Hi Susan,You can tell your daughter that it is a funny name. No insult!"Kidwelly" is the English spelling of the Welsh "Cydweli". The origins of which are a little murky. It was first mentioned in a 9th century manuscript.The Normans invaded Britain in 1066 led by William the Conqueror and subsequently they built many castles along the coast of Wales. One in Cydweli. A mixture of settlers from Flemish weavers to English sailors. In the due course of time the Welsh took over and it became a very "Welsh" place, with Welsh as the main language even to this day.Many Norman and English names remain. Mansel is originally a Norman name.Hope this helps.Roger

This summer I passed by Kidwelly on train en route to St Davids. My daughter thought it was a funny name fora place. Should Welsh be insulted?Otherwise it seemed nice enough; a Norman background?

Thanks Ceri,Generally I found Felinfoel a little too hoppy for my taste. It didn't stop me drinking it though. You probably had "Double Dragon".Cheers,Roger

Just thought I'd add a picture of Kidwelly Castle...one of the finest in South Wales imho. I also thought I'd mention that I stopped there on my way to West Wales for a vacation in 1979 and had the finest pint of Felinfoel I have ever tasted...Red Dragon I believe. Just my twopence worth:)

For anyone interested in history this site ( http://www.kidwellyhistory.co.uk/ ) is wonderful.. It was put together by my brother Jeff before he passed away a few years ago.Roger ManselVancouver, BC Canada
updated by @roger-mansel: 11/11/15 10:37:27PM