The Eglwyswrw Heritage Society is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the rich history and heritage of the Eglwyswrw area. Through talks, exhibitions, and community events, the society brings local history to life, sharing stories, photographs, and records that connect past generations with the present. Whether you’re a lifelong resident or new to the area, the Heritage Society offers a welcoming space to learn more about the village’s fascinating history and to meet others with a shared interest in local heritage.
Our History
The society was initially started by residents, Paul Sambrook and Dave Jenkins. Then in October 2005 the group began regular meetings in the local pub, The Butchers Arms.
Local people and those who had recently moved into the district met with the aim of finding out about the history of their village and their homes.
By early 2006 the membership of the group had grown to over 20 people and they decided to work together to gather old photographs and information. Soon they had so many photographs that they were scanned, and a DVD was made, these were sold for £5 each.
This was so popular that two further DVDs have been produced and hundreds have been sold and sent all over the country. However, despite extensive searches, there was one photograph that eluded the group: one showing the famous Meigan Fair that was held in Eglwyswrw every November. If anyone can help with the search, we would be very pleased to hear from you.
With Meigan Fair in mind the group decided to commemorate the event with an Open Day in the Old Village School – Yr Hen Ysgol and on 24th November 2007 the hall was filled with artefacts, photographs, maps, books and newspaper scrapbooks. The day was hailed as a huge success and the profile of the group was raised.
Then in early 2008 the group decided to embark upon their biggest challenge – to produce a book of the memories of their community, in words and photographs. For almost two years they worked collecting stories and memories. Then, on 12th December 2009 the book was launched to critical acclaim.The book sold well, and it has been posted abroad to families who once came from the area and to those who have been researching their ancestry.Since then the group have gone from strength to strength, membership for most years is around 30 - 40. They have all enjoyed listening to the stories of the regular guest speakers at the Butchers Arms and Yr hen Ysgol. Day trips to places such as the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth, the gardens at Aberglasney, and of course St Fagans the Welsh Folk Museum has been very successful. As have the ‘walk and talk’ days where we have explored our village and other places of interest such as the P.O.W. Camp at Henllan and the local ‘Ty Canol’ woods.
Over the years the Society has continued its work, collecting and recording history of the locality. We have been fortunate to receive donations of varied local history related documents and photographs. There are always projects being worked on. The most prominent to date was the James Brothers project so named as it was the first in a series of projects, for which the Society has received a substantial Lottery Grant.
Our work continues.