Llanfynydd, Flintshire
Encyclopedia
Llanfynydd is a village and local government community
in Flintshire
, north Wales
. Its name is derived from the Welsh
words llan, "church" or "parish", and mynydd, "mountain".
The community, which includes the villages of Llanfynydd, Cymau
and Ffrith
along with a number of smaller hamlets, had a population of 1,752 at the 2001 census.
runs through the valley, and evidence of earlier Roman settlement has been found at the nearby Ffrith site, suggesting a substantial civilian community with a connection to the XX Legion. The Roman presence was first noted by the antiquarian William Camden
in the 16th century.
Llanfynydd's administrative history is actually fairly modern, as the parish was first created on 7th February 1845 out of the old township
s of Uwchmynydd Ucha and Uwchmynydd Isa and part of the township of Cymau. These townships had previously been in the parish of Hope
. The church, now dedicated to St. Michael, was designed by John Lloyd and originally consecrated in 1843: it was badly damaged by fire in 1892. Many of the parish registers were destroyed in the fire.
The modern village of Llanfynydd developed in the 19th century, when there was quarrying and mining in the area. In common with most Welsh villages of the era, a Nonconformist chapel (Penuel, Welsh Congregationalist) was built. A railway, the Wrexham and Minera Joint Railway, was opened from Brymbo
through Llanfynydd to Coed Talon
near Mold
in the 1870s. With the introduction of passenger services, a station was provided at Llanfynydd in 1898. The station was eventually closed in 1950, and the line closed completely in 1952.
The community of Llanfynydd, governed by Llanfynydd Community Council and divided into Cefn-y-Bedd, Cymau, Ffrith and Pontybodkin wards, was created out of the old civil parish
in 1974. Between 1974 and 1996 Llanfynydd, previously in the historic county of Flintshire
, was part of the new county of Clwyd
; it is now in the modern unitary authority of Flintshire.
Llanfynydd village has a small primary school and a pub, the Cross Keys.
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, north 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 name is derived from the 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...
words llan, "church" or "parish", and mynydd, "mountain".
The community, which includes the villages of Llanfynydd, Cymau
Cymau
Cymau is a small village situated in the community of Llanfynydd, Flintshire on the edge of the mountains of north-east Wales. Its name is derived from the Welsh word cymau, an old form of the plural for cwm, "valley" or "hollow"....
and Ffrith
Ffrith
Ffrith is a small village in the community of Llanfynydd in Flintshire, north-east Wales.-Name:The name Ffrith reflects a spelling and pronunciation particular to Flintshire: it is derived from a North Welsh word meaning variously a "pasture", "enclosure" or "forest" and borrowed originally from...
along with a number of smaller hamlets, had a population of 1,752 at the 2001 census.
History
The area has been inhabited since early times. A cairn near Cymau, known in the past as Arffedogaid y Wrach but now destroyed, probably represented a prehistoric burial site. Offa's DykeOffa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
runs through the valley, and evidence of earlier Roman settlement has been found at the nearby Ffrith site, suggesting a substantial civilian community with a connection to the XX Legion. The Roman presence was first noted by the antiquarian William Camden
William Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
in the 16th century.
Llanfynydd's administrative history is actually fairly modern, as the parish was first created on 7th February 1845 out of the old township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
s of Uwchmynydd Ucha and Uwchmynydd Isa and part of the township of Cymau. These townships had previously been in the parish of Hope
Hope, Flintshire
Hope is a small village in Flintshire, north-east Wales. The village is located approximately 3 miles / 4.5 km from the Wales-England border, on the course of the River Alyn....
. The church, now dedicated to St. Michael, was designed by John Lloyd and originally consecrated in 1843: it was badly damaged by fire in 1892. Many of the parish registers were destroyed in the fire.
The modern village of Llanfynydd developed in the 19th century, when there was quarrying and mining in the area. In common with most Welsh villages of the era, a Nonconformist chapel (Penuel, Welsh Congregationalist) was built. A railway, the Wrexham and Minera Joint Railway, was opened from Brymbo
Brymbo
Brymbo is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is a village situated in the hilly country to the west of Wrexham town, largely surrounded by farmland....
through Llanfynydd to Coed Talon
Coed Talon
Coed Talon is a small, formerly industrial village between Leeswood and Treuddyn in Flintshire, North Wales. Its name is derived from the Welsh word coed and the word talwrn, anglicised to "Talon", meaning a "hillside devoid of trees" or "threshing-floor" .The area, about four miles from the...
near Mold
Mold, Flintshire
Mold is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, on the River Alyn. It is the administrative seat of Flintshire County Council, and was also the county town of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996...
in the 1870s. With the introduction of passenger services, a station was provided at Llanfynydd in 1898. The station was eventually closed in 1950, and the line closed completely in 1952.
The community of Llanfynydd, governed by Llanfynydd Community Council and divided into Cefn-y-Bedd, Cymau, Ffrith and Pontybodkin wards, was created out of the old civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in 1974. Between 1974 and 1996 Llanfynydd, previously in the historic county of Flintshire
Flintshire (historic)
Flintshire , also known as the County of Flint, is one of thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which mostly lies on the north east coast of Wales....
, was part of the new county of Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
; it is now in the modern unitary authority of Flintshire.
Llanfynydd village has a small primary school and a pub, the Cross Keys.