Bow Street, Ceredigion

Infobox UK place
official_name=Bow Street
static_

static_image_caption=Bow Street, looking south towards Aberystwyth
country=Wales
population=1,888 [Total population of Tirymynach (cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=5939234&c=Tirymynach&d=14&e=16&g=415914&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1203943803296&enc=1|title=Census, 2001)]
os_grid_reference=SN6284
latitude=52.441944
longitude=-4.028611
post_town=BOW STREET
postcode_area=SY
postcode_district=SY23
dial_code=01970
unitary_wales = Ceredigion
lieutenancy_wales = Dyfed
constituency_westminster = Ceredigion
civil_parish=
welsh_name=
constituency_welsh_assembly=
language=British English
language1=Welsh (68.8% of population) [Population of Tirymynach with some knowledge of Welsh (cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=5939234&c=Tirymynach&d=14&e=16&g=415914&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1203944036031&enc=1&dsFamilyId=93|title=Census, 2001)]
website=

Bow Street is a large village in the Tirymynach district of Ceredigion, Wales, approximately 3½ miles (6 km) north-east of Aberystwyth. As well as Bow Street itself, it is now often considered to include the neighbouring smaller village of Pen-y-garn and the hamlet of Rhydypennau. All three places stretch in a long narrow strip along the main Aberystwyth to Machynlleth road (A487).

Bow Street is also a post town, and as well as covering the villages of Bow Street and Pen-y-garn and the hamlet of Rhydypennau, it also includes the nearby village of Llandre and the hamlets of Tai-gwynion and Dole, together with the surrounding farms.

History

Etymology

Etymologically the earliest attestation of the name 'Bow Street' yet found is in the parish registers of Llanbadarn Fawr, where there is a baptism entry dated 9th February 1777 for a "Wm son of Jenkin & Ann Thomas, Bow Street". [Jenkins, Gwyn & Roberts, Alwyn, 'Nodiadau pellach ar yr enw Bow Street', "Y Tincer", Rhif 5, Ionawr 1978, p. 2.]

It would appear that the name is derived from the London street of the same name, and that its application to the small cluster of houses that would become Bow Street was connected with the turnpiking of the main Aberystwyth to Machynlleth Turnpike road from 1770 onwards. [Owen, Hywel Wyn & Morgan, Richard, 'Bow Street', "Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales" (Llandysul, 2007), pp. 42-43] It may be that the choice of name was influenced by the fact that the road does actually bend slightly at this point, and might therefore have been analogous to the ‘bow’ of the London Bow Street. Interestingly the names of two small lanes in the village would also seem to have possible London associations, being known locally as "Cock and Hen Street" and "Thread Needle Street". [Jones, Eddie, 'Adnabod Ardal 26: Cock and Hen Street a Thread Needle Street', "Y Tincer", rhif 134, Rhagfyr 1990, p. 17.] Supposed traditions associating the name with a local magistrate do not appear to stand up to scrutiny, and probably developed later as a way of justifying the existence of an English place name in a predominantly Welsh-speaking area. [Williams J. G., 'Bow Street (Mar. 26, 1873)', April 2, 1873 - Notes, "Bye-Gones, Realting to Wales and the Border Counties", 1871-3, p. 155; Brierley, Geo. H., 'Chancery and Bow Street Cardiganshire', Notes and Queries, "The Red Dragon: The National Magazine of Wales", Vol. X July-December 1886, p. 80; Huws, Huw, 'Yr Enw Bow Street', "Y Tincer", Rhif 2, Hydref 1977, p. 8; Jones, Eddie, 'Adnabod Ardal 26', "Y Tincer", Rhif 134, Rhagfyr 1990, p. 17.]

In his seminal work on Cardiganshire placenames, Iwan Wmffre suggests that an earlier name for Bow Street was "Rhyd-y-castell" (ford (crossing) of the castle). [Wmffre, Iwan, 'Bow Street', "The Place-Names of Cardiganshire", Vol. III, p. 1098 (BRA British Series 379 (III), 2004, ISBN 1 84171 665 0).] But the ford of Rhyd-y-castell was actually located on the small lane called Cock and Hen Street, that runs alongside the Black Lion and leads towards Clarach and Llangorwen, and not on the main Aberystwyth to Machynlleth road where the first houses in Bow Street were built. Further the name Rhyd-y-castell was, in fact, applied to a small tenement farm which formerly stood near to the ford. [Lewis, T., [Map of Gogerddan Estate, North Cardiganshire] , August 1790 (NLW Gogerddan Map 232).] This same tenement was later called Bryn-y-castell, and is now represented by Bryn-castell farm.

Though there is no officially sanctioned Welsh equivalent to Bow Street, the author and novelist Tom Macdonald, who spent part of his childhood here, recounted that "old folk told me it was once called Nant-y-Fallen". [Macdonald, Tom, "Western Mail", 13 September 1975.] The small stream still called Nant Afallen runs under the main road a little to the north of where the original hamlet of Bow Street first grew up, and was applied to the row of small cottages that once stood nearby. The name "Nantyfallen" was also later extended to refer to those cottages running up the slope from the brook towards Cross Street. Occasionally in Welsh writing the name Bow Street is spelt as "Bwstryd". [Macdonald, Tom (Translated by Morgan, Haydn), "Y Tincer Tlawd" (Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion, 1971), p.7.; Jones, Vernon, ‘Newid ddaeth …’, "Y Tincer", Rhif 257, Mawrth 2003, p. 11.]

Transport

At one time Bow Street had a railway station on the Cambrian Coast Line, though this closed in 1965 under the Beeching axe. A road leads down to Llandre and Borth on the coast. To the south is Comins Coch and to the east, Plas Gogerddan. From a junction in the village runs a mountain road in the direction of Rhayader.

Tornado

In the early hours of 28 November 2006, the village was struck by a tornado, estimated to be force three on the Fujita scale. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6190372.stm|title=BBC News - Wales - Small 'tornado' batters village] This caused structural damage to more than 20 houses, as well as uprooting trees, and damaging power-lines, caravans and a railway bridge. No injuries were reported. Some papers caught up in the tornado were found a week later, 20 miles away in the village of Corris. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/6211212.stm|title=BBC News - Wales - Garage papers found after tornado]

Notable Residents

*Tom Macdonald (1900-1980), journalist and novelist

References

Bibliography

* ISBN 0333-17975-7

External links

* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55182&sheetid=1320&ox=0&oy=0&zm=1&czm=10&x=69&y=159 1891 First Ed. 6” Ordnance Survey Map showing "Bow Street"]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3089813 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Bow Street and surrounding area]