About CofGâr

We are CofGâr

CofGâr is the name for the family of five museums that together make up the Carmarthenshire County Council museums and arts service. Our family includes Carmarthenshire Museum in Abergwili, the Dylan Thomas Boathouse in Laugharne, Kidwelly Tinplate Works in Kidwelly, the Museum of Land Speed in Pendine, and Parc Howard Museum in Llanelli.

Our Welsh name reflects Carmarthenshire’s strong connection to the language. CofGâr is a blend of memory and place: Cof means memory and Gâr is from the shortened county name, Sir Gâr. Carmarthenshire today has the second highest number of Welsh speakers in Wales and has played an important historical role in supporting its use.

The CofGâr collections represent chapters in the Carmarthenshire story. We present them with passion and imagination. Creating interest, changing views, and sometimes changing lives. From objects rooted in llên gwerin Sir Gâr (Carmarthenshire folklore), such as Yr Hen Dderwen, the Old Oak believed to have been planted in Carmarthen by the legendary Merlin. To objects of industry and invention, such as the world-famous Stepney Spare Wheel, created in Llanelli’s powerhouse of creativity.

We are CofGâr. The Carmarthenshire Chroniclers. Y Storïwr Sir Gâr. And we look forward to sharing our stories with you.

Our Values

We believe that our past shapes who we are today. And it's our passion to keep the Carmarthenshire story, and the past, alive. However, it’s not just about sharing the stories of yesterday. At CofGâr, we want to kindle ideas and encourage people to positively shape the future. Our vision is to have community-focused local museums at the forefront of change, sustainability, collection care, and accessibility in Wales.

Our Mission

Our mission is to preserve, present, and progress. This drives all that we do and gives our vision form.

Strategic Plan

We put our vision and mission into practice with our Strategic Plan. The CofGâr Strategic Plan embodies our vision that museums are central to caring, constructive, and creative communities. Museums preserve our heritage for future generations and in doing so help build our sense of identity. Museums present narratives of our successes, adversities, and myriad experiences to create environments where we can reflect, learn, and develop. And museums inspire progress by sparking innovative ideas, demonstrating sustainable practices, and celebrating diversity and inclusion.

Our Story

CofGâr was born in 2023. The former Carmarthenshire County Council Museums Service joined with the Arts Service to create a new service and a new vision. Our name developed through conversations with our communities, and our mission represents the values they treasure.

Our brand is inspired by our heritage. The CofGâr colours symbolise the unique landscapes of Sir Gâr. The red evening sky promises a bright future. The green fields and forests host our wildlife and livelihoods. The silver-grey of industry provides work and invention. The golden yellow beaches offer rest and wellbeing. And the blue of the rivers and seas connect us to the world.

The CofGâr monogram was influenced by the cover typography of Dylan Thomas’s first collection of poetry, 18 Poems. Dylan Thomas’s family were from Sir Gâr and his last home at the Boathouse is now in our care. The Boathouse became part of the CofGâr family at the birth of the new service.