Llanrhystud Historic Mapping - OS Six Inch, 1888-1913, Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Llanrhystud History

Llanrhystud history, (previously anglicised as Llanrhystyd) archaeology and antiquities. Is a coastal village in Ceredigion, formerly Cardiganshire, West Wales. Situated on the Cardigan Bay coastline, between Llanon and Blaenplwyf.

Llanrhystud’s conservation area is one of 13 conservation area in the county of Ceredigion. Conservation Areas are designated to preserve and enhance the special character of areas of architectural or historic interest. These conservation areas are selected according to the quality of the area as a whole, including the contribution of key individual or groups of buildings, trees, open space and streetscape.

For the full information, including information on designations, individuals should contact the planning department at Ceredigion County Council.

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History of Llanrhystud
Vanished and Vanishing Cardiganshire - Llanrhystud Church before Restoration
Llanrhystud Church
before restoration
County: Ceredigion
Community: Llanrhystud
Traditional County: Cardiganshire
Map Reference SN56NW
Grid Reference SN5397269770
Medieval Parish
Cantref: Uwch Aeron
Commote: Anhuniog
Ecclesiastical Parish: Llanrhystud
Mefenydd (Upper), Acres: 4004.419
Haminiog (Lower), Acres: 4763.806
Parish Hundred: Ilar
Electoral Ward:
Llanrhystud
Listed Buildings: Llanrhystud
Scheduled Monuments: Llanrhystud

Llanrhystud is a very small built-up historic landscape character area that includes the old village core, the bridge over the River Wyre, and modern development at the village fringe. It lies 20m above sea level at a point where the constrained valleys open out into a coastal plain. The old core of the village consists of a loose cluster of houses, cottages, Post Office, pub, memorial hall, garage and the church in the immediate area of Llanrhystud Bridge at the junction of the A487, B4337 and Church Street.

The modern single-arch bridge with a 38 ft. span, replaces an much earlier bridge dating to c.1900 which was once one of the older structures in the village.

The parish church, St Rhystud, although built on an ancient foundation, dates to 1852-4, on the footprint of an earlier medieval church, to designs of R. K. Penson, and stands to the souththwest of the bridge, with the earthworks of ‘Caer Penrhos’ ‘Castell Bach’ ‘Castell-Mawr’, a series of medieval hillforts, built on the surrounding hillsides.

Llanrhystud had a number of working mills dating from the 1840s. Felin Ganol, a late C18, early C19 century corn mill and house (Grade II listed), built of rubble-stone sits on the banks of the river. Shown on 1841 Tithe map, alterations and additions, including late c.1900 rebuilding of a kiln. The owner in 1841 was David Saunders Davies and the occupier, Richard Morgan. The birthplace of D. Wyre Lewis, bard, in 1872. The mills machinery is in situe and the working mill still produces flour to this day.

Most of the older domestic buildings in the village, however, date to the mid to late 19th century, slate, rubble or finely cut and coursed stone, is used as the building material of these older buildings. The aspect to several of them, for example: Ffrwd-ganol with its whitewashed rubble construction, slate roof, slated barges and rubble gable chimney stacks, Felin Ganol with its waterwheel and attached mill house, Capel Rhiwbwys a Calvinistic Methodist Chapel built 1832, with a gallery and ceiling added 1871, and the old Smithy.

Most of these stone-built 18th and 19th century buildings are listed. Modern development in the form of small housing estates, a primary school and 3 large caravan parks including club houses, two of which lie to the west of the bridge and one two the east. Recorded archaeology consists of buildings, limekilns or those sites mentioned above.

1. Local History

Scheduled Monuments in Llanrhystud, Ceredigion.
Scheduled monuments (also known as scheduled ancient monuments, or SAMs) are sites of archaeological importance with specific legal protection against damage or development.

  • Caer Penrhos
  • Defended Enclosure 500m north of Pen y Castell
  • Gilfach-Hafel Camp

Since 1909 the Ceredigion Historical Society has published articles written about the archaeology, antiquities and history of Ceredigion, many of the articles are about Llanrhystud history.

The society has also produced three county volumes, under the name of the Cardiganshire County History series, these knowledgeable, learned, comprehensive and scholary publications record the history of prehistoric, early and modern Cardiganshire.

1.1 Llanrhystud – Lost Buildings on the Seashore
Are probably quays and they consist of two sets of timbers close together pointing towards each other.

1.2 Ceredigion Historical Society visit to Llanrhystud Beach
One of the really interesting things about Llanrhystud is that there is a lot, that is not known very much about archaeologically and there is a lot that has gone

1.3 Ceredigion Historical Society visit to Salem Chapel Llanrhystud
Following a visit to Llanrhystud Church it was a short walk over to Salem Chapel where Rheinallt Llwyd gave a talk about the Chapel’s history.

1.4 Ceredigion Historical Society visit to Llanrhystud Church
The