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| Felinfoel | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Felinfoel Location withinCarmarthenshire | |
| Population | Not Recorded SeeLlanelli Rural |
| OS grid reference | SN519024 |
| Community | |
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LLANELLI |
| Postcode district | SA14-15 |
| Dialling code | 01554 |
| Police | Dyfed-Powys |
| Fire | Mid and West Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
| |
Felinfoel (pronounced/vɛlɪnvɔɪl/) is a small village andelectoral ward on theRiver Lliedi on the northern border ofLlanelli,Carmarthenshire,West Wales, with a population of about 2,000.
TheFelinfoel Brewery, home of Double Dragon Ale, is the oldest in Wales. It was the first brewery outside the US to sell beer in cans.[1]
The village is renowned for its close community and ties with many famous names that have starred in pastLlanelli RFC line-ups. Therugby union fly-halfPhil Bennett, who played for Llanelli, Wales and theBritish Lions, was one of Felinfoel's most famous residents until his death in 2022.
Felinfoel is part of theLlanelli Ruralcommunity. It is generally considered asuburb of the town ofLlanelli.
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Felinfoel has abutcher's, abakery, afish and chip shop, locally producedreal ale from the historic Felinfoel Brewery and shop, aCo-opsupermarket and a computer shop within the village.
It is a small village with aparish church andNonconformistchapel. The Diplomat Hotel and Edens Health Spa and Gymhealth spa also fall within the village's borders.
To the north of the village and on theRiver Lliedi is a picturesque doublereservoir which gives the Swiss Valley area its name.
Felinfoel's mainBaptist chapel, Adulam, plays a significant role in the history of that Nonconformist sect, as it is on the site of Ty Newydd, said by some to be the oldest Baptist settlement in Wales. Previously, the outlawed creed held its meetings in secret in Ogof Goetre Wen on the Morlais River some four miles away.Adulam's baptismal pool on the River Lleidi was in use for total immersions until the 1970s. The congregation would sit on the railway sleeper benches, and on the bridge over the river, and sing as the person was raised from the water.
According to theUnited Kingdom Census 2021, 25.5 per cent of all usual residents aged 3+ in Felinfoel can speak Welsh.[2] 40.6 per cent of the population noted that they could speak, read, write or understand Welsh.[3] The2011 census noted 28.1 per cent of all usual residents aged 3 years and older in the village could speak Welsh.[2]
Anelectoral ward of the same name exists, sending councillors to Llanelli Rural Council[4] andCarmarthenshire County Council. The population of this ward falls entirely within the Llanelli Rural community. The total population of the ward taken at the 2011 census was 2,054.[5]
Felinfoel has good links with theM4 motorway which leads toSwansea andCardiff to the east andCarmarthen andPembrokeshire in the west. The village is also linked by regular local bus services toLlanelli railway station.
