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LLANDYGWYDD
![LLANDYGWYDD](images/llandygwydd1.jpg)
GRID REFERENCE: SN233435
AREA IN HECTARES: 1052
Historic Background
During the historic period, this character area lay
within Ceredigion, in the medieval Cantref Iscoed, divided between the
commotes of Uwch-Hirwern and Is-Hirwern, which were separated by the steep,
north-south valley of the Afon Hirwaun. Ceredigion, including Cantref
Iscoed, was briefly brought under Anglo-Norman control between 1110 and
1136, under the de Clare earls. It is probably during this period that
most of the numerous castles within this this part of Ceredigion were
established, some of them possibly having been built during the Welsh
reconquest of 1135-6. Ceredigion remained in Welsh hands throughout the
12th and 13th centuries, until finally annexed by the English crown in
1283, when the county of Cardiganshire was created. However, Is-Hirwern
commote was reliquished to the Norman King John in 1201 when it became
a royal lordship, administered from Cardigan Castle. It remained - apart
from a brief period of Welsh rule 1215-1223 - until the Act of Union of
1536 when it became part of the Hundred of Troedyraur. Generally the lordship
remained subject to Welsh law and tenurial patterns throughout the medieval
period, administered as a ‘Welshry’. A motte-castle, established
near Llwynduris, overlooking the northern edge of the Teifi floodplain,
may have become the centre of a small vill. A vill had certainly been
established by the late 13th century, which was formally constituted as
the Manor of Llandygwydd, probably under the patronage of the Bishops
of St Davids who had acquired the parish of Llandygwydd, and who established
a fair in the manor.
Llandygwydd parish church (which was rebuilt in the 19th
century immediately to the east of its predecessor) may have been established
at the same time as the motte, but it is more likely to be contemporary
with its grant to St Davids as it lies 0.5km northeast of the motte. The
motte appears to have been abandoned at an early date and was replaced
by the late medieval manor house (or gentry-house) probably represented
by the square earthwork to the west. This is probably the Llwynduris referred
to in 1507, when it was the property of the Bishops, under lease to Gtuffudd
Willam Madog. Otherwise, the area in general remained subject to Welsh
tenurial patterns - with neither vills nor knight’s fees - which
were largely responsible for the dispersed settlement pattern within the
region.
No medieval nucleation occurred, the present settlement
at Llandygwydd, whilst focused on the church and, presumably, the site
of the medieval vill, is entirely from the later post-medieval period,
represented by a straggling row of cottages leading up a small valley
from the church. The loose cluster at Ponthirwaun is also late post-medieval
and, like Capel Tygwydd just beyond this character area, developed during
the early 19th century along the B4570 and around an independent chapel
that was established in 1840. A nearby quarry may have encouraged its
growth. Settlement has continued to develop, with 20th century infilling.
The area throughout is characterised by scattered farmsteads most of which
are contemporary with the present landscape of large, regular fields,
although some may have earlier origins This landscape appears to be late
post-medieval and had assumed its present form by the late 18th century
when estate maps depict it as it is today. Some of the farms developed
into fairly substantial gentry-houses, exploiting the fine southerly aspect,
and the area developed a ‘polite’ veneer. These include the
17th century Stradmore Mansion, recorded in 1610 but later resited, Blaenpant,
recorded in 1621, and Penylan. Manor Eifed was established before 1766.
The road that now flanks the southern edge of the area - the A484 - was
newly constructed in the late 18th century as a turnpike.
![LLANDYGWYDD](images/llandygwydd2.jpg)
Description and essential historic landscape components
Llandygwydd is a large historic landscape character
area over 9km from east to west lying on the south-facing valley side
of the Afon Teifi. From the floodplain at approximately 10m above sea
level the land rises very steeply to over 80m before levelling out to
more undulating ground that continues to rise to over 100m. South-flowing
tributary streams in steep-sided valleys dissect the area. Semi-natural
deciduous woodland and coniferous plantations cloak the steep slopes,
lending a wooded appearance to much of the landscape, especially that
part in the Teifi valley. Agricultural land-use is predominantly improved
pasture with a little arable. Hedges on earth banks bound the medium-sized
irregular fields. These hedges are generally well maintained but to the
west, and on some higher ground, they are more commonly overgrown, and
in some instances reduced to straggling lines of bushes. The settlement
pattern is one of dispersed farms and houses with clusterings at Ponthirwaun
and Llandygwydd. Almost the whole pre-modern building stock in this area
belongs to the 19th century, with Teifi valley slate (both bare and cement-rendered),
and north Wales slate being the principal building materials. House types
represent a large socio-economic range. Penylan is a large listed formal
house with a walled garden, coach house and stables. This with Manor Elfed,
an early 19th century listed Georgian style gentry house, and Stradmore
Mansion with its home farm, it lies at the upper end of the scale. Most
farmhouses are more modest and comprise a two storey and three-window
façade, with symmetrical layout, a type of structure that is derived
from the Georgian style, even though most date to the latter 19th century,
rather than the vernacular tradition. Contemporary farm buildings are
more substantial than in neighbouring areas, presumably reflecting the
size of 19th century land holding, and often comprise two or three ranges
of building, with barn, cow house, stables etc usually present. Occasional
smaller farmhouses with more vernacular traits and smaller ranges of outbuildings
are present. Some of the older outbuildings are beginning to fall into
disuse. Working farms have substantial sets of modern concrete, steel
and asbestos agricultural buildings. At Rhyd, a single storey clom (earth),
listed farmhouse (now used as an agricultural outbuilding) with thatched
roof under corrugated iron represents an older building tradition, one
that was replaced by stone and slate during the 19th century. Ponthirwaun
is a loose cluster of 19th century two storey workers’ houses in
cut and coursed Teifi valley slate, a stone-built listed chapel and a
few modern houses. An old, large quarry indicates one possible reason
for the development of this hamlet. Llandygwydd hamlet is centred on a
grouping of 19th century buildings including the parish church, a coach
house and stables on the edge of the churchyard, a Tudor-Gothic vicarage
and a gothick cottage, with a few one and two storey 19th century worker
cottages. Loosely clustered modern housing, in a variety of styles and
materials, has infilled gaps between older buildings and spreads up a
minor road to the east of the church. There is a scatter of other modern
houses across this area. Apart from the A484 which winds sinuously along
the edge of the Teifi floodplain on the edge of this area, the only other
roads are lanes and tracks for local traffic. Most of the 54 recorded
archaeological sites consist of buildings, some of which are described
above. However, there are several significant sites, and although these
do not strongly characterise the area they indicate long human activity
in this landscape. These include Llwynduris medieval earthwork castle,
anIron Age hillfort, a medieval holy well, and other possible medieval
sites known only through documentation.
This area is well defined to the south where it borders
the Teifi floodplain and the built-up areas of Cenarth and Llechryd. To
the north definition is less satisfactory. Here the medium-sized fields
and large number of farms merge with higher land of larger fields and
fewer farms.
Sources: Cadw – database of Building of Special
Architectural or Historic Interest; Jones, F, 2000, Historic Cardiganshire
Homes and their Families, Newport; King, D J C, 1988, Castellarium Anglicanum,
New York; Lewis, S, 1833, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales 1 &
2, London; Llandygwydd parish tithe map 1842; Llangoedmor parish tithe
map 1839; Ludlow, N, 2000, ‘The Cadw Welsh Historic Churches Project:
Ceredigion churches’, unpublished report by Dyfed Archaeological Trust;
Meyrick, S R, 1810, The History and Antiquities of Cardiganshire, London;
National Library of Wales 7616 134/1/19, 1758; Rawlins, B J, 1987, The
Parish Churches and Nonconformist Chapels of Wales: Their Records and
Where to Find Them, Salt Lake City; Rees, W, 1932, ‘Map of South
Wales and the Border in the XIVth century’; Rees, W, 1951, An Historical
Atlas of Wales, London; Regional Historic Environment Record housed with
Dyfed Archaeological Trust; Willis-Bund, J W (ed.), 1902, The Black Book of St
Davids, London
Base map reproduced from the OS map with the permission
of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery
Office, © Crown Copyright 2001.
All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright
and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD272221 |