Llangrannog
Encyclopedia
Llangrannog is a small, coastal village
and seaside resort
in Ceredigion
, Wales
, seven miles south of New Quay
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
, the population of Llangrannog was then 796 people. Also, the census
reveals that 51.8% of the population speak Welsh
fluently, with the highest percentage of speakers being in the 15-19 age group, where 100% are able to speak Welsh.
It lies in the narrow valley of the little River Hawen, which falls as a waterfall
near the middle of the village.
. After the mid-eighteenth century the sea became safer and a "beach village" and small seaport developed. By 1825 Llangrannog commercial activity was largely concerned with the sea, including the shipment of coal
. A number of ships were built on the sands, the largest being the "Ann Catherine" a brig
of 211 tons. The most recent developments, in the 1860's, were the "ribbon village" which connected the beach and church villages and an extension of the beach village onto the southern slopes of the valley.
The church is dedicated to Caranog or Carantoc
, son of Corun ab Caredig ab Cunedda, a sixth century saint and founder of several churches in Wales. It consists of a nave and chancel connected through a pointed arch. On either side of the entrance to the chancel is an ornamental pew. The left one bears the date 1674 and belonged to Pigeonsford, a local mansion. The right one is dated 1718 and belonged to Moel Ivor and Cwmowen.
The economy is now dominated by tourism. By the beach
there is a shop, two pubs The Ship and the Pentre Arms and two cafes. The summer camp (Gwersyll) of the Urdd is nearby. The Ceredigion Coast Path
passes through the village.
Carreg Bica (Bica's rock), a large sea-weathered stack of Ordovician
rock on the beach, is the tooth of the giant
Bica who lived in the Ceredigion area, and was forced to spit his tooth onto the beach following a bad toothache. In some versions of the story Bica has been romanised as Neptune
.
Edward Elgar
once spent a holiday in Llangrannog. Welsh artist Christopher Williams
visited and painted here. His painting "Holidays - Village Girls at Llangrannog" is in the collection of the National Library of Wales
.
Dylan Thomas
visited Llangrannog whilst he was living in New Quay
in 1944-45. He came to the Ship Inn with Tommy Herbert, the Aberaeron
vet, and with Ira Jones
, the World War One fighter ace.
Llangrannog also have a football team called Crannog, who play in the Ceredigion League.
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...
and seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
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...
, seven miles south of New Quay
New Quay
New Quay is a seaside town in Ceredigion, West Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town.-History:...
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the population of Llangrannog was then 796 people. Also, the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
reveals that 51.8% of the population speak 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...
fluently, with the highest percentage of speakers being in the 15-19 age group, where 100% are able to speak Welsh.
It lies in the narrow valley of the little River Hawen, which falls as a waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
near the middle of the village.
History
The earliest parts of the village (the "church village") lie above the waterfall and are hidden by a twist of the valley so that they cannot be seen from the sea. This protected them from the attention of sea marauders, the Vikings and the IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. After the mid-eighteenth century the sea became safer and a "beach village" and small seaport developed. By 1825 Llangrannog commercial activity was largely concerned with the sea, including the shipment of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
. A number of ships were built on the sands, the largest being the "Ann Catherine" a brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
of 211 tons. The most recent developments, in the 1860's, were the "ribbon village" which connected the beach and church villages and an extension of the beach village onto the southern slopes of the valley.
The church is dedicated to Caranog or Carantoc
Carantoc
Saint Carantoc was a confessor and abbot of the early 6th century in Wales and what is now the English West Country.His early vita takes the form of a short homily...
, son of Corun ab Caredig ab Cunedda, a sixth century saint and founder of several churches in Wales. It consists of a nave and chancel connected through a pointed arch. On either side of the entrance to the chancel is an ornamental pew. The left one bears the date 1674 and belonged to Pigeonsford, a local mansion. The right one is dated 1718 and belonged to Moel Ivor and Cwmowen.
The economy is now dominated by tourism. By the beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
there is a shop, two pubs The Ship and the Pentre Arms and two cafes. The summer camp (Gwersyll) of the Urdd is nearby. The Ceredigion Coast Path
Ceredigion Coast Path
The Ceredigion Coast Path is a waymarked long distance footpath in the United Kingdom, on the coast of Ceredigion, Wales.-The route:The coastal path runs along the Welsh Heritage Coast from Ynyslas just to the north of Aberystwyth south along Cardigan Bay to meet the well established Pembrokeshire...
passes through the village.
Miscellaneous
According to legendLegend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
Carreg Bica (Bica's rock), a large sea-weathered stack of Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
rock on the beach, is the tooth of the giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
Bica who lived in the Ceredigion area, and was forced to spit his tooth onto the beach following a bad toothache. In some versions of the story Bica has been romanised as Neptune
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times...
.
Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
once spent a holiday in Llangrannog. Welsh artist Christopher Williams
Christopher Williams (Welsh artist)
Christopher David Williams was a Welsh artist.He was born in Maesteg, Wales. His father Evan Williams intended him to be a doctor, but he disliked the idea. A visit to the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, in 1892, where he spent some hours in front of Frederick Leighton's "Perseus and Andromeda,"...
visited and painted here. His painting "Holidays - Village Girls at Llangrannog" is in the collection of the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
.
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
visited Llangrannog whilst he was living in New Quay
New Quay
New Quay is a seaside town in Ceredigion, West Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town.-History:...
in 1944-45. He came to the Ship Inn with Tommy Herbert, the Aberaeron
Aberaeron
Aberaeron |Aeron]] being a Welsh god of war) is a seaside resort town in Ceredigion, Wales. Situated between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, it is home to the headquarters of Ceredigion County Council. The population was 1520 in 2001.-History and design:...
vet, and with Ira Jones
James Ira Thomas Jones
James Ira Thomas "Taffy" Jones DSO, MC, DFC & Bar, MM was a British flying ace during the First World War. Jones was born on 18 April 1896 at Woolstone Farm, near St. Clears, Carmarthenshire. In 1913, Jones enlisted in the Territorial Army, though he was soon transferred into the newly established...
, the World War One fighter ace.
Llangrannog also have a football team called Crannog, who play in the Ceredigion League.