England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Kidwelly St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Kidwelly, or Cydweli in Welsh, lies in southern Carmarthenshire forming a stretch of the county's coastline with the outer Bristol Channel. Kidwelly is located roughly 9 miles south of the county town of Carmarthen and sat on the former route of the A484 road which links Carmarthen with the industrial town & port of Llanelli, that road now takes a bypass to Kidwelly's east. Kidwelly is a place much declined in its fortunes, at one time a substantial market town and port it is nowadays only a small version of the former status, it consists of the old town, west of the Gwendraeth Fach and formerly the more important settlement. and east of the impressive stone bridge, the new town, a strip of properties running parallel to the river with a southeastern extension along the former A484. Kidwelly has a long history with some believing it dating back to very early times, an early battle in 458 is believed by some to have happened on this site. More credibly is the presence of a small port occupied by a mixture of Normans, English and Flemings at the time of the building of its iconic castle. Kidwelly Castle stands on a bluff overlooking the Gwendraeth Fach and is a major tourist site for the area, built initially in the late 13th century and extensively modified between 1388 & 1422 it stands guard over the old town. Kidwelly grew into a signbificant port & market town in medieval times but perennial problems with silting lead to its decline. Through the 17th and particularly the 18th centuries trade recovered with coal & cloth leading to the construction of a new quay and canal to bypass the silting. Kidwelly even dabbled in industry with a tin-plate mill established for a while north of the town. Despite the arrival of the railway granting Kidwelly a station most trade gradually leached away in favour of Llanelli & Swansea leaving Kidwelly  a shadow of its former glory. Today it is a small market centre with much tourist focussed trade and visits to the castle, construction of the new Wales National Coastal Trail should encourage some over-nights from hikers. Kidwelly sits between the twin channels of the Gwendraeth Fach & Fawr which drain into the nearby outer Bristol Channel as a joint estuary, Kidwelly is sited between sea level and 50 metres, at its highest western developments, land rises away from the coast in strongly rolling countryside to the local peak of 192 metres wherein sits tumuli and a ring fort indicative of very early settlement. Kidwelly parish was extensive, divided into St Mary Within & St Mary Without it totalled almost 5,200 acres and would have supported a population of around 1,700 parishioners. Like most of Wales Kidwelly is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Mary's church sits east of the former route of the A484 on the northern side of Lady Street, the eastwards running course of the B4308. As Pevsner states in his opening the church is "probably the best medieval church of the county" and possessed of an exceptionally tall tower topped by a splendid spire. The church is the modern day structure sitting within an ancient religious site, a "clas" of Celtic origins, it is a cruciform church, a style favoured in the earliest church designs from the 12th century and whilst Pevsner believes that the church was begun at that time most of today's fabric dates from the 14th century. The nave is the best example of the 14th century Decorated style which is echoed by detailing in the chancel too which has a 14th century chapel to its northeast which may have begun life as a chantry chapel. To this core the later 14th and early 15th centuries saw perpendicular enhancements, the tower, not central but placed over the northern porch, begun in that era, the spire, however, came later still. By 1481 both had been completed when the church received a setback being struck by lightning leading to the demolishing of the western end of the nave and the rebuilding of the spire. Lightning strikes are a recurring feature as the church was also struck causing damage in 1658, 1854 & 1884. The final strike initiated the major Victorian restoration between 1885 & 1889 which saw many things change. Lady Street has on-street parking on its southern side allowing a relaxed visit. The churchyard is walled in a rough local stone with metal gates for entry, it is open & uncluttered with no significant obstacles for the photographer.