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LLANWNDA
![LLANWNDA](images/llanwnda.jpg)
GRID REFERENCE: SM 935389
AREA IN HECTARES: 502
Historic Background
This is a relatively small area of modern Pembrokeshire
comprising the eastern section of the Pen Caer/Strumble Head peninsula
(except the coastal strip and Ciliau Moor Common) located entirely within
the parish of Llanwnda. During the medieval period the area formed part
of the medieval Cantref Pebidiog, which was conterminous with the later
Hundred of Dewsland created in 1536. It was held directly by the Bishops
of St David’s, having represented the core of the bishopric from
1082 when it was granted (or confirmed) by Rhys ap Tewdwr, king of pre-Anglo-Norman
Conquest Dyfed, to Bishop Sulien. From 1115 onwards, when Bernard was
appointed Bishop of St David’s, Anglo-Norman systems of feudal government
and ecclesiastical administration were introduced into Pebidiog and the
Llanwnda character area occupied Villa Grandi, which was referred to as
a manor in 1326 but possibly not in the formal, Anglo-Norman sense. Welsh
tenurial systems appear moreover to have persisted, although variously
adapted, while many feudal rights and obligations continued into the early
20th-century. The small, narrow, irregular fields in the western half
of this character area are distinct from the larger, regular enclosures
of the neighbouring Pen Caer character area and may be possibly medieval
in origin. They are not typical of medieval, Anglo-Norman strip-fields
but may have originated from fields held under native systems of Welsh
tenure. The boundary between the two areas, and their enclosure systems,
is represented by a stream, which is crossed by Pont Eglwys, the findspot
of a cross-carved Early Christian Monument. It has been suggested that
the monument was a boundary stone, and it may therefore be that this boundary
between the two areas is a very long-standing division. This area may
in fact represent a former ecclesiastical estate based on the parish church
of Llanwnda which lies at its centre. The church is almost certainly early
medieval in origin, with seven 7th century to 11th century Early Christian
Monuments suggesting monastic status; an importance that persisted into
the post-Conquest period when it was one of the most important prebends
of the Bishops of St David’s. It too is nuclear to a pattern of
dispersed, irregular strips of land, which, as noted by Terry James, are
probably derived from the early enclosure of land held under Welsh tenure.
Llanwnda itself does not appear to have been the focus for a medieval
township and it is not mentioned in the Black Book of St Davids of 1326.
In fact only one holding, Ciliau Fawr, can be tentatively identified from
the Black Book, when one carucate of land there was held ‘by the
Law of Wales’. The holdings of Ciliau Fawr, Crincoed and Carngowil
formed part of the Bishop of St David’s estate and were mapped in
1815. Most unusually two maps of Ciliau Fawr exist that help explain its
landscape evolution. The first shows the holding as it was considered
to have been some 40 years before 1815. Dispersed field strips, possibly
enclosed or unenclosed, predominate, with a few regular fields. By 1815
the holding was consolidated into small regular fields. Elsewhere different
systems of agriculture appear to have been employed, for instance, in
the eastern half of the character area a pattern of larger fields can
be seen, some of them clearly representing the late enclosure of marginal
land, probably during the18th century and 19th century. Other fields,
such as those around the nucleated farmstead of Pen-rhiw, may be nearly
as late in origin – Pen-rhiw is not mentioned until 1603 and was
a minor gentry-house in 1699. By the tithe survey of 1845 the whole landscape
was similar to that of today.
![LLANWNDA](images/llanwnda2.jpg)
Description and essential historic landscape
components
Llanwnda is an undulating historic landscape character
area lying between 70m and 160m on the eastern side of the Pen Caer/Strumble
Head peninsula. It is an exposed tract of land, open to the prevailing
westerly Atlantic winds, with no trees, except those planted close to
houses for shelter and scrubby woodland in sheltered hollows. Hedges,
where they exist at all are low straggling lines of bushes, gorse, bracken
and brambles. It is an agricultural landscape of dispersed farms and fields.
The only nucleations are the small, loose cluster of farms, houses and
cottages at Llanwnda, Ciliau and Pontiago. Land-use is predominantly improved
pasture, with a little arable and pockets of rough ground. Fields are
chiefly small and irregular; the only exception is around Pen-rhiw Farm
where slightly larger, more regular fields predominate. Field boundaries
consist of stony banks, many of roughly coursed stone and earth, and dry-stone
walls. Some of the boundary banks are massive. Most are in good condition.
The dry-stone walls are generally not so well maintained. Stone is the
principal building material for ecclesiastical, domestic and agricultural
buildings. Many of the domestic buildings are cement rendered or colour
washed, but the agricultural buildings are left bare. Slate, occasionally
with a cement skim, is the universal roofing material. Apart from Llanwnda’s
small medieval stone-built church of St Gwyndaf, set in its stonewalled
enclosure, there are few pre-19th century buildings; most farmhouses,
houses, cottages and agricultural buildings date to the mid-to-late 19th
century. Farmhouses and cottages are mainly in the vernacular tradition,
and of one or two storeys and three bays. Except for some late 19th century
detached ‘villas’ flanking the moorland of Garnwnda, there
are few examples of houses in the ‘polite’ Georgian tradition.
A few modern detached dwellings are located at Ciliau and Pontiago, and
a row of mid-to-late 20th century houses has been built to the north of
Stop-and-Call. Older agricultural buildings are generally small and of
just one or two ranges, and consist of barn, cow house and store/cart
shed. Working farms have ranges of modern concrete, asbestos and steel
agricultural buildings, but these are relatively small and are not such
a distinctive element of the landscape as they are in other areas. The
numerous archaeological sites of all periods indicate a settled landscape
for over 5000 years. Included are finds of prehistoric and Roman date,
a neolithic chambered tomb (Scheduled Ancient Monument), several possible
standing stone and several possible round barrows. The importance of the
area in the early medieval period is demonstrated by the collection of
inscribed stones at Llanwnda Church.
The boundary of Llanwnda historic landscape character
area with that of its neighbour to the west is distinct and hard-edged.
However, the boundary with the yet to be described area to the southwest
is less distinct and is represented by a zone of change. To the north
and east the coastal slope is a very distinctive and different character
area from Llanwnda. Boundary definition is equally good to the southeast
against Goodwick historic landscape character area.
Sources: Edwards forthcoming; James 1992; Jones 1996;
Llanwnda Parish tithe map 1845; Ludlow 2002; National Library of Wales
14229/6; Pembrokeshire Record Office D/JP/456; Rees 1932; Willis-Bund
1902
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 |