Carmarthenshire County Museum
Step into Carmarthenshire Museum and embark on a journey of discovery into an intriguing past full of exciting treasures.
This is the perfect place to soak up the history of a county steeped in heritage, myth and legend and the atmosphere is spellbinding.
The building is a slice of history in itself. The old house in Abergwili has been in continuous use since about 1290; beginning life as a college and later becoming a palace, home to the Bishop of St David’s. Each room is brimming with history. This is where the New Testament was first translated into Welsh and where the last piece of Merlin’s Oak can be found - legend has it that the day the oak is removed from Carmarthen, the town will fall.
Discover mammoth bones from Croygan Cave, near Laugharne; Stone Age axes, Roman gold and gravestones from the time of King Arthur.
There are fine paintings, Welsh dressers, local pottery and so much more. One of the most striking exhibits is a large stone carved frieze of the Battle of Waterloo hero, General Picton.
Elegant 17th and 18th Century galleries showcase the furniture and portraits of Carmarthenshire’s esteemed Vaughan family.
Among the 20th Century artefacts are World War I medals and keepsakes together with cases of objects from the different decades. Get a feel for post-war Carmarthenshire with a wander round the 1940s kitchen and living room. There is a 19th century schoolroom, the inside of a Carmarthenshire farmhouse a clogmaker’s workshop and a large collection of apothecary jars from King Morgan's old-established chemist's shop in Carmarthen. The Bishop's Chapel is an integral part of the museum, and its pews are brought into use when large meetings are held. The shelves in the Bishop’s Library house part of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society's collection of books and journals. Beautiful gardens surround the building, there is ample car parking and a tea shop.
Carmarthenshire County Museum
Abergwili, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire SA31 2JG.
Tel : 01267 228696.
© 2010 Carmarthenshire County Council.