Llanddewi Brefi
Encyclopedia
Llanddewi Brefi is a village
of approximately 500 people in Ceredigion
, Wales
.
In the 6th century, Saint David
(in Welsh
, Dewi Sant), the patron saint
of Wales
, held the Synod of Brefi
here and it has borne his name since; "Llan" referring in Welsh place names to a church or holy place. The parish church
is dedicated to St. David and contains a modern statue of him.
es in Wales
. Its parish church dates from the 12th century, on a site associated with religious worship since the 7th century. Fragments of much older buildings are incorporated into the Norman
church. The church holds a collection of Celtic cross
es. When the Synod
of Brefi was held in the village in the sixth century, it is said that the small hill upon which the church stands marks the spot where the ground was miraculously raised up under St David so that he could be heard better at this synod.
In addition to the Anglican church, there is a non-conformist chapel
, two pubs and one village shop. The village and the surrounding area are largely Welsh-
speaking and the local economy is dominated by sheep and dairy farming
.
In 1977 the village was the scene of one of the world's biggest ever raids involving the drug LSD
. Over 6 million tabs of the drug were seized as part of Operation Julie
on 26 March of that year.
television series Little Britain
, where the character Daffyd Thomas (a variation of the original Welsh name Dafydd; played by Matt Lucas
) lives in the fictional village of Llandewi Breffi. Daffyd is a ridiculously obtuse character who believes himself to be "the only gay
in the village", and accuses his fellow citizens of homophobia
despite their efforts to show acceptance of his sexual orientation and often quite obvious similar leanings.
In one episode of the programme Daffyd decides to run away to London
and heads for the railway station to catch the last train of the day, but unlike its fictional counterpart the village never had its own railway station. The nearest station was at Pont Llanio
, situated next to a former milk processing plant approximately a mile outside the village, on the former Carmarthen
– Aberystwyth
route. Although proposed for closure in the "Beeching Report" the line might well have survived on social grounds had it not been for serious damage due to flooding south of Aberystwyth
in December 1964. The cost of repairs was deemed unjustified and led to the withdrawal of passenger services in February 1965 although milk trains continued to run from Carmarthen
to Pont Llanio until 1970. Llanddewi Brefi has a bus service between Aberystwyth
and Lampeter
(approximately once every two hours) but in common with many rural areas, there are no buses after 18.00 in the evening and none on Sundays.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of approximately 500 people in Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In the 6th century, Saint David
Saint David
Saint David was a Welsh Bishop during the 6th century; he was later regarded as a saint and as the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life. However, his birth date is still uncertain, as suggestions range from 462 to...
(in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, Dewi Sant), the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, held the Synod of Brefi
Synod of Brefi
The Synod of Brefi was a church council held at Llanddewi Brefi in Ceredigion, Wales around 545.The synod was apparently called in order to condemn the heretical teachings of Pelagius, although this is far from certain. It was an important milestone in the rise of Saint David...
here and it has borne his name since; "Llan" referring in Welsh place names to a church or holy place. The parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
is dedicated to St. David and contains a modern statue of him.
History and description
Llanddewi Brefi (Welsh, meaning "Church of David on the [River] Brefi", the Brefi being a tributary of the River Teifi) is one of the largest parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Its parish church dates from the 12th century, on a site associated with religious worship since the 7th century. Fragments of much older buildings are incorporated into the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church. The church holds a collection of Celtic cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
es. When the Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
of Brefi was held in the village in the sixth century, it is said that the small hill upon which the church stands marks the spot where the ground was miraculously raised up under St David so that he could be heard better at this synod.
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, two pubs and one village shop. The village and the surrounding area are largely Welsh-
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speaking and the local economy is dominated by sheep and dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
.
In 1977 the village was the scene of one of the world's biggest ever raids involving the drug LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
. Over 6 million tabs of the drug were seized as part of Operation Julie
Operation Julie
Operation Julie was a UK police investigation into the production of LSD by two drug rings during the mid-1970s. The operation, involving 11 police forces over a two-and-a-half year period, resulted in the break-up of one of the largest LSD manufacturing operations in the world...
on 26 March of that year.
Popular culture
Llanddewi Brefi was made famous by the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
, where the character Daffyd Thomas (a variation of the original Welsh name Dafydd; played by Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
) lives in the fictional village of Llandewi Breffi. Daffyd is a ridiculously obtuse character who believes himself to be "the only gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
in the village", and accuses his fellow citizens of homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
despite their efforts to show acceptance of his sexual orientation and often quite obvious similar leanings.
In one episode of the programme Daffyd decides to run away to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and heads for the railway station to catch the last train of the day, but unlike its fictional counterpart the village never had its own railway station. The nearest station was at Pont Llanio
Pont Llanio railway station
Pont Llanio railway station was a railway station in Wales on the former Carmarthen – Aberystwyth route near Llanddewi Brefi. The railway station was situated next to a former milk factory, built near the station in 1896....
, situated next to a former milk processing plant approximately a mile outside the village, on the former Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
– Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
route. Although proposed for closure in the "Beeching Report" the line might well have survived on social grounds had it not been for serious damage due to flooding south of Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
in December 1964. The cost of repairs was deemed unjustified and led to the withdrawal of passenger services in February 1965 although milk trains continued to run from Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
to Pont Llanio until 1970. Llanddewi Brefi has a bus service between Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
and Lampeter
Lampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...
(approximately once every two hours) but in common with many rural areas, there are no buses after 18.00 in the evening and none on Sundays.