New centre to open with dash of festive spirit
MENTER Dinefwr’s new centre at the town’s former Shire Hall in Carmarthen Street, Llandeilo, is being called Hengwrt – meaning old court.
From Thursday, November 25 to Christmas Eve on December 24 the centre will be open to the public to celebrate Christmas with various pop-up shops by local businesses.
The centre will also house a new branch of Cyfoes, Menter Dinefwr’s shop, selling books and all sorts of Welsh merchandise.
The move marks the end of the first phase of Hengwrt’s restoration, which was in poor condition when it was transferred to Menter
Dinefwr from Llandeilo Town Council in 2018.
Since then, the centre has been completely renovated to make it fit for a wide range of community uses.
Phase one has included a complete refurbishment of the building ready for the Christmas opening, and phase two will include the development of a heritage and visitor centre, together with room hire and offices, to be developed early in 2022.
Menter Dinefwr chief executive Owain Gruffydd said: “We were fortunate that the building work could continue throughout most of the pandemic.
“Although there were challenges and delays, we are extremely proud of what has been achieved and can’t wait to share it with the community.
“We would also like to thank our contractors TAD Builders, for their cooperation and for getting the project completed ready for the Christmas period.”
Non Edwards, Menter Dinefwr’s commercial services manager, added: “Opening a new branch of Cyfoes in Llandeilo is very exciting, and we’re glad to be able to offer smaller businesses a space in the town centre, especially in the run-up to Christmas.”
Hengwrt will also house community artwork, town memorabilia, and will be a hub for activities and events, together with being the headquarters for Llandeilo Town Council.
Menter Dinefwr is a community enterprise established in 1999. The organisation works to promote the use of the Welsh language, and to support community and economic development.
It has grown substantially over the last 20 years and is looking forward to opening its new flagship project in Llandeilo.