Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
Encyclopedia
Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain is a village
and community
in Powys
, Mid-Wales, close to the border with Shropshire
, about 5 miles (8 km) south west of Oswestry
.
Llansantffraid means "Church of St Bridget" in the Welsh language
and ym-Mechain refers to its location in the medieval cantref of Mechain
.
The local football team, previously known as Total Network Solutions F.C., won the League of Wales
in the 2004-05 season, the first title since changing the name from Llansantffraid FC. Following the takeover of its sponsors, the team was renamed The New Saints F.C.
for the 2006-07 season. The New Saints no longer play their football matches in Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, but in "Park Hall", a village in Shropshire
, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Oswestry. A new village team has been formed with local players and they have had great success in their first season playing in the local league.
At the time Powys County Council said they officially adopted a new “proper” spelling of the name, removing the “t” from Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain to correct a mistake dating back to the mid 19th century, when a translation had described Celtic Saint Brigit as a man, rather than a woman.
But rather than accept the change of spelling, Llansantffraid Community Council continue to press Powys County Council to bring back the letter T.
The community council recently conducted a poll, via the village newsletter, regarding the spelling and the results showed an overwhelming majority wished to retain the letter T.
Members of Llansantffraid Community Council agreed to ask for help from their County Councillor and MP Glyn Davies in this long running dispute.
Alternative spellings over time:
Llansanfret -1254
Llansantfred -1284
Lansantfreit -1291
Llannsanfrayd -1390
Llansanfrayd -1394
Llansantfraid -1402
Llansanfrayt -1404
Llansanfrayde -1409
Llansanfreyt -1423
Llansayntefrayde -1526
Llansainffred -1566
Llansanfraid -1577
Llansanffraid -1600
Llansatifraid -1645
Llansanfryd -1714
Llansanffraid -1838
Llansaintffraid -1851
pottery, dating from 2400 to 2000 BC, suggest settlement of the area first occurred in the Bronze Age. Earlier, Neolithic, settlement is likely, though there are currently no such sites known in the immediate area.
During the Iron Age
, around 700 BC, an increase in a sedentary lifestyle is evidenced by the increased number of settlements. A small hilltop enclosure was built around 400 BC where inhabitants grew wheat
and barley
, and kept cattle, sheep and pigs. Aerial photography
of the area shows evidence that a pit alignment, possibly Iron Age in date, is present in the grounds of the nearby Bryn Tanat Hall Hotel.
archeological evidence in the area includes a Roman fort in Bronhyddon field adjacent to Cael Hywel orchard. An archaeological excavation at this site revealed a barracks with attached Centurion
's house.
.
The second recorded battle was fought between Meredydd and Ithel, sons of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
on one side and Bleddyn and Rhiwallon on the other. The battle was fought for the crown of Gwynedd and Powys. Ithel and Rhiwallon were slain and Meredydd took flight leaving Bleddyn the only king of North Wales and Powys.
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 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...
, Mid-Wales, close to the border with 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...
, about 5 miles (8 km) south 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....
.
Llansantffraid means "Church of St Bridget" in the Welsh language
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...
and ym-Mechain refers to its location in the medieval cantref of Mechain
Mechain
Mechain was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. It lay almost in the centre of the kingdom, bordering with cantref Caereinion to the south, the two cwmwds of the cantref of Mochnant to the north, and part of the cantref of Deuparth and the cwmwds of Deuddwr and Ystrad Marchell to the...
.
The local football team, previously known as Total Network Solutions F.C., won the League of Wales
League of Wales
The Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales. It has both Professional and Semi-Professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal...
in the 2004-05 season, the first title since changing the name from Llansantffraid FC. Following the takeover of its sponsors, the team was renamed The New Saints F.C.
The New Saints F.C.
