Timeline of Llanelli history facts for kids

Welcome to the history of Llanelli! This article will take you on a journey through time, showing you the most important moments and changes in this Welsh town. You'll discover how Llanelli grew from a small settlement into the busy place it is today.

Early Days of Llanelli (600s - 1700s)

How Llanelli Got Its Name (600s)

Around the 600s, a holy person named St. Ellyw built a church here. St. Ellyw was a child or grandchild of King Brychan and a student of another saint, Cadoc. The town was named after St. Ellyw, which is how we got "Llanelli."

Llanelli in the 1600s

1607 – The oldest map of Wales was made by William Camden. It showed Llanelli as a small town in South Wales. On this map, Machynys appeared as a separate island called Bach Hannis. 1682 – The first St. Elli Church in Llanelli was built. 1683 – Records for the local church area, called a parish, began to be kept.

Llanelli in the 1700s

1714 – Work began on building Llanelly House, a famous historic building. 1772 – John Wesley, a very important religious leader, visited Llanelli. 1779 – Wesley visited the town again. 1780 – The first independent chapel, Capel Als, was started. 1785 – A Calvinist Methodist church was set up at Gelli On. 1791 – A special furnace for melting metal, called a blast furnace, was built in Cwmddyche by Gevers and Ingman. 1795 – Alexander Raby started mining and melting metal ores. At this time, Llanelli had fewer than 500 people living there.

Llanelli Grows Bigger (1800s)

The Town's Population and Industry (Early 1800s)

1801 – The first official count of people in Llanelli happened. The population was 2,972. 1802 – A factory for making metal castings and engineering parts was started by Waddle in New Dock. 1803 – The Carmarthenshire Railway, or Tramroad, opened in May. It closed by 1844, but its path was used again much later by the Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway. 1805 – A copper works, where copper was processed, was set up by Daniel & Co. 1809 – Llanelli experienced floods. The town celebrated the Jubilee of King George IV. Capel Newydd, another chapel, was established. 1810

• The Erw Fawr coal pit, a mine for coal, was started by General Ward.
• The population was still 2,972.

1813 – The Box coal pit opened. 1822 – Sion Chapel was founded. 1823 – Part of the main Parish Church was built. 1828 – Six bells were placed in the tower of the Parish Church. The Upper and Lower Markets opened for trade. A Wesleyan church was also built. 1829 – Construction of Hall Street and New Road began. A railway was allowed between St Davids and Machynys. R.J. Nevill bought all the coal pits that belonged to General Ward. 1830 – The Cambrian copper works opened. 1831 – The town's population was recorded as 7,646 people.

Challenges and New Developments (Mid-1800s)

1832 –

• Sadly, seventeen people in Llanelli died after the town was affected by cholera, a serious illness.
• Llanelli became a contributing borough to the Carmarthen parliamentary district, meaning it could help elect a Member of Parliament.

1834 – The Llanelly Railway opened. 1835 – A new dock opened in Llanelli, making it easier for ships to load and unload goods. A gas company was formed, and the important local industrialist Alexander Raby passed away. 1839 – The Swansea Road workhouse opened. 1840 –

• The Llanelly Pottery, a place where pottery was made, was established. It closed in 1923.
• The population was 4,173.

1847 – The Copperworks School, the oldest school in Llanelli, was established. It was built by Richard Janion Neville. 1850 – The old Lynch gates and stocks at St. Elli Parish Church were removed.

Sports and Culture (Late 1800s)

1875 – Llanelli RFC, one of the most famous rugby clubs in Wales, was formed. 1879 – Stradey Park opened as the home ground for Llanelli RFC. It was their home for almost 130 years. Later, it was also home to the Scarlets regional team. It closed in November 2008 when their new home, Parc y Scarlets, opened nearby. 1886 – Parc Howard Museum opened, offering a place to explore local history and art. 1897 – A stamping works opened in Seaside Llanelli. 1898 – The Llanelly Steel Works Limited was first founded. It later became Duport Steel. 1895 – Llanelli hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales, a big festival of Welsh culture, music, and poetry.

Llanelli in the 20th Century (1900s)

Growth and Challenges (Early 1900s)

1901 – The population of Llanelli grew to 25,617 people. 1903 – Llanelli hosted the National Eisteddfod for a second time. 1904 – A train derailed in Llanelli because it was going too fast. Five people died, and 94 were injured. 1906 – St. Elli Church in Llanelli was rebuilt. 1909 – The Llanelli Star newspaper began to be published. 1911 –

• Riots happened in Llanelli as part of railway strikes during a time called 'the great unrest'. On August 17, striking workers stopped trains. The army was called in the next day, and two people who were watching were shot and died. Railway trucks carrying explosives caught fire, causing an explosion that killed four more people.
• The Palace Theatre, later known as Vint's Palace, was established.

1912 – The Lych Gates at St. Elli Parish Church were replaced. 1920 – The Royal Theatre (Haggars) opened in Market Street Llanelli.

Culture and Entertainment (Mid-1900s)

1930 – Llanelli hosted the National Eisteddfod again. 1930 – The Regal Cinema opened in Llanelli, offering movies to the public. 1934 – The Ritz Ballroom opened in Llanelli, a popular place for dancing. 1962 – Llanelli hosted the National Eisteddfod for another time.

Modern Developments (Late 1900s)

1970 –

• The first Horse Race Track opened in Machynys. It was owned by Bobby Bradley.
• The Llanelli transmitting station, a tall structure for broadcasting signals, was built.

1972 – This was a famous day known as "The Day the Pubs Ran Dry." On October 31, Llanelli RFC rugby team beat the famous All Blacks from New Zealand. So many fans celebrated that the pubs in town ran out of drinks! 1995 – Our Lady Queen of Peace Church opened.

Llanelli in the 21st Century (2000s)

2000 – Llanelli hosted the National Eisteddfod once more. 2008 –

• October 24 – Stradey Park hosted its very last rugby match.
• November 15 – Parc y Scarlets, the new rugby stadium, opened with a match between Llanelli RFC and Cardiff RFC.

2009 – January 31 – The official opening ceremony of Parc y Scarlets took place. The main event was a match between the Scarlets and the Barbarians rugby teams.