Llanwrthwl
Encyclopedia
Llanwrthwl is a village in Powys
, Mid Wales
. Llanwrthwl lies off the A470 road
, north by road from Builth Wells
and Newbridge-on-Wye
and south of Rhayader
. It lies on the River Wye
and River Elan and the village is accessed by a bridge over the Wye. In 1833, its population was 517; its population in 1841 was 568; in 1845, its population was 563.
In 2005 the community had a population of 201, an electorate of 137 and a council of 7 members.
gold work was discovered at Llanwrthwl in the 1950s, including a four-flanged bar torc
, a circular sectioned bar torc, a square sectioned bar torc and a twisted ring.
A commemorative stone, from the precincts of the extinct chapel of Llanwrthwl, was found at Maes Llanwrthwl (Llanwrthwl Field) with a Paulinus
monument and the epitaph: Talorm | Adventvh | MAQVERIGH | FIUIVS. It was in several pieces, and at least one of those pieces was missing. It was later preserved and housed at the residence of the Jones family at Dolau Cothi, Carmarthenshire
.
The parish was a prebend in the Collegiate Church of Brecknock. The church, dedicated to St. Wrthwl, or possibly Mwthwl, is an ancient edifice. In 1840s there was a day school in the upper part of the parish, attended by about 30 children. There was also a Sunday School. A sum of £16 was divided among the poor in January of each year, arising partly from a 1648 bequest by Edward ab Evan of the farm Cae'r Llan.
,
and was a parish in the hundred of Buallt
. The village is situated upon the River Elan, near to its union with the River Wye, about three miles, south by east, from Rhayader
. Llanwrthwl parish is situated at the northern extremity of the county, bordering upon Radnorshire
, from which it is separated on the north and north-east by the River Wye, and on the west and north-west by the streams of the Claerwen and Elan, which fall into that river, on the northeastern confines of the parish. The rivulets Runnant and Dulas are the principal of the smaller streams that intersect the parish. It comprises about 12000 acres (4,856.2 ha) of extremely irregular surface, rising in some parts into lofty hills, alternated with large tracts of level ground, forming extensive commons and bogs. The soil on the higher grounds is rocky, and in the lower generally of a marshy nature, but on the banks of the Wye and Elan there are some fertile meadows. The surrounding scenery is diversified, and in many parts highly picturesque. Copper ore has been found near the junction of the Elan with the Wye.
On the hills are several cairns, especially on the height named Drygarn, or Derwydd Garn, implying "the Druid's rock, or mount," part of which is in the adjoining parish of Llanvihangel Abergwessin
. There are also some cairns on an eminence of less elevation, designated Gemrhiw. On Rhos-Saithmaen, or "the Seven Stone common," which is partly in this parish, and partly in that of Llanafan, are some stones very irregularly placed. Near this common is another, called Ithos-y-Beddau, or "the common of the graves," the name of which would appear to commemorate some great battle, probably that of Llechrhyd.
has a prehistoric standing stone
about 1.75 metres (5.7 ft) high near the south porch. Its upper part appears to have been broken, though it may be the shaft of a cross, or of Druidical origin. On Rhôs Saith-maen, or the "Seven Stone Common", in Llanwrthwl parish, are some very irregularly placed stones, though it has not been determined if they are of military, sepulchral, or Druidical remains.
Penuel Congregational
Chapel is located just south of the main village. A register of baptisms for the years 1834-1837 is held by the National Archive.
The Living Willow Theatre
(in Welsh
, Glôb Byw) is at Penlanole near the village. It is an open air theatre constructed of living willow
trees and occasionally outdoor performances of William Shakespeare
are staged.
In the early 1800s engineer James Watt
retired to Doldowlod House, about a mile south of Llanwrthw on the A470 road
, when he left Birmingham. By 1891, the grand Glan-Rhos House had been built to the north of the village with surrounding grounds laid out stretching down to the river.
, and Galeopsis versicolor
, have been found in Llanwrthwl , while Euphorbia helioscopia has been found nearby.
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
Mid Wales
Mid Wales is the name given to the central region of Wales. The Mid Wales Regional Committee of the National Assembly for Wales covered the counties of Ceredigion and Powys and the area of Gwynedd that had previously been the district of Meirionydd. A similar definition is used by the BBC...
. Llanwrthwl lies off the A470 road
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
, north by road from Builth Wells
Builth Wells
Builth Wells is a town in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,352....
and Newbridge-on-Wye
Newbridge-on-Wye
Newbridge-on-Wye is a small village in Powys, Wales. It lies, as its name suggests, on the River Wye, just downstream from the market town of Rhayader.- Location :...
and south of Rhayader
Rhayader
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....
. It lies on the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
and River Elan and the village is accessed by a bridge over the Wye. In 1833, its population was 517; its population in 1841 was 568; in 1845, its population was 563.
In 2005 the community had a population of 201, an electorate of 137 and a council of 7 members.
Etymology
Llanwrthwl, composed of an Upper and a Lower division, derives its name from the dedication of its church.History
St Gwrthwl, a saint whose date is uncertain, founded the church of Llanwrthwl; he is commemorated on March 2. Bronze AgeBronze 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...
gold work was discovered at Llanwrthwl in the 1950s, including a four-flanged bar torc
Torc
A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large, usually rigid, neck ring typically made from strands of metal twisted together. The great majority are open-ended at the front, although many seem designed for near-permanent wear and would have been difficult to remove. Smaller torcs worn around...
, a circular sectioned bar torc, a square sectioned bar torc and a twisted ring.
A commemorative stone, from the precincts of the extinct chapel of Llanwrthwl, was found at Maes Llanwrthwl (Llanwrthwl Field) with a Paulinus
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, also spelled Paullinus, was a Roman general best known as the commander who defeated the rebellion of Boudica.-Career:...
monument and the epitaph: Talorm | Adventvh | MAQVERIGH | FIUIVS. It was in several pieces, and at least one of those pieces was missing. It was later preserved and housed at the residence of the Jones family at Dolau Cothi, 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...
.
The parish was a prebend in the Collegiate Church of Brecknock. The church, dedicated to St. Wrthwl, or possibly Mwthwl, is an ancient edifice. In 1840s there was a day school in the upper part of the parish, attended by about 30 children. There was also a Sunday School. A sum of £16 was divided among the poor in January of each year, arising partly from a 1648 bequest by Edward ab Evan of the farm Cae'r Llan.
Geography
In the 19th century, Llanwrthwl was in county of BrecknockshireBrecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
,
and was a parish in the hundred of Buallt
Builth Wells
Builth Wells is a town in the county of Powys, within the historic boundaries of Brecknockshire, mid Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Wye and the River Irfon, in the Welsh of the Wye Valley. It has a population of 2,352....
. The village is situated upon the River Elan, near to its union with the River Wye, about three miles, south by east, from Rhayader
Rhayader
Rhayader is a market town and community in Powys, Mid Wales. It has a population of 2,075, and is the first town on the banks of the River Wye, from its source on the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains....
. Llanwrthwl parish is situated at the northern extremity of the county, bordering upon Radnorshire
Radnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
, from which it is separated on the north and north-east by the River Wye, and on the west and north-west by the streams of the Claerwen and Elan, which fall into that river, on the northeastern confines of the parish. The rivulets Runnant and Dulas are the principal of the smaller streams that intersect the parish. It comprises about 12000 acres (4,856.2 ha) of extremely irregular surface, rising in some parts into lofty hills, alternated with large tracts of level ground, forming extensive commons and bogs. The soil on the higher grounds is rocky, and in the lower generally of a marshy nature, but on the banks of the Wye and Elan there are some fertile meadows. The surrounding scenery is diversified, and in many parts highly picturesque. Copper ore has been found near the junction of the Elan with the Wye.
On the hills are several cairns, especially on the height named Drygarn, or Derwydd Garn, implying "the Druid's rock, or mount," part of which is in the adjoining parish of Llanvihangel Abergwessin
Abergwesyn
- External links :*...
. There are also some cairns on an eminence of less elevation, designated Gemrhiw. On Rhos-Saithmaen, or "the Seven Stone common," which is partly in this parish, and partly in that of Llanafan, are some stones very irregularly placed. Near this common is another, called Ithos-y-Beddau, or "the common of the graves," the name of which would appear to commemorate some great battle, probably that of Llechrhyd.
Notable landmarks
St. Gwrthwl's Parish Church churchyardChurchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
has a prehistoric standing stone
Standing stone
Standing stones, orthostats, liths, or more commonly megaliths are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties....
about 1.75 metres (5.7 ft) high near the south porch. Its upper part appears to have been broken, though it may be the shaft of a cross, or of Druidical origin. On Rhôs Saith-maen, or the "Seven Stone Common", in Llanwrthwl parish, are some very irregularly placed stones, though it has not been determined if they are of military, sepulchral, or Druidical remains.
Penuel Congregational
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
Chapel is located just south of the main village. A register of baptisms for the years 1834-1837 is held by the National Archive.
The Living Willow Theatre
Living Willow Theatre
The Willow Globe Theatre is an open air community theatre in Powys, Mid Wales.It is a scaled down version of the Globe Theatre in London, about a third of its size in diameter and similar to the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park in London. The theatre is formed from living willow trees that have...
(in 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...
, Glôb Byw) is at Penlanole near the village. It is an open air theatre constructed of living willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
trees and occasionally outdoor performances of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
are staged.
In the early 1800s engineer James Watt
James Watt
James Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
retired to Doldowlod House, about a mile south of Llanwrthw on the A470 road
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
, when he left Birmingham. By 1891, the grand Glan-Rhos House had been built to the north of the village with surrounding grounds laid out stretching down to the river.
Flora
Alchemilla arvensis, Chrysanthemum segetumGlebionis segetum
Glebionis segetum is a species of the genus Glebionis, probably native only to the eastern Mediterranean region. Common names include Corn Marigold and Corn Daisy....
, and Galeopsis versicolor
Galeopsis speciosa
Galeopsis speciosa Mill. is a species of annual herbaceous plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is a widespread weed and is used as a medicinal herb....
, have been found in Llanwrthwl , while Euphorbia helioscopia has been found nearby.