Bronygarth
Encyclopedia
Bronygarth is a small village in the Ceiriog Valley
near Oswestry
in Shropshire
, England
at .
, the massive earthwork constructed in the late 8th century by Offa
, King of Mercia
, as a boundary between Saxon
Mercia and Celt
ic Wales. The section of the dyke between Castle Mill and Craignant remains well preserved. Although the dyke passed directly through Bronygarth, the area remained strongly Welsh in culture, customs and language. Settlements were mainly in the valley, along the banks of the River Ceiriog, but with a small number of farms extending higher up the mountainside.
Two Celtic carved stone heads were uncovered at Well Cottage in Bronygarth and are now on display at the British Museum
.
The name Bronygarth appears in documents as far back as the 12th Century and translates into English as "Breast of the Hill" and is thought to have formed part of a hunting estate.
Bronygarth became part of the Traian in the Lordship of Oswestry which was associated with the Fitzalan dynasty for many centuries. In 1536, the Act of Union
of England and Wales placed all of the Lordship of Oswestry within the county of Shropshire in England.
Throughout the Middle Ages
the area was dominated by Chirk Castle
and the Myddleton family.
Bronygarth was formerly part of the ancient Parish of St. Martin's
. However, in 1870, the neighbouring townships of Weston Rhyn and Bronygarth were formed into the new Parish of Weston Rhyn
.
The Village does not have a village hall. In 2004 the villagers built two Mongolian yurt
s from local timber. The coverings were supplied by the local Hot Air Balloon company, Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons. The yurts are used for village parties and private functions for the residents. The party to celebrate their completion was attended by the Mongolian ambassador, His Excellency Dalrain Davaasambuu.
The first school was built in Bronygarth in 1872. Opposite the school stood a toll house on the Bronygarth and Wern turnpike
road, which connected to the main Cardiff
to Chester
highway at Pontfaen. Also opposite the 'Old school' is a house which was occupied by the headmaster until it was sold privately
The area was highly dependent on agriculture but limestone was also quarried. Lime Kilns are still present and can be seen aong the road through the village.
long-distance footpath and the shorter Ceiriog Trail.
Ceiriog Valley
The Ceiriog Valley or Dyffryn Ceiriog is the valley of the River Ceiriog in north-east Wales. It is also the name of a ward of the County Borough of Wrexham Until 1974 the valley was part of the traditional county of Denbighshire; then it became part of the short-lived county of Clwyd, which was...
near Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at .
History
Bronygarth lies on Offa's DykeOffa's Dyke
Offa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
, the massive earthwork constructed in the late 8th century by Offa
Offa
Offa may refer to:Two kings of the Angles, who are often confused:*Offa of Angel , on the continent*Offa of Mercia , in Great BritainA king of Essex:*Offa of Essex A town in Nigeria:* Offa, Nigeria...
, King of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, as a boundary between Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
Mercia and Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic Wales. The section of the dyke between Castle Mill and Craignant remains well preserved. Although the dyke passed directly through Bronygarth, the area remained strongly Welsh in culture, customs and language. Settlements were mainly in the valley, along the banks of the River Ceiriog, but with a small number of farms extending higher up the mountainside.
Two Celtic carved stone heads were uncovered at Well Cottage in Bronygarth and are now on display at the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
The name Bronygarth appears in documents as far back as the 12th Century and translates into English as "Breast of the Hill" and is thought to have formed part of a hunting estate.
Bronygarth became part of the Traian in the Lordship of Oswestry which was associated with the Fitzalan dynasty for many centuries. In 1536, the Act of Union
Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 were parliamentary measures by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to England and the norms of English administration introduced. The intention was to create a single state and a single legal jurisdiction; frequently referred to as England and Wales...
of England and Wales placed all of the Lordship of Oswestry within the county of Shropshire in England.
Throughout the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the area was dominated by Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle is a castle located at Chirk, Wrexham, Wales.The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley...
and the Myddleton family.
Bronygarth was formerly part of the ancient Parish of St. Martin's
St Martin's, Shropshire
The border village and civil parish of St Martin's is in Shropshire, England, just north of Oswestry and east of Chirk.-History:The ancient Parish of St Martin's was made up of the townships of Ifton, Wiggington, Bronygarth and Weston Rhyn. Each of these townships bordered Wales, with the River...
. However, in 1870, the neighbouring townships of Weston Rhyn and Bronygarth were formed into the new Parish of Weston Rhyn
Weston Rhyn
Weston Rhyn is a large village and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It lies between the towns of Chirk, in Wales, and Oswestry, in England....
.
The Village does not have a village hall. In 2004 the villagers built two Mongolian yurt
Yurt
A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a crown or compression wheel usually steam bent, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall...
s from local timber. The coverings were supplied by the local Hot Air Balloon company, Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons. The yurts are used for village parties and private functions for the residents. The party to celebrate their completion was attended by the Mongolian ambassador, His Excellency Dalrain Davaasambuu.
The first school was built in Bronygarth in 1872. Opposite the school stood a toll house on the Bronygarth and Wern turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
road, which connected to the main Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
to Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
highway at Pontfaen. Also opposite the 'Old school' is a house which was occupied by the headmaster until it was sold privately
The area was highly dependent on agriculture but limestone was also quarried. Lime Kilns are still present and can be seen aong the road through the village.
Leisure
Bronygarth lies on both the Offa's DykeOffa's Dyke Path
Offa's Dyke Path is a long distance footpath along the Welsh-English border. Opened in 1971, it is one of Britain's premier National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world...
long-distance footpath and the shorter Ceiriog Trail.
Sources
- G. G. Lerry, "Collieries of Denbighshire", 1968
- C. Neville Hurdsman, "A History of the Parishes of St. Martin's & Weston Rhyn" 2003