Town in Carmarthenshire, Wales
Llanelli
A town nicknamed Tinopolis once beat the All Blacks, and its brewery put beer in cans before anyone else in Europe. Meet Llanelli, Carmarthenshire's red-hot rugby town.
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Key information
- County
- Carmarthenshire
- Nation
- Wales
- Population
- about 44,000 (2011 Census, built-up area)
- Known for
- Scarlets rugby, the tinplate industry, Sosban Fach, Felinfoel beer
- What locals are called
- Llanellites, and affectionately 'Turks'
- Famous people
- Phil Bennett, Ray Gravell, Carwyn James
- Football clubs
- Llanelli Town (the Reds)
About Llanelli
The day the pubs ran dry
On 31 October 1972, Llanelli beat the mighty New Zealand All Blacks 9–3 at Stradey Park. It remains one of the most celebrated results in club rugby, and in Llanelli it is talked about as if it happened last week. The side was coached by Carwyn James and inspired by fly-half Phil Bennett. The story goes that the town celebrated so hard that the pubs ran out of beer, which is why the book about the game took the title 'The Day the Pubs Ran Dry'. Llanelli did it again in 1992, beating World Cup holders Australia 13–9. Few clubs can say they have toppled two of the giants of the southern hemisphere on their own turf.
Why a Welsh town was called Tinopolis
Llanelli grew up around metal. Coal, copper and above all tinplate poured through its docks in the 19th century, and the town's tinworks became so numerous and so productive that it earned the nickname Tinopolis, the city of tin. The name stuck so well that a modern television production company based in the town borrowed it. Tinplate is still made here, at the Trostre works, which opened in 1951 and has been rolling steel for packaging ever since. The town also had a famous pottery. The South Wales Pottery, often called Llanelly Pottery, turned out ceramics from 1839 until it closed in 1922, and pieces from it are now collected.
A saucepan, a poorly servant and a scratched cat victim
Sosban Fach, or 'Little Saucepan', is the song that defines Llanelli. Its verses are gloriously domestic: Mary Ann has hurt her finger, Dafydd the servant is unwell, the baby is crying in its cradle, and the cat has scratched little Johnny. It began as a Welsh-language ditty, but Llanelli's rugby supporters turned it into an anthem. Sing it on a Stradey or Scarlets match day and the whole crowd joins in, from small children to grandparents. The Scarlets take their name from the red shirts of Llanelli RFC, founded in 1872. The regional team was established in 2003, left Stradey Park in 2008 and now plays at Parc y Scarlets. They lifted the Pro12 title in 2017.
The brewery that got there first
Just up the road, Felinfoel Brewery has been brewing since the 19th century. In 1935 it became the first brewery in Europe to sell beer in cans, a bold gamble at a time when cans were an American novelty. Its best-known pint, Double Dragon, has a loyal following well beyond Carmarthenshire. Around the town you will also find the cockles and laverbread of the nearby estuary. These are classic Welsh seaside foods, often served with bacon for breakfast.
A town that learned to stand its ground
Llanelli has a fierce reputation, and the 1911 railway strike explains part of it. In August of that year, striking workers gathered at the town's level crossing and soldiers opened fire, killing two men. Rioting followed, and an explosion at a railway truck killed four more. Six people died in all. Years later, the town sent Jim Griffiths to Parliament. He went on to become the first Secretary of State for Wales in 1964. The name itself honours a saint: Llanelli means 'church of Elli'. Welsh is still widely spoken in the town.
Marshes, birds and a very long path
Today, the old industrial shoreline has become one of Llanelli's best assets. The Millennium Coastal Path runs for around 13 miles along the Loughor Estuary, and walkers and cyclists share it with views across to the Gower. The Wetland Centre at Penclacwydd, opened in 1991, draws huge flocks of wintering birds to the estuary. It was created on reclaimed coastal farmland. In town, Llanelli House, a Georgian townhouse dating from 1714, is one of the finest buildings of its kind in Wales. Parc Howard has its museum, and the covered market is a long-running meeting place for the town.