had seemingly strong links with the village, having upon interview listed Mid Wales as a favoured holiday destination.[8] However, in recent years tensions between the village and the ageing punk rocker have been building, primarily due to the lack of name checks in any of his most recent albums. In reply to the subsequent bitter vitriol targeted against Costello, a statement was released by his management in an attempt to defuse the situation. This was largely a failure, with a hotly contested stalemate remaining to this day.
Gallery
-
One of Caersws’ 4 local pubs in 2010.
-
The in town level crossing by the Caersws station in 2010.
-
A gated village Barrow Crossing/foot crossing in Caersws in 2010.
-
Maesmawr Hall, a grade II* listed building
See also
References
- ↑ "Parish Headcounts: Powys". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Roman Britain Organisation. "Mediomanum?" at Roman Britain. 2010.
- ↑ History in Brief - Mid Wales at BBC.co.uk
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Williams, Robert. "A History of the Parish of Llanfyllin" in Collections Historical & Archaeological Relating to Montgomeryshire, Vol. III, p. 59. J. Russell Smith (London), 1870.
- ↑ Newman, John Henry & al. Lives of the English Saints: St. German, Bishop of Auxerre, Ch. X: "Britain in 429, A. D.", p. 92. James Toovey (London), 1844.
- ↑
- ↑ Sporty Village Boasts Famous Five at BBC.co.uk
- ↑ Andrews, Robert (2004). The Rough Guide to Britain. Rough Guides Ltd. p. 838. ISBN 978-1843533016.
Literature
- Stephenson D. (2014), The Medieval Borough of Caersws: Origins and Decline, The Montgomeryshire Collections, Vol. 102, 103-109.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caersws. |
- Church of St Gwynnog, Llanwnnog
- Official Caersws F.C. site
- Mediomanum
- Caersws Cup Downhill Mountain Bike Race
- 6 pages of artifacts and documents associated with Caersws and held on Gathering the Jewels the website of Welsh cultural history
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Caersws and surrounding area
| ||||||