Van, Llanidloes
Encyclopedia
Van is the Anglicised placename for a small hamlet
to the north west of Llanidloes
in Powys
, Mid Wales
.
It is also often spelt "Fan", with the full, correct Welsh language
name
being "Y Fan". It is believed the name originates from the two ancient farms of the area; Manledd Uchaf and Manledd Isaf.
The hamlet grew in the 19th century with the discovery of large deposits of lead
, and a thriving lead mine
was developed. At one point during the late 19th century 'Van Mine' was the most productive in Europe. The mines declined under pressure from foreign imports in the early 20th century, and operations ceased in the inter-war period. The name Van is also given to the small lake located just outside the village, Van Pool .
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
to the north west of Llanidloes
Llanidloes
Llanidloes is a town along the A470 road and B4518 road in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire , Mid Wales.It is the first town on the River Severn...
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
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...
.
It is also often spelt "Fan", with the full, correct 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...
name
Welsh 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...
being "Y Fan". It is believed the name originates from the two ancient farms of the area; Manledd Uchaf and Manledd Isaf.
The hamlet grew in the 19th century with the discovery of large deposits of lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, and a thriving lead mine
Metal mining in Wales
Metal mining in Wales affected large areas of what are now very rural parts of Wales and left behind a legacy of contaminated waste heaps and a very few ruined buildings.There are a number of areas that have been mined for a variety of metals....
was developed. At one point during the late 19th century 'Van Mine' was the most productive in Europe. The mines declined under pressure from foreign imports in the early 20th century, and operations ceased in the inter-war period. The name Van is also given to the small lake located just outside the village, Van Pool .