Prestigious prizes celebrate Pembrokeshire’s bluestone heritage as National Eisteddfod marks 850 years

THE Crown and Chair for this year’s National Eisteddfod have been officially unveiled at a special ceremony in St Davids, launching celebrations to mark the festival’s 850th anniversary.

The two prestigious prizes, which will be awarded during Eisteddfod y Garreg Las in August, draw heavily on the landscape, culture and history of west Wales, with Preseli bluestone featuring prominently in both designs.

The Crown, awarded for a free-verse poem or collection of poems on the theme Adnabod (Knowing), was created by husband-and-wife jewellers Elen and Dylan Bowen of Bowen Jewellery, based in Newcastle Emlyn.

Inspired by the traditional farming proverb, “Gold beneath the bracken, silver beneath the gorse, hunger beneath the heather,” the design reflects the varied landscapes of the Eisteddfod catchment area, from the Pembrokeshire coast to the Preseli Hills.

The Crown incorporates pieces of Preseli bluestone in its central emblem, known as the Nod Cyfrin, while a gold line running across the front represents the ancient Golden Road through the Preseli Mountains. Specially woven fabric created in Llandovery forms part of the design, using colours inspired by the local landscape.

Elen Bowen said the couple wanted the Crown to capture the character of the area.

“We have tried to reflect the rolling landscape of the Preseli Hills, where individual stones stand proudly on the skyline. The bluestone sits at the heart of the design and helps tell the story of this remarkable part of Wales,” she said.

This is the first time the couple have designed an Eisteddfod Crown.

Chair rooted in local history

The Eisteddfod Chair, awarded for a poem in strict metre on the theme Llinell | Llinellau (Line | Lines), has been designed and crafted by Tomos Lewis, a Design and Technology teacher at Ysgol Caer Elen in Haverfordwest and owner of woodcraft business Dail Pren.

Commissioned by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, the Chair combines locally sourced oak, Preseli bluestone and fabric produced at Melin Tregwynt.

Its design incorporates references to the historic chair of Lord Rhys at Cardigan Castle, the Preseli Mountains, the Rebecca Riots and the shared heritage of Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

Tomos said the Chair was intended to reflect both the landscape and the communities that make up the Eisteddfod catchment area.

“The back of the Chair brings together three pieces of wood to represent the three counties, while other elements draw inspiration from the area’s history, agriculture and landmarks,” he said.

The oak used in its construction came from a tree grown within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and will be finished with beeswax.

Symbol of Welsh culture

Accepting the Crown and Chair on behalf of the local organising committee, executive committee chairman John Davies described the occasion as a proud moment.

“We are launching celebrations marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod and it is a tremendous honour to receive these beautiful symbols of Welsh culture and creativity,” he said.

“Bluestone lies at the heart of both the Crown and Chair, just as this area has inspired everyone involved in bringing this year’s festival together.”

The Crown and Chair will be displayed at Cardigan Castle until the end of July before being moved to the Eisteddfod Maes.

Eisteddfod y Garreg Las will be held at Llantwd from August 1 to August 8. The Crowning Ceremony will take place on Monday, August 3, at 4:00pm, while the Chairing Ceremony will be held on Friday, August 7, at 4:00pm.

Photo caption:

Preseli pride: The Crown and Chair for Eisteddfod y Garreg Las draw inspiration from Pembrokeshire’s bluestone heritage and local landscape (Pic: National Eisteddfod).

A 32-YEAR-OLD man found dead near Carmarthen Train Station died after taking shelter on a bitterly cold night, an inquest has heard.

Edward Mark Owen, originally from Birmingham but living in Ystradgynlais, was discovered in a field beside the railway line on the approach to Carmarthen station on Saturday, January 10.

A Transport for Wales train driver had spotted what appeared to be a body lying face down near the track shortly after 8:30am.

Police and railway staff attended and found Mr Owen lying face down and topless in the field. His coat, T-shirt, phone and cigarettes were found nearby.

Police initially treated the death as unexplained.

Movements traced

The inquest heard that officers later traced Mr Owen’s movements from his home in Ystradgynlais to Carmarthen.

He had nowhere to stay in the town and had taken shelter under a bridge near the railway station during a particularly cold night.

The coroner said Mr Owen had “sadly succumbed to the effects of hypothermia”.

The fact that he had removed his T-shirt and coat was said to be consistent with a confused state brought on by hypothermia.

A conclusion of misadventure was recorded.

The coroner found that Mr Owen died sometime on January 10, 2026.

ON-CALL firefighters at Milford Haven Fire Station have been put through their paces as part of their weekly drill night.

The crew’s development firefighters were pictured carrying out a “drill by numbers” squad exercise ahead of upcoming assessments.

New firefighters spend their first 24 months in a development period, which is split into four stages and focuses on different operational skills and competencies.

At the end of each stage, firefighters attend a divisional training centre where their progress is assessed against the standards required by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Over the next two weeks, members of the Milford Haven crew will take part in a Stage 2 interim assessment and a Stage 4 final assessment.

One firefighter is hoping to complete the final stage and qualify as a fully competent firefighter.

The station said Wednesday nights remain an important part of training for the on-call crew, helping firefighters maintain the skills needed to respond to emergencies across the Milford Haven area.