ses various camps and tumuli of the British
period, and also a small but perfect cromlech near Llanglydwen on the
banks of the Taf. Of its many medieval castles the most important still
in existence are: Kidwelly; Laugharne; Llanstephan, a fine pile of the
12th century on a hill at the mouth of the Towy; Carreg Cennen, an
imposing Norman fortress crowning a cliff not far from Llandilo; and
Dynevor Castle, the ancient seat of Welsh royalty, situated on a bold
wooded height above the Towy. The remains of the castles at Carmarthen,
Drysllwyn, Llandovery and Newcastle-Emlyn are inconsiderable. Of the
monastic houses Talley Abbey (Tal-y-Llychau, a name drawn from the two
small lakes in the neighbourhood of its site) was founded by Rhys ap
Griffith, prince of South Wales, towards the close of the 12th century
for Benedictine monks; Whitland, or Albalanda, also a Benedictine house,
was probably founded by Bishop Bernard of St David's early in the 12th
century, on a site long associated with Welsh monastic life; and the
celebrated Augustinian Priory of St John at Carmarthen was likewise
established in the 12th century. Very slight traces of these three
important religious houses now exist. The parish churches of
Carmarthenshire are for the most part small and of no special
architectural value. Of the more noteworthy mention may be made of St
Peter's at Carmarthen, and of the parish churches at Laugharne,
Kidwelly, Llangadock, Abergwili and Llangathen, the last named of which
contains a fine monument to Bishop Anthony Rudd (d. 1615). Many of these
churches are distinguished by tall massive western towers, usually of
the 12th or 13th centuries. Besides Golden Grove and Dynevor the county
contains some fine historic houses, prominent amongst which are
Abergwili Palace, the official residence of the bishops of St David's
since the Reformation, burnt down in 1902, but rebuilt on the old lines;
Aberglasney, a mansion near Llangathen, erected by Bishop Rudd and once
inhabited by the poet John Dyer (1700-1758); Court Henry, an ancient
seat of the Herbert family; and Abermarlais, once the property of Sir
Rhys ap Thomas.

_Customs, &c._--The old Welsh costume, folklore and customs have
survived longer in Carmarthenshire than perhaps in any other county of
Wales. The steeple-crowned beaver hat, now practically extinct, was
often to be seen in the neighbourhood of Carmarthen as late as 1890, and
the older women often affect the _pais-a-g[^