Llanboidy
Encyclopedia
Llanboidy is a village
and community
in the principal area and historic county
of Carmarthenshire
, West Wales
.
, the community had a population
of 988. It is located near the border with Pembrokeshire
close to the Landsker Line
. The village itself is on the Welsh
speaking side.
. Its history goes back to the Iron Age
where the site of a timber built fort can be seen near the village centre. 'Llanboidy' may mean church (Llan) of the cowshed (beudy) and its name probably is linked to St. Brynach
. Brynach was a wandering 5th century Irish saint
who got shipwrecked off the South Wales
coast, returning to Ireland
from a tour to Brittany
. He founded several West Wales
churches and the village church is named after and dedicated to him.
Another notable church he founded is at the village of Nevern
. This is approximately 20 miles north west of Llanboidy and is overlooked by Carn Ingli
(said by some to mean Mountain of Angels).
Llanboidy then became an important drovers road route in the Middle Ages
and once had four tavern
s.
It has a sports and social club and a football (soccer)
team. There is a village Post office
and the school has recently been re-built. The church graveyard
holds a very precious statue by the Cardiff
born Sculptor Sir William Goscombe John
which is deteriorating. It was a funerary monument to the Victorian era
MP Walter Rice Howell Powell
. Powell was a Haverfordwest born 1819 philanthropist
who brought money and jobs to the village and his legacy can be seen at the Market Hall and other fine buildings in the village. The seat of the Powells was the mansion of Maesgwynne, north of the village.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in the principal area and historic county
Counties of Wales
The counties of Wales may refer to:*Principal areas of Wales — see Local government in Wales*Preserved counties of Wales*Historic counties of Wales*Former administrative counties of Wales — see History of local government in WalesMaps:...
of Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, West Wales
West Wales
West Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
.
Location
According to the 2001 United Kingdom CensusCensus in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
, the community had a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 988. It is located near the border with Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
close to the Landsker Line
Landsker Line
The Landsker Line is a term commonly used for the language boundary between the Welsh-speaking and English-speaking areas in southwest Wales. The English-speaking areas, known as Little England beyond Wales, are notable for having been English linguistically and culturally for many centuries...
. The village itself is on the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speaking side.
History & Amenities
Llanboidy is a scenic village in West Carmarthenshire, WalesWales
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...
. Its history goes back to the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
where the site of a timber built fort can be seen near the village centre. 'Llanboidy' may mean church (Llan) of the cowshed (beudy) and its name probably is linked to St. Brynach
Brynach
Saint Brynach was a 6th century Welsh saint. He is traditionally associated with Pembrokeshire, where several churches are dedicated to him.A 12th century 'life' tells us that some time in the early 6th century, Brynach travelled to Rome and Brittany, and then on to Milford Haven...
. Brynach was a wandering 5th century Irish saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
who got shipwrecked off the South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
coast, returning to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
from a tour to Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. He founded several West Wales
West Wales
West Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
churches and the village church is named after and dedicated to him.
Another notable church he founded is at the village of Nevern
Nevern
Nevern is a small village or hamlet, of just a few houses in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. It lies in the valley of the River Nevern close to the Preseli Hills of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park east of Newport.-Nevern Parish Church:...
. This is approximately 20 miles north west of Llanboidy and is overlooked by Carn Ingli
Mynydd Carningli
Mynydd Carningli is a small mountain or hill near the town of Newport in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales.It is less than 400 m high, but it is close to the coast and dominates the surrounding countryside. It is easy to climb but has a rocky summit and a steep scree slope on its southern and...
(said by some to mean Mountain of Angels).
Llanboidy then became an important drovers road route in 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...
and once had four tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
s.
It has a sports and social club and a football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team. There is a village Post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
and the school has recently been re-built. The church graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
holds a very precious statue by the 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...
born Sculptor Sir William Goscombe John
Goscombe John
Sir William Goscombe John R.A. , was a Welsh sculptor.-Biography:He was born in Canton, Cardiff and as a youth assisted his father, Thomas John, a wood carver, in the restoration of Cardiff Castle...
which is deteriorating. It was a funerary monument to the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
MP Walter Rice Howell Powell
Walter Rice Howell Powell
Walter Rice Howell Powell was a Welsh landowner and Liberal politician.Powell was the son of Walter Rice Howell Powell and his wife Mary Powell. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. On the death of his father in 1834 he inherited Maesgwynne estate of in the parish of Llanboidy,...
. Powell was a Haverfordwest born 1819 philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who brought money and jobs to the village and his legacy can be seen at the Market Hall and other fine buildings in the village. The seat of the Powells was the mansion of Maesgwynne, north of the village.