Llandovery College

Llandovery College (Welsh: Coleg Llanymddyfri) is a coeducational independent school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The college consists of Gollop Preparatory, Senior School and Sixth Form. It was previously known as "Welsh College, Llandovery" and "Collegiate Institute" at various periods of its history.^[1]

History

Llandovery College was founded and endowed by surgeon Thomas Phillips in 1847 to provide a classical and liberal education in which the Welsh language, the study of Welsh literature and history, were to be cultivated. The town of Llandovery was decided upon "because of its central position and because of easy communication with all parts of South Wales". Also important was “the great beauty and healthiness of the locality and the absence of manufacturing industries". The school first opened with a handful of boys on St David's Day 1848. On 13 December 1849, the foundation stone of the present building was laid.

Between 1901 and 1903 alterations were made to the existing school, and new buildings were added, by the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley. The additional buildings included the east range, a school house, and a dining room, at a cost of about £10,000.^[2][3]

The first girls were admitted during the late 1960s. Gollop Preparatory School, the prep department which was named after the Chairman of Governors Ian Gollop, was opened to pupils aged 7–11 in 2001. A nursery was added and the intake was extend to age 4 for the 2012–13 school year.

Architecture

The school building is designated by Cadw as a Grade II listed building.^[3]

Curriculum

All pupils in the preparatory school and up to Year 9 are required to learn Welsh.

On St David's Day 2011, the college opened Wales' first Confucius classroom to facilitate the teaching of the Mandarin language, with Prince Charles and Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming both in attendance.^[4]

Extracurricular Activities

There is a wide range of extracurricular activities and opportunities for pupils. Llandovery is known for its sporting tradition and rugby remains one of the more popular sports. Other sports available include football, cricket, hockey, netball and athletics.

Facilities

The college is equipped with over 45 acres of playing fields, an all-weather pitch, climbing wall, gym and weights room, swimming pool and a 9-hole golf course.^[5] There are equestrian facilities located in the vicinity.^[6]

Links with rugby union

Llandovery College has connections with the early adoption of rugby into Wales. Although St David's College, Lampeter is accepted as the first establishment to play rugby, Llandovery was one of their first opponents, were present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in Neath in 1881 and provided two players to the very first international game Wales played. The second captain of the Welsh national team, Charles Lewis, represented Llandovery College and was the first Wales captain to lead a team in the Home Nations Championship.

Notable former pupils and staff

Former staff members

• Rev Owen Phillips, College Warden (1854–61) and third Dean of St David's^[7]

Old Llandoverians

Alumni are known as Old Llandoverians and belong to the Old Llandoverian Society.

• Huw Ceredig, actor who played Reg Harries in the soap opera Pobol y Cwm
• Alfred George Edwards, Archbishop of Wales
• Deian Hopkin, historian
• Dill Jones, jazz pianist
• Ernest Jones, Welsh neurologist, psychoanalyst and official biographer of Sigmund Freud
• Glyn Mathias, Political Editor of Independent Television News (1981–1986) and BBC Wales (1994–1999), the Electoral Commission's Commissioner for Wales (2001–2008) and a board member of OFCOM (2011–present)
• Llywarch Reynolds, Welsh solicitor and Celtic scholar
• Rod Richards, Conservative Party politician
• Rhydian Roberts, The X Factor contestant^[8]
• Professor Peter Warren, archaeologist and academic specialising in the Aegean Bronze Age
• Gwilym Owen Williams, Bishop of Bangor
• W. Llewelyn Williams, Liberal Party politician

Rugby players

• Ewan Davies
• Geoff Evans, British Lion
• Vivian Jenkins, British Lion
• Alun Wyn Jones,^[9] British Lion
• Cliff Jones, Wales captain
• Gwyn Jones, Wales captain
• Kingsley Daniel Jones, British Lion
• Charles Lewis, the second Wales international rugby union captain 1882–83
• Edward John Lewis, first Wales international^[10]
• George North^[9]
• Andy Powell^[11]
• Craig Quinnell
• Arthur Rees
• Peter Rogers^[12]
• Rees Stephens, Wales captain and British Lion

See also

• List of non-ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1895–1914)

References

External links

• Llandovery College
• Profile on the ISC website
• Estyn Inspection Reports