Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog
Encyclopedia
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is a village in Wrexham County Borough
, Wales
. It lies on the Ceiriog River and is at the end of the B4500 road, five miles (8 km) south-west of Glyn Ceiriog
and ten miles (16 km) north-west of Oswestry
. It is within the Ceiriog Valley
ward, Clwyd South National Assembly for Wales constituency
and Clwyd South parliamentary constituency
.
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog roughly translates into English as "the church of St Garmon in the valley of the river Ceiriog".
The name distinguishes the village and parish from the remote rural parish of Llanarmon Mynydd Mawr
, around 5 miles to the south on the high slopes of the Tanat Valley.
and the Wests of Ruthin Castle
.
The village church of St. Garmon (St. Germanus of Auxerre
) was reputedly founded in the 5th century, and rebuilt in the medieval period. It was, however, largely demolished and rebuilt in 1846, and nothing remains of its earlier fabric. A hoard of coins of the reign of Edward IV
was found during the demolition.
The churchyard contains a mound, the Tomen Garmon, which may be of Bronze Age
origin.
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is situated in the upper Ceiriog Valley
, which is known both for its high landscape value, being extremely scenic and dominated by traditional agricultural use, and as a strong centre of Welsh culture. In the 2001 census of neighbourhood Wrexham 019B, containing the village, 55.1% of residents were found to have knowledge of the Welsh language, against 28.4% in Wales as a whole.
of Denbighshire
, which was divided into various rural districts
. From 1895 to 1935, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog was in the Llansillin Rural District
, which merged in 1935 with Chirk Rural District
to form the Ceiriog Rural District
. Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog was in the Ceiriog Rural District
from 1935 to 1974.
In 1974, Denbighshire
was abolished as an administrative county
, and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog was incorporated into the Glyndŵr District
of the new county of Clwyd
. Clwyd
and Glyndŵr District
were dissolved in 1996, and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog became a part of the new unitary authority
of Wrexham County Borough, in which it remains to the present day.
, a unitary authority
created in 1998. Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is in the Ceiriog Valley
ward
, and has an Independent councillor.
Since 1999, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog has been represented at the National Assembly for Wales
by Karen Sinclair
, the Labour Party
Assembly Member
for Clwyd South National Assembly for Wales constituency
. Since 1987, it has been represented at the Parliament of the United Kingdom
by Martyn Jones
, the Labour Party
Member of Parliament
for Clwyd South parliamentary constituency
.
was born at Pen-y-Bryn Farm, at Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog in 1832, and spent his childhood there.
Wrexham (county borough)
Wrexham is a county borough centred on the town of Wrexham in north-east Wales. The county borough has a population of 130,200 inhabitants. Just under half of the population live either within the town of Wrexham or its surrounding conurbation of urban villages. The remainder living to the south...
, 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...
. It lies on the Ceiriog River and is at the end of the B4500 road, five miles (8 km) south-west of Glyn Ceiriog
Glyn Ceiriog
Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog is a local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales.Glyn Ceiriog is a former slate mining village in Wrexham County Borough, in Wales...
and ten miles (16 km) north-west of 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....
. It is within the Ceiriog Valley
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...
ward, Clwyd South National Assembly for Wales constituency
Clwyd South (National Assembly for Wales constituency)
Clwyd South is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
and Clwyd South parliamentary constituency
Clwyd South (UK Parliament constituency)
Clwyd South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The constituency was created in 1997, and it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post method of election.The Clwyd South Welsh Assembly constituency was created with the same...
.
Name
The nameWelsh placenames
The placenames of Wales derive in most cases from the Welsh language, but have also been influenced by linguistic contact with the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Anglo-Normans and modern English...
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog roughly translates into English as "the church of St Garmon in the valley of the river Ceiriog".
The name distinguishes the village and parish from the remote rural parish of Llanarmon Mynydd Mawr
Llanarmon Mynydd Mawr
Llanarmon Mynydd Mawr, occasionally referred to as Llanarmon Fach, is an isolated rural parish in Powys, Wales. It was formerly in Denbighshire, and from 1974-1996 was in the county of Clwyd...
, around 5 miles to the south on the high slopes of the Tanat Valley.
History and landscape
The village grew up at the intersection of several drovers' roads which forded the Ceiriog. It still has two inns, the Hand and the West Arms, which originally served drovers taking their flocks to market: the inns' names are a reference to the armorial bearings of two prominent landowning families, the Myddletons of Chirk CastleChirk 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 Wests of Ruthin Castle
Ruthin Castle
Ruthin Castle is a medieval castle fortification in Wales, near the town of Ruthin in the Vale of Clwyd. It was constructed during the late 13th century by Dafydd, the brother of Prince Llywelyn II, on a red sandstone ridge overlooking the valley....
.
The village church of St. Garmon (St. Germanus of Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
) was reputedly founded in the 5th century, and rebuilt in the medieval period. It was, however, largely demolished and rebuilt in 1846, and nothing remains of its earlier fabric. A hoard of coins of the reign of Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
was found during the demolition.
The churchyard contains a mound, the Tomen Garmon, which may be of Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
origin.
Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is situated in the upper Ceiriog Valley
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...
, which is known both for its high landscape value, being extremely scenic and dominated by traditional agricultural use, and as a strong centre of Welsh culture. In the 2001 census of neighbourhood Wrexham 019B, containing the village, 55.1% of residents were found to have knowledge of the Welsh language, against 28.4% in Wales as a whole.
Civic history
From the mid-16th century until 1974, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog was governed by the then administrative countyAdministrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
of Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
, which was divided into various rural districts
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
. From 1895 to 1935, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog was in the Llansillin Rural District
Llansillin Rural District
Llansillin was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 to 1935....
, which merged in 1935 with Chirk Rural District
Chirk Rural District
Chirk was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1894 to 1935.The rural district was formed from parts of Oswestry and Corwen Rural Sanitary Districts.The district contained three civil parishes:*Chirk*Glyntraen...
to form the Ceiriog Rural District
Ceiriog Rural District
Ceiriog was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1935 to 1974.The rural district was formed by a County Review Order in 1935 from the merger of Chirk and Llansillin Rural districts...
. Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog was in the Ceiriog Rural District
Ceiriog Rural District
Ceiriog was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire from 1935 to 1974.The rural district was formed by a County Review Order in 1935 from the merger of Chirk and Llansillin Rural districts...
from 1935 to 1974.
In 1974, Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
was abolished as an administrative county
Administrative county
An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
, and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog was incorporated into the Glyndŵr District
Glyndwr
Glyndŵr was one of six districts of Clwyd between 1974 and 1996.It was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, from parts of the administrative counties of Denbighshire and Merionethshire....
of the new county of Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
. Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
and Glyndŵr District
Glyndwr
Glyndŵr was one of six districts of Clwyd between 1974 and 1996.It was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, from parts of the administrative counties of Denbighshire and Merionethshire....
were dissolved in 1996, and Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog became a part of the new unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Wrexham County Borough, in which it remains to the present day.
Political representation
Today, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is administered within Wrexham County Borough CouncilWrexham County Borough Council
Wrexham County Borough Council is the governing body for Wrexham , one of the administrative subdivisions of Wales.- Governance and political composition :...
, a unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
created in 1998. Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog is in the Ceiriog Valley
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...
ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
, and has an Independent councillor.
Since 1999, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog has been represented at the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
by Karen Sinclair
Karen Sinclair
Karen Sinclair AM is a Welsh Labour politician, who has represented the constituency of Clwyd South since the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999. Born and brought up in Wrexham, north Wales, Sinclair has lived in Llangollen for over twenty years.-Education and professional...
, the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Assembly Member
Members of the National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members...
for Clwyd South National Assembly for Wales constituency
Clwyd South (National Assembly for Wales constituency)
Clwyd South is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
. Since 1987, it has been represented at the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
by Martyn Jones
Martyn Jones
Martyn David Jones is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Clwyd South from 1987 until his retirement at the 2010 general election.-Early life:...
, the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Clwyd South parliamentary constituency
Clwyd South (UK Parliament constituency)
Clwyd South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The constituency was created in 1997, and it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post method of election.The Clwyd South Welsh Assembly constituency was created with the same...
.
Notable residents
The Welsh poet John Ceiriog HughesJohn Ceiriog Hughes
John Ceiriog Hughes , was a Welsh poet and well-known collector of Welsh folk tunes. Sometimes referred to as the "Robert Burns of Wales"...
was born at Pen-y-Bryn Farm, at Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog in 1832, and spent his childhood there.