Llanwrtyd
Encyclopedia
Llanwrtyd – "Gwrtyd's church" – is a rural parish in Powys
, mid-Wales
, through which flows the River Irfon.
The parish church
of St David dates from the 11th century and is surrounded by scattered farms. During the 19th century the main population centre became Llanwrtyd Wells
which grew up around the sulphur springs about a mile and a half down river from the church.
The town is served by Llanwrtyd railway station
.
The population in 1801 was about 500 which had risen to 854 by the 1901 census
. After the coming of the railway the parish played host to at least 12,000 visitors annually to drink the mineral waters.
The parish of Llanwrtyd was made separate from that of Llangammarch
in 1871. The parish church of St David, which now stands next to a bridge that replaced the earlier ford
, was restored in 1862. In 1897 the church of St James was built in the village of Llanwrtyd Wells
.
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, mid-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...
, through which flows the River Irfon.
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....
of St David dates from the 11th century and is surrounded by scattered farms. During the 19th century the main population centre became Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells is a small town in the parish of Llanwrtyd in Powys, mid Wales, lying on the River Irfon.With a population of 601 people , it claims to be the smallest town in Britain, although Fordwich in Kent has a smaller population...
which grew up around the sulphur springs about a mile and a half down river from the church.
The town is served by Llanwrtyd railway station
Llanwrtyd railway station
Llanwrtyd railway station serves the town of Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales. The station is on the Heart of Wales Line 86 km north east of Swansea. The railway station is located at street level at Station Road near the town centre...
.
A brief history of Llanwrtyd
Theophilus Jones, in his 'A History of the County of Brecknock', was fairly disparaging of the parish; when describing the church he states "there is nothing deserving of notice in this miserable fabric, unless it be an inscription on the wall, to the memory of an old woman of the name of Jones."The population in 1801 was about 500 which had risen to 854 by the 1901 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...
. After the coming of the railway the parish played host to at least 12,000 visitors annually to drink the mineral waters.
The parish of Llanwrtyd was made separate from that of Llangammarch
Llangammarch
Llangammarch is a rural parish in Powys, mid Wales, through which flow the rivers Irfon and Cammarch. The main centre of population is the spa village of Llangammarch Wells.Llangammarch railway station serves the village Llangammarch Wells....
in 1871. The parish church of St David, which now stands next to a bridge that replaced the earlier ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
, was restored in 1862. In 1897 the church of St James was built in the village of Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells is a small town in the parish of Llanwrtyd in Powys, mid Wales, lying on the River Irfon.With a population of 601 people , it claims to be the smallest town in Britain, although Fordwich in Kent has a smaller population...
.