Editing Lampeter (section)

==History==
[[File:Town Hall - High Street (geograph 3455223).jpg|thumb|left|[[Lampeter Town Hall]]]]
The [[Norman architecture|Norman]] timber castle of ''Pont Steffan'' ("Stephen's bridge" in English) occupying a strategic position beside the River Teifi was destroyed in 1187 after it had been conquered by [[Owain Gwynedd]] and was not rebuilt.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FhArAAAAMAAJ|page=13|title=The New Encyclopaedia Britannica|volume=6|year=1974|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |isbn=9780852292907 }}</ref>

Cardiganshire was one of the royal counties established by [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] after the defeat of [[Llywelyn ap Gruffudd]] (''Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf'') at [[Cilmeri]] in 1282, when Lampeter fell under direct royal control. But this had little effect on the town, and the [[Welsh language]] and [[Culture of Wales|culture]] continued to thrive. The first [[market charter]] was granted in 1284 to Rhys ap Meredydd who was given the right to hold a weekly market. As many as eight fairs were also held each year under successive charters.<ref name="JGJ">Jenkins, J. Geraint. ''Ceredigion: Interpreting an Ancient County.'' Gwasg Careg Gwalch (2005) pg. 27.</ref>

The town was ruled by a local aristocracy who lived in elegant mansions, including Brynhywel, Maesyfelin and the [[Lloyd baronets]] of Peterwell. As magistrates, they handed out the severest of penalties to offenders. The fairs and markets had become rowdy occasions with violence and drunkenness, and the [[stocks]] and [[whipping post]] in front of [[Lampeter Town Hall]] were frequently put to use in the 18th century.<ref name="JGJ" />

The town developed the crafts, services and industries to cater to the needs of the rural area. There were several woollen mills, one of which in the mid-18th century was already producing the complex double-woven tapestry cloth later to become associated with the [[Welsh woollen industry]]. There were also blacksmiths, a leather tannery, carpenters, saddlers, bootmakers and hatters. The town was one of the main centres on the Welsh [[drovers' road]] which carried cattle and sheep on foot to the markets in England. A large number of inns point to the town's importance as a rural centre.<ref name="JGJ2">Jenkins, J. Geraint. ''Ceredigion: Interpreting an Ancient County.'' Gwasg Careg Gwalch (2005) pg. 29.</ref>

Lampeter's war memorial, sculpted by [[Goscombe John|Sir William Goscombe John]] (1860–1952), was unveiled in September 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/6813|title=Lampeter|publisher=Imperial War Museum|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>