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LLECHRYD
![LLECHRYD](images/llechryd.jpg)
GRID REFERENCE: SN221439
AREA IN HECTARES: 56
Historic Background
A small area within modern Ceredigion, comprising the
built-up area of Llechryd village and its environs, on the north bank
of the Afon Teifi During the historic period, this character area lay
within Ceredigion, in Cantref Iscoed, in the commote of Is-Hirwern. 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’
As a toponome if not a settlement, Llechryd may have
earlier origins - it has been tentatively identified with the ‘Llech-y-crau’,
recorded in 1088 as a battle-site and which was clearly a recognised location,
and this area lies within a division of Is-Hirwern commote, Gwestfa Camros,
which may have pre-Norman origins. Nevertheless Llechryd, and its history,
are dominated by the bridge over the Teifi. The present structure is 17th
century, but the crossing point has documented medieval origins, probably
as a ford. The crossing was clearly the impetus for the development of
a medieval settlement in the form of a vill which, unusually for the region,
appears to have developed into a nucleation at an early date. This development
may have been encouraged by the crown, or by the Bishops of St Davids
to whom the parish of Llangoedmor, within which Llechryd lay, was appropriated
from the late 13th century onwards. A chapelry to Llangoedmor, dedicated
to the Holy Cross, was built to serve this emerging community, probably
during the 14th century after the establishment of the parish. Its remains
lie on the bank of the Afon Teifi, at the centre of the village.
The (re)building of the bridge in the 17th century was
a further spur to this development, which may have continued uninterrupted
from the medieval period. Holy Cross became a parish church in its own
right, remaining parochial throughout most of the post-medieval period.
Between 1764 and 1770 an extensive iron- and tinplate works was established
at Castell Malgwyn, on the banks of the Teifi, just south of this area
at Penygored. The works were successful, passing through several hands
until purchased by Sir Benjamin Hammet, who also bought the Castell Malgwyn
estate. It ceased operating in 1806. There is no evidence of worker housing
in the vicinity of the tinworks site and so it is likely that the workers
settled in Llechryd. Further impetus for growth occurred when the A484
through the village was turnpiked in the late 18th century, the section
leading eastwards out of the village along the north side of the Teifi
having been newly built new for the purpose. The section leading northwest
from the village may have medieval origins and most later development
has occurred along this road. The tithe map of 1839 shows c.12 buildings
in a cluster north of the bridge, all of which were rebuilt during the
19th century expansion of the village. This expansion meant that Holy
Cross Church fell into disused and was superseded by a new church, alongside
the A484, in the later 19th century. The village continues to expand.
Description and essential historic landscape
components
Llechryd is a small, built up historic landscape character
area lying on the gently sloping north bank of the Afon Teifi between
10m and 50m above sea level. The core of the settlement consists of a
cluster of 19th century buildings to the north of the 17th century Llechryd
Bridge. From this core dispersed linear settlement spreads eastward along
the edge of the valley floor on the north side of the A484 and northwards
along the same road. Older buildings date to the 19th century and are
constructed from Teifi valley slate. This is roughly squared into blocks
or slabs and roughly coursed. Included in the village core are substantial
mid to late 19th century middle class detached houses in the Georgian
tradition (including one listed example), but most of the mid- to late-19th
century domestic buildings in Llechryd are more modest worker houses,
short terraces, semi-detached and detached. Having said that, there is
a very strong estate character to some of the buildings in the village,
with a 19th century Tudor-gothic villa, a cottage with gothic detailing,
a lodge to Pencraig Farm and a gated entrance to Glanarberth alongside
the main road. Listed outbuildings to the Glanarberth estate are included
in this area, although the house has been demolished. Other assumed estate
influence is a series of houses, usually with small agricultural outbuildings,
evenly spaced along the A484 north of the village. The line of these house
extends beyond the village limits into Croes-y-Llan historic landscape
area, and are dealt with in more detail there, but they are included here
as 20th century housing has subsumed them into Llechryd. As mentioned
above there is modern housing. This has mainly developed along the main
A484 northwest of the village, both linearly and in small housing estates.
As well as secular buildings the village has a strong ecclesiastical element
with a listed 19th century chapel and church, and the ruined medieval
church of Holy Cross at the heart of the village. A modern water treatment
plant lies on the outskirts.
Sources: Brooke, E H, 1932, Monograph of Tinplate
Works in Great Britain, Swansea; Cadw – database of Building of
Special Architectural or Historic Interest; Cadw 2002, Register of Landscapes,
Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales, Part 1 Parks
and Gardens, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion & Pembrokeshire; Jones, T,
1952, Brut y Tywysogyon, Peniarth MS 20, Cardiff; Lewis, S, 1833, A Topographical
Dictionary of Wales 1 & 2, London; Llangoedmor parish tithe map 1839;
Llechryd parish tithe map 1842; Ludlow, N, 2002, ‘The Cadw Early
Medieval Ecclesiastical Sites Project, Stage 1: Ceredigion’, unpublished
report by Dyfed Archaeological Trust; Meyrick, S R, 1810, The History and Antiquities
of Cardiganshire, London; 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 |