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club , also known as The New Saints or simply TNS is a full-time-professional British football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Powys, Wales and Oswestry in Shropshire, England . They play in the Welsh Premier League...
for the 2006-07 season. The New Saints no longer play their football matches in Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, but in "Park Hall", a village 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...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Oswestry. A new village team has been formed with local players and they have had great success in their first season playing in the local league.
Spelling of the name
Residents of Llansantffraid were stunned in May 2008 when the name of their village was changed to correct a “centuries old mistake”.At the time Powys County Council said they officially adopted a new “proper” spelling of the name, removing the “t” from Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain to correct a mistake dating back to the mid 19th century, when a translation had described Celtic Saint Brigit as a man, rather than a woman.
But rather than accept the change of spelling, Llansantffraid Community Council continue to press Powys County Council to bring back the letter T.
The community council recently conducted a poll, via the village newsletter, regarding the spelling and the results showed an overwhelming majority wished to retain the letter T.
Members of Llansantffraid Community Council agreed to ask for help from their County Councillor and MP Glyn Davies in this long running dispute.
Alternative spellings over time:
Llansanfret -1254
Llansantfred -1284
Lansantfreit -1291
Llannsanfrayd -1390
Llansanfrayd -1394
Llansantfraid -1402
Llansanfrayt -1404
Llansanfrayde -1409
Llansanfreyt -1423
Llansayntefrayde -1526
Llansainffred -1566
Llansanfraid -1577
Llansanffraid -1600
Llansatifraid -1645
Llansanfryd -1714
Llansanffraid -1838
Llansaintffraid -1851
Early settlers
Many finds of BeakerBeaker
Beaker may refer to:* Beaker , a beverage container* Beaker , or "laboratory beaker", a glass object used for holding fluids and chemicals in a laboratory setting.* Beaker , a prehistoric drinking vessel...
pottery, dating from 2400 to 2000 BC, suggest settlement of the area first occurred in the Bronze Age. Earlier, Neolithic, settlement is likely, though there are currently no such sites known in the immediate area.
During the Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
, around 700 BC, an increase in a sedentary lifestyle is evidenced by the increased number of settlements. A small hilltop enclosure was built around 400 BC where inhabitants grew wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, and kept cattle, sheep and pigs. Aerial photography
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
of the area shows evidence that a pit alignment, possibly Iron Age in date, is present in the grounds of the nearby Bryn Tanat Hall Hotel.
The Romans
RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
archeological evidence in the area includes a Roman fort in Bronhyddon field adjacent to Cael Hywel orchard. An archaeological excavation at this site revealed a barracks with attached Centurion
Centurion
A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army .Centurion may also refer to:-Military:* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy...
's house.
The historic Plas-Yn-Dinas
The Plas-Yn-Dinas is one of the most historic sites in Wales. Some of the earthworks could be from the Roman period and it is reputed to be the site of the ancient MediolanumMediolanum
Mediolanum, the ancient Milan, was an important Celtic and then Roman centre of northern Italy. This article charts the history of the city from its settlement by the Insubres around 600 BC, through its conquest by the Romans and its development into a key centre of Western Christianity and capital...
.
Y Foel Camp
Y Foel Camp is situated on the summit of the Foel Hill, to the west of the Winllan Road. It has many hallmarks of an Iron Age fortifications and there are signs of a rampart and a ditch.Skirmishes and battles
Only two battles fought within this parish are recorded in history. Around the middle of the 5th century a battle took place in the township of Llanerch. Emrys wen Pascen, a traitor, succeeded in inducing the Saxons to attack the Welsh. Emerys Benaur was appointed head of the Welsh army, and his victory secured the naming of the township in his honor. These events have no factual basis.The second recorded battle was fought between Meredydd and Ithel, sons of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn
Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was the ruler of all Wales from 1055 until his death, the only Welsh monarch able to make this boast...
on one side and Bleddyn and Rhiwallon on the other. The battle was fought for the crown of Gwynedd and Powys. Ithel and Rhiwallon were slain and Meredydd took flight leaving Bleddyn the only king of North Wales and Powys.