COAT OF ARMS OF AMMANFORD URBAN DISTRICT COUNCILARFBAIS CYNGOR TREF RHYDAMAN
Ammanford Urban District Council was created as far back as 1903 when the massive growth in the Amman valley coal industry meant that Ammanford, and not the much older agricultural villages of Llandybie and Betws, was now the dominant economic force in the area. Much of the population of those two villages now found themselves within the new political boundaries of Ammanford UDC. Until then Llandeilo Rural District Council had administered the area, including Ammanford, under the parishes of Llandybie and Betws.
Ammanford UDC itself ceased to exist in 1974 with the creation of the new borough of Dinefwr, incorporated into the new 'super' county of Dyfed. Dyfed itself was to be relatively shortlived and in 1996 yet another local government reorganisation broke it up into its former constituent counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire, with Cardiganshire being given its old Welsh name of Ceredigion.
Although Ammanford UDC is no more, its old crest contains much of the town's history and geography hidden in its symbolism. The coloured design of the coat of arms indicates the distinctive features of Ammanford.
At the top, in red, is the head of 'Y Twrch Trwyth' (The Wild Boar), because legend has it that King Arthur and his knights hunted the Wild Boar in the Amman Valley. This is perpetuated in the names of a number of farms within the district, eg:- Myddynfych, Glynynmeirch, Glynmoch, etc, all recogniseably containing the modern Welsh word for pig: 'moch'.
The head of the Twrch Trwyth rests on a wreath of oak leaves surmounting a spray of leaves conveying the impression of Tirydail (Land of the Leaves), a small hamlet within the Urban District.
The ancient ecclesiastical Parish of Betws and its beadhouse is represented by a cross on the golden shield. The cross also represents 'Cross Inn', which was the name by which the village was known before the district became urbanized and changed its name to Ammanford in 1880.
The Roman occupation of the district is represented by the Roman helmet over the Shield.
The hills of the district are known as the Black Mountain because of their dark appearence when overcast by clouds (which is often!) and these are shown in the black peaks at the bottom of the shield, and the valley's coal industry is shown as a black base to the shield itself. The river Amman which passes through the district has its source in the Black Mountain.
The Black Mountain makes up the western foothills of the Brecon Beacons and are often confused with the eastern foothills of the Brecon Beacons which are called the Black Mountains (note the plural). Even more confusingly, both mountain ranges contain a peak called the Sugar Loaf, so-called because of their shape and the sprinkling of snow on their peaks in winter.
Underneath the shield is the town's Welsh motto "Hanfod Tref Trefn", which might be translated as "The basis of a good town is orderliness'.
