News

King Charles relinquishes lease on Welsh estate in Carmarthenshire

Published

3 years ago

June 5, 2023

KING CHARLES has made the decision to terminate the lease on his Welsh estate, located near the picturesque village of Myddfai.

The enchanting Llwynywermod estate, comprising the former coach house and farm buildings, is nestled amidst 192 acres of idyllic rolling countryside. It was acquired by the Duchy of Cornwall estate on behalf of the then prince in March 2007, following a 40-year quest to find the perfect location.

According to The Telegraph, since the Duchy of Cornwall was passed to Prince William, the King has been paying rent for his tenure at Llwynywermod. However, Buckingham Palace has now confirmed that earlier this year, the King issued notice to the Duchy expressing his intention to relinquish the lease, which is set to expire later this summer.

Video: YouTube

Royal sources cited by The Telegraph reveal that while the King remains “passionate” about Wales, he has decided to part ways with the property as it is “unlikely” that he will be able to utilize it in the same manner as before.

With historical ties dating back to the 13th or 14th century, Llwynywermod was originally owned by William Williams, a relative of Anne Boleyn.

Welsh craftsmen diligently restored the old house, as well as the deteriorating concrete and corrugated iron farm buildings, employing traditional techniques and local materials. Furthermore, King Charles adorned the walls with climbing plants, including Albertine roses, jasmine, and honeysuckle. Notably, six English field maples, which had formed an enchanting avenue of trees at the wedding of William and Kate in 2011, were later relocated to the Welsh retreat, at the behest of the King and with the approval of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. These trees were lovingly planted in the soil at the front of the house, accompanied by a charming rustic wooden fence.

In 2013, Clarence House tweeted, “The trees from the Royal Wedding at Westminster Abbey are thriving at Llwynywermod.”

The prince has often expressed his admiration for the enduring landscape of Wales, emphasizing how its mountains, patchwork fields, woods, coastline, castles, villages, and market towns play a pivotal role in attracting visitors. During an interaction with Visit Wales, he reminisced, “It certainly cast its spell on me a long time ago.”

Prince William inherited an annual income of £23 million from the Duchy of Cornwall. As the heir to the throne, he is entitled to the yearly surplus generated by the Duchy’s extensive portfolio of land, buildings, and financial investments. Additionally, he has assumed the responsibility of overseeing the management of the estate.

For the fiscal year 2021-2022, the Duchy’s annual income amounted to £23 million for Charles, then known as the Prince of Wales and now ascended to the throne as King.

Community

Woman rescued from coast path after ankle injury

Published

7 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Coastguard teams called to Dinas Island near Pwllgwaelod

A WOMAN was stretchered from the coast path near Pwllgwaelod after suffering an ankle injury.

HM Coastguard Fishguard was tasked at 5:22pm on Friday, June 27, alongside HM Coastguard Teifi, to assist the casualty on Dinas Island.

The teams attended the scene near Hendre Farm Campsite and Cottages and, with help from the landowner, were able to quickly locate the injured woman.

Her injured limb was immobilised before she was carried by stretcher to her nearby car, where family members were able to take her on to hospital.

Fishguard Coastguard thanked the landowner for their help.

Entertainment

This Ain’t Texas organisers admit Carmarthen festival ‘didn’t go exactly as planned’

Published

7 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ORGANISERS of a country music festival held in Carmarthen have thanked visitors for their support while admitting that parts of the event “did not go exactly as planned”.

This Ain’t Texas Festival took place at the United Counties Showground on Saturday (Jun 27), promising live country music, line dancing, American BBQ, street food, western-themed stalls and family-friendly entertainment.

The event was part of a UK-wide tour, with the Carmarthen date promoted as a Nashville-style day out for families and country music fans.

But after the event, a number of attendees took to social media to raise concerns about queues, parking, food options and the overall organisation of the day.

In a statement posted online, organisers said: “Thank you, Carmarthen. What a day.

“Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out and made this event so special. The support, energy, and positive feedback we’ve received across the country has been incredible, and we’re truly grateful for every single one of you.

“That said, we also know that not everything went exactly as planned. We’ve received some constructive feedback from attendees, and we want you to know that we’ve listened carefully.”

Some visitors said they had enjoyed the atmosphere, music and line dancing, while others said the event had fallen short of expectations.

One attendee said the day had been “very disappointing” after booking early-bird tickets and looking forward to the festival for months.

Another visitor said the bar queue was long, adding that they had queued for more than an hour, although they still felt the ticket price had been good value.

Others called for more food choice, including vegetarian options, and said parking and space on site would need to be reviewed if the event returned on a larger scale.

There was also praise for the local line dancing element, with one attendee saying it had “definitely added to the experience”.

The festival had been advertised as a one-day country and western-themed event, with live tribute acts, dancing, food, drink, stalls and activities.

Community

Civic service brings Pembrokeshire towns together in Haverfordwest

Published

9 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A CIVIC service has been held at St Mary’s Church in Haverfordwest, bringing together civic leaders, councillors, cadets and community representatives from across Pembrokeshire.

The Mayor’s Civic Service took place at 11:00am on Sunday, 28 June 2026, at the historic High Street church, one of the county town’s most familiar landmarks.

The service was hosted by Haverfordwest Town Council and attended by the Sheriff of Haverfordwest, Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lord Lieutenants, the mayors of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Neyland and St Davids, members of the Guild of Freemen, the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet and the Mayoral Cadet.

St Mary’s Church has stood at the heart of Haverfordwest for more than 800 years. Built in about 1200, its size and position have made it one of the town’s dominant historic buildings.

Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner said the occasion had been “truly special and humbling”.

He said: “It was an honour to gather in one of our town’s most historic and beautiful buildings, a church that has stood at the heart of our community since the 12th century, bringing people together in faith, service and reflection.”

Cllr Thomas-Turner and the Sheriff thanked all those who attended, saying the presence of civic representatives from neighbouring towns reflected the “strong spirit of friendship and partnership across Pembrokeshire”.

They also paid tribute to fellow town councillors, the Guild of Freemen, and the cadets who supported the service.

Cllr Thomas-Turner added: “Days like today remind us that civic life is about more than titles and chains of office. It is about service, community, friendship and working together for the good of our towns and our county.”

He said the event had been a proud day for Haverfordwest, adding: “Haverfordwest truly is the Best in the West.”