Llangynidr
Encyclopedia
Llangynidr is a village
in Powys
, Wales
, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Crickhowell
and 9 miles (14.5 km) south-east of Brecon
. The River Usk
flows through the village as does the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal on which there are four locks.
The village is notionally divided into Upper and Lower Llangynidr. The remains of a medieval reeve
's house have been discovered in the course of archaeological
excavations in the centre of the village.
The village has two public house
s, a church and two chapel
s.
was granted the manors of Tretower Castle
and Crickhowell
just after the accession of Edward IV in 1442.. At that time this village was part of the manor
of Tretower.
The land was then in the ownership of the Earls of Worcester
until the nineteenth and early twentieth century when much of Llangynidr was part of the Glanusk Park
estate.
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...
in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, 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...
, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Crickhowell
Crickhowell
Crickhowell is a small town in Powys, Mid Wales.-Location:The name Crickhowell is taken from that of the nearby Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel above the town, the Welsh language name being anglicised by map-makers and local English-speaking people...
and 9 miles (14.5 km) south-east of Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
. The River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
flows through the village as does the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal on which there are four locks.
The village is notionally divided into Upper and Lower Llangynidr. The remains of a medieval reeve
Reeve (England)
Originally in Anglo-Saxon England the reeve was a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown e.g. as the chief magistrate of a town or district...
's house have been discovered in the course of archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
excavations in the centre of the village.
The village has two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, a church and two chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s.
Brief history
Sir William Herbert, Knight of Raglan CastleRaglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
was granted the manors of Tretower Castle
Tretower Castle
thumb|320px|right|Tretower CastleTretower castle is a castle in the village of Tretower in the county of Powys, Wales.-History:Tretower was founded as a motte and bailey castle. In the 12th century, a shell-keep was added to the motte. By c.1230 a tall cylindrical keep was added to the inside of...
and Crickhowell
Crickhowell
Crickhowell is a small town in Powys, Mid Wales.-Location:The name Crickhowell is taken from that of the nearby Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel above the town, the Welsh language name being anglicised by map-makers and local English-speaking people...
just after the accession of Edward IV in 1442.. At that time this village was part of the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Tretower.
The land was then in the ownership of the Earls of Worcester
Earl of Worcester
Earl of Worcester is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1138 in favour of the Norman noble Waleran de Beaumont. He was the son of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, by Elizabeth of Vermandois, and the twin brother of Robert de...
until the nineteenth and early twentieth century when much of Llangynidr was part of the Glanusk Park
Glanusk Park
Glanusk Park is an estate in Britain. It is situated near Crickhowell, Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire. It was established in 1826 by a "retired" ironmaster, Sir Joseph Bailey. The park features in the hereditary title Baron Glanusk which was given to Sir Joseph's grandson,...
estate.
Further reading
- Shadows in a Landscape (Llangynidr Local History Society, 2000)