Carmarthen

The old stump of this tree known as Merlin’s Oak is still kept in the town’s civic hall. Even though the tree died in 1856 and the stump was finally dug up in 1978, people still attach a particular importance to it, as it was linked to the fortunes of the town. The old saying goes: ‘When Merlin’s Tree shall tumble down, Then shall fall (or drown!) Carmarthen Town’.
An extract from from"Wales Living Memories".

Carmarthen's horse fairs were the Welsh equivalent of the Appleby fairs in Cumbria, and were still being held as late as 1955. Markets and fairs are not new to the town, as a Charter of Henry VIII gave the innkeepers the right to open all day on the five market days.
An extract from from"Welsh Address Book".

Carmarthen was granted its first charter in 1313, and it was the largest town in all Wales in the early 18th century. Now it is a busy market town, but without the pretensions of grandeur it might have had. This photograph was taken on fair day, when horses are being traded. In the 1950s horses still had some part to play in working the rural landscape, although their days were numbered.
An extract from from"Wales Living Memories".

The mother and child appear to have been dressed and posed especially for the photograph. In late Victorian and early Edwardian times, this part of the village was regarded as a select residential area. The turning to the right off St Bride’s Hill leads down to the Glen. The fields have now been more fully developed with residential property.
An extract from from"Tenby and Saundersfoot Photographic Memories".

In the distance are the ruins of a once great mansion, Scotsborough, dating back to the 14th century. It passed through a variety of hands and was last occupied in 1824, when it was converted to tenements. An epidemic of smallpox broke out amongst the inhabitants, and the survivors then fled the house. Despite their decay, the ruins still display some fine architectural details.
An extract from from"Tenby and Saundersfoot Photographic Memories".