Abergwili manor of Bishop of St Davids

In the community of Abergwili. In the historic county of Carmarthenshire (Modern authority of Carmarthenshire, preserved county of Dyfed).

Originally a college founded by Bishop Bek of St Davids and translated from Llangadog in about 1291 (see NPRN 33069). It consisted of a Dean, probably the Bishop, twenty-one canons and at least twenty-six religeous anciliaries. The present village has its origins in a small borough also founded in the late thirteenth century. The college was removed to Brecon in 1541 (see NPRN 23170; 25091). Its buildings were then adapted as the Bishop's principal residence in anticipation of the Cathedral's translation to Carmarthen. The palace was extensively rebuilt in the early eighteenth century and greatly added to and modified in the earlier nineteenth century. It was rebuilt after being consumed by flames in 1903. In 1972 the Bishop moved to a modern residence and the old palace now houses the Carmarthenshire County Museum. Although the palace retains little flavour of its medieval and early modern origins, its early plan, laid out around a cloistered court, can still be discerned. The courtyard has now been roofed over as a hall from which a stair rises to an upper gallery above the original cloister walks. he main entrance front faces west where it presents a rather plain two storey rendered facade. There are shaped Dutch gables on the flanking wings and above the central Gothic porch. The remaining facades show a number of prominent bay windows, especially on the east looking over the old river meanders. There are service wings on the north. (Coflien)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN44092097

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 17099
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1743 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p642, 645
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p183
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47796#s2
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' The Archaeological Journal Vol143 p317
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such.)
  • Payne, Naomi, 2003, The medieval residences of the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Salisbury (PhD Thesis University of Bristol) Appendix B: List of Medieval Bishop's Palaces in England and Wales [available via http://ethos.bl.uk ]