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THE OLD MANSION OF LLANDEILO ABERCYWYN TWO churches and two manor houses bid farewell to the serpentine windings of the Cywyn where it loses its identity in the embrace of the river Taf, about a mile and a half northwards from the township of Laugharne. Above the western bank of the Cywyn, within the commote of Ystlwyf, are the remains of the parish church of Llanfihangel Abercywyn, a short distance from the imposing farmstead of Trefenty, while nearby the parish church of Llandeilo Abercywyn is flanked by an ancient residence used latterly as a farm outbuilding, but recently transformed into a dwelling-house again, fortunately retaining many of its earlier features. It is this latter site that now forms the subject of our enquiries, but first let us consider, briefly, the parish and the church. Among the smallest of Carmarthenshire parishes, the Tithe Commutation Schedule of 1840-1 gives the acreage of Llandeilo Abercywyn, 'by estimation' as 945; the Land Commission of 1896 gives a total of 842; while a list of county parishes compiled in 1913 gives 820, to which are added foreshore, water, and marsh, bringing the total to 902. In 1841 the properties within its boundaries were listed as follows (the owner's name being followed by that of the tenant and the number of acres): Llandeilo Abercywyn farm Thomas Lloyd. Ann Meyler. 410. Pentre Jeremiah Lear. David Bowen. 130. Trerhos do Samuel Howell. 115. Gelli do David Bowen. 187. Talybont (part) Chas. Croft Williams. Morgan George. 14. Park Eithin Jane Williams. David Howel. 8. The church and yard. 1. These amount to some 859 acres, to which were added 87 acres of marsh, foreshore, and water, making in all, 946. The only field-names in the schedule denoting antiquity are Twmpath on Pentre farm, and Parc Cerrig Llwydion on Trerhos farm, the latter being noted in R.C.A.M. Carms, 1917, as containing three megaliths. A remote agricultural area on the lower slopes of the highland of Penrhyn, Llandeilo enjoyed a rural peace and serenity, occasionally enlivened by the 'llongau bach' allowed by the tidal Taf to sail so far northwards as the wharf of Lower St Clears. The western boundary follows the Cywyn's course from a point near Talybont farm, till it merges with the Taf below Llandeilo, then follows that river to a point east of a small wood where the boundary turns inland, past the farms of Pentre and Gelli, then, turning sharply westwards towards Park Eithin, passes by Talybont to reach the banks of the Cywyn