Bow Street, Ceredigion

History

Toponymy

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 9 February 1777 for a "Wm son of Jenkin & Ann Thomas, Bow Street".

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. 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. There are two small lanes in the village which are also known locally by English names, these being Cock and Hen Street and Thread Needle Street (sometimes Thread and Needle Street),. Supposed traditions associating the name Bow Street 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.

In his seminal work on Cardiganshire placenames, Iwan Wmffre suggests that an earlier name for Bow Street may have been Rhyd-y-castell (ford of the castle). But the ford of Rhyd-y-castell was actually located on the small lane called Cock and Hen Street, that runs alongside the Welsh Black (formerly 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. 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". 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.

Transport

Bow Street railway station on the Cambrian Line reopened in February 2021 following its closure in 1965 under the Beeching axe. Plans for the station to be reinstated were first published in July 2016 and approved in August 2017, and work had started by January 2020 with the new station initially planned to be opened later that year, but it actually opened on 14 February 2021.

A road leads down to Llandre and Borth on the coast. To the south is Comins Coch and to the east, Plas Gogerddan.

Climate

Tornado

In the early hours of 28 November 2006, the village was struck by a tornado, that was rated T3 on the TORRO Scale. 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 mi away in the village of Corris.

Notable residents

• Tom Macdonald (1900–1980), journalist and novelist
• J. T. Rees (1857–1949), musician and composer

References

Bibliography

References

1. "Census, 2001".
2. "Census, 2001".
3. Jenkins, Gwyn & Roberts, Alwyn, 'Nodiadau pellach ar yr enw Bow Street', ''Y Tincer'', Rhif 5, Ionawr 1978, p. 2.
4. Owen, Hywel Wyn & Morgan, Richard, 'Bow Street', ''Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales'' (Llandysul, 2007), pp. 42-43
5. Jones, Eddie, 'Adnabod Ardal 26: Cock and Hen Street a Thread Needle Street', ''Y Tincer'', rhif 134, Rhagfyr 1990, p. 17.
6. Williams J. G., 'Bow Street (Mar. 26, 1873)', April 2, 1873 - Notes, ''Bye-Gones, Relating 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.
7. Wmffre, Iwan, 'Bow Street', ''The Place-Names of Cardiganshire'', Vol. III, p. 1098 (BRA British Series 379 (III), 2004, {{ISBN. 1-84171-665-0).
8. Lewis, T., [Map of Gogerddan Estate, North Cardiganshire], August 1790 (NLW Gogerddan Map 232).
9. Macdonald, Tom, ''Western Mail'', 13 September 1975.
10. 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.
11. "New station boost for passengers thanks to £16 million government investment - GOV.UK".
12. (2 July 2016). "Plans for Bow Street's new railway station to go on show".
13. (13 January 2020). "Work gets under way on new £8m railway station".
14. (15 February 2021). "Station reopening at Bow Street brings first trains for 56 years".
15. (2006-11-28). "BBC News - Wales - Small 'tornado' batters village".
16. (2006-12-05). "BBC News - Wales - Garage papers found after tornado".