Spartiate
Wood Location
Llandeilo, CARMARTHENSHIRE, Wales
Ship Information
Ship Commander - Capt Sir Francis Laforey
Guns - 74
Constructed at - Toulon
Killed in the battle - 3
Injured in the battle - 20
Wood Information
Size - 1ha
Owner - Woodland Trust
Grid ref - SN641217
To be planted - November 2005
Spartiate Grove will be created on land owned by the Woodland Trust, Coed Tregib in Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire.
Aside from providing a number of sailors, Wales was home to an important dockyard at Pembroke. Nelson visited his friend Admiral Foley in Carmarthenshire on a number of occasions.
Coed Tregib extends to a total of nearly 69 acres (approx. 28ha), of ancient semi natural woodland. The extension (nearly 32 acres or 13ha) to this wood lies to the north of the existing woodland and is reached by a country road running eastwards from the A483 past Llandeilo School towards Pontbren Araeth. Spartiate Grove will extend areas of new woodland that have been planted on the site over the last two years (6ha) making up a substantial extension to the existing Coed Tregib.
Coed Tregib lies one mile west of the town of Llandeilo and is part of one of the largest areas of ancient woodland in South East Carmarthenshire, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest The wood occupies a gentle north-facing slope above the floodplain of the Afon Tywi and is bisected by the shallow valley of a west flowing stream. Much of the site is permanently wet with heavy, slow draining clay soils. The adjoining land use includes broad-leaved woodland, conifer plantation, pasture and improved grassland. The National Trust property Dynevor Park and the Castle Woods nature reserve are 1 mile to the west across the river and are notable for their ancient woodland and trees.
Two fields running from the south west boundary of the woodland onto the edge of the Afon Tywi flood plain were purchased by the Trust in 2004. They are outside of the SSSI. The larger of these fields was improved pasture and was planted as native broadleaved woodland in 2004-5. The smaller field is semi-improved grassland, formerly grazed by horses and will be maintained as grazed grassland. There is also a former field, partly overgrown, within the current boundaries of the woodland and SSSI which supports a range of wetland plants.
Spartiate Grove will be planted with a mix of predominantly broadleaved species, including oak, birch, willow, alder and ash along with shrub species such as hawthorn, blackthorn, elder and dog rose.
Events in Spartiate Grove
There was a week long schools planting programme in November 2005 culminating in a community planting day and then a girl guides planting day.
More information
Sir Francis Laforey
Was the son of Admiral Sir John Laforey, 1st Bart., and Eleanor, daughter of Colonel Francis Farley. He was born in Virginia in 1767, and entered the service in 1780. Commanded the Spartiate in the West Indies in 1805, and at the Battle of Trafalgar 1805 – gold medal, the thanks of Parliament, and a sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund. He carried the standard in the first barge in Lord Nelson's funeral from Greenwich. Died in 1835. His crew included officers, who were the sons of the nobility in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
HMS Spartiate
Like HMS Tonnant, the Spartiate was a French ship captured at the battle of the Nile in 1798, and had been built at Toulon as an 80 gun ship. When repaired in British service she was armed in standard fashion with 74 guns instead of 80 and as a new ship built in 1797 was regarded as a fine addition to the Royal Navy. Her crew regarded her rather differently, and claimed that she sailed at a faster speed at night than during the day, being bewitched because she must be built of stolen timber.
After a refit at Plymouth in 1803 she was stationed in the West Indies, but joined Admiral Nelson’s fleet when he pursued the French to Martinique. Returning to Europe with Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, she was the last in line of the division led by HMS Victory, and with Minotaur, engaged the French and Spanish ships cut off at the front of their fleet. The French Formidable (80 guns), Duguay Trouin (74 guns) and Scipion (74 guns) tried to return to the support of their beleaguered comrades, but their approach was blocked by Spartiate and Minotaur who crossed the bow of Formidable and turned to come alongside. Spartiate then sailed on to engage the other ships, now joined by the Spanish Neptuno (80 guns). Formidable and Neptuno were both seriously damaged with many casualties, and the Neptuno surrendered while the Formidable made her escape. Spartiate received damage to her masts and rigging and suffered 23 casualties, but was able to take the badly damaged Tonnant in tow after the battle. After repair Spartiate rejoined the fleet and enjoyed a long career in the Royal Navy being stationed off South America in 1835, and not hulked until 1842. She remained at Plymouth as a hulk until she was broken up in 1857.
Many thanks to Alan Aberg at the Society for Nautical Research for providing us with information on the ships and their commanders.
