CARMARTHEN, the capital town of the county of that name, on the right bank of the Towy, where the river straightens out after meandering, and turns seawards (pop., 1931, 10,310). Its site on the historic south Wales coast road also commands the main Towy route into central Wales from the south and is the focus of roads from hill-lands to the north. The main part of the town is situated on a hillock with the ruins of a Norman castle (converted into a gaol in the 18th century and now disused) on the south-west side ; with the fine parish church of St. Peter, founded in the 12th century but largely of 14th-century construc tion on the north-east side.
The castle site is undoubtedly of great antiquity and was cer tainly the Roman station of Maridunum. In the post-Roman cen turies Carmarthen became the focus of activity for the Welsh chieftains of south Wales and was associated with the name of Merlin as well. After the town passed into Norman hands in 1123 it became subject to many attacks from the people of the hills around. The castle and church were the nucleus of the me diaeval town and in their neighbourhood there are still traces of the old town wall. Carmarthen was granted its first charter by Edward I. in 1313, a privilege which was renewed and augmented by subsequent sovereigns. The mediaeval history of the town, in virtue of its key position, is a record of attacks, sieges and burnings into which enter the names of Llewellyn, Glyndwr, Ed ward, John and Sir Rhys ap Thomas. On the lower ground to the east of the town near the banks of the river was the Benedictine priory famous for its literary tastes and the Black Book of Car marthen; while on the western side of the town was the house of the Black Friars. In the middle ages Carmarthen was important for its wool trade, being declared by Edward III. in 1353 the sole "staple" for Wales. As a result of the social changes in Tudor times a guild hall was built in 1583 near the centre of the town. The town grew in size and importance. It had associations with the early Protestants among whom were Bishop Ferrar of St. Davids (burnt in the market place, and John Penry . During the great Rebellion the castle was held for the king, but soon changed hands on the appearance of Cromwell and his men. Situated at the highest navigable point of the tide, the town became a busy river port as coastal trade grew during the subse quent centuries. Carmarthen became the social centre for the neighbourhood and was associated with Sir Richard Steele, Bishop Thirlevall, David Williams, Dr. Richard Price, Sir Thomas Pic ton, etc. It became a printing and literary centre as well. Its importance was further enhanced in 1747 by the building of one of the earliest iron-smelting works in Wales, which later manufactured tinplates. The advent of the railway in 1856 helped the local trade of the town and made it an important railway junc tion. With the development of the seaboard and the changes that followed the industrial revolution Carmarthen's prosperity de clined, although the tinworks continued until 1900.
Carmarthen, together with Lichfield, Poole and Haverfordwest, is one of the old boroughs that remain counties of themselves, a privilege granted to Carmarthen by James I. in 1604. It was created a parliamentary borough in 1536 and since 1832 returned a member jointly with Llanelly, but since 1918 it has been merged in the West Carmarthenshire parliamentary area.