Editing Cilgerran (section)

==History==
[[File:A view of Cilgerran castle from the quarry NLW3361149.jpg|thumb|Cilgerran Castle {{circa|1885}}]]
[[Cilgerran Castle]], strategically built in 1100 at "Cenarth Bychan", high above the River Teifi, is the castle from which [[Owain ap Cadwgan|Owain of Powys]] is said to have abducted [[Helen of Wales|Nest]] in 1109. Originally in Cantref Emlyn (Emlyn Is-Cych), Cilgerran came under Norman control with the building of the castle, from where the Lordship of Cilgerran was administered. The Welsh under the [[Rhys ap Gruffydd|Lord Rhys]] regained control from 1164-65 (the date of the first recording of the name "Cilgerran"<ref>{{cite web|title=CADW: Cilgerran Castle|url=http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/cilgerran-castle/?lang=en|access-date=16 October 2017|archive-date=15 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715000729/http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/cilgerran-castle/?lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref>) to 1223. By 1204 the town was beginning to grow, with 22 taxpayers recorded in 1292.<ref name=Dyfed>{{cite web|title=Dyfed Archaeological Trust: Cilgerran (with original citations)|url=http://www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk/HLC/lowerteifivalley/cilgerran.htm|access-date=10 June 2014}}</ref>

The Hundred of Cilgerran was established in 1536. It was a [[marcher borough]]; [[George Owen of Henllys|Owen]], Lord of Kemes, described it in 1603 as one of five Pembrokeshire boroughs overseen by a portreeve.<ref>{{cite work|last=Owen|first=George|title=The Description of Penbrokshire|publisher=Henry Owen (Ed), London|date=1892}}</ref> Cilgerran (as ''Kilgarren'') appears on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire.<ref>{{cite web|title=Penbrok comitat|publisher=British Library|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927183108/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/unvbrit/p/001map00000c7c1u00035000.html|access-date=22 July 2024}}</ref> Although the town remained small it was considered one of the main market centres in Pembrokeshire in the early 17th century, with mainly Welsh demographics.
[[File:Cilgerran old building 120904 (Tony Holkham).jpg|thumb|Former dwelling (note blocked-up windows) built from local stone]]
[[File:Cilgerran fair NLW3361159.jpg|thumb|Cilgerran fair {{circa|1885}}]]

The principal occupations throughout Cilgerran's history were farming, salmon fishing and [[#Slate quarrying|slate quarrying]]. In 1895 salmon of 38 and 43 1/2lb were caught in coracle nets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Times |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=22&docId=GALE%7CCS235593261&docType=Letter+to+the+editor&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&contentSet=GALE%7CCS235593261&searchId=R1&userGroupName=surttda&inPS=true&ps=2&cp=22 |website=The Times Digital Archive |publisher=The Times |access-date=8 June 2020}}</ref> The town's market ended in the early 20th century, there was no further quarrying after 1936 and the castle had been allowed to become a ruin since the 16th century, partly as a result of nearby quarrying.<ref name=Dyfed /> At least since 1833 Cilgerran has been referred to as a village.<ref name=Genuki />

A rare visit by a [[white stork]] to the village was photographed in April 2016.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Pembrokeshire Herald|date=28 April 2016|title=Rare stork spotted in Cilgerran|url=http://www.pembrokeshire-herald.com/24419/rare-stork-spotted-in-cilgerran/|access-date=3 May 2016}}</ref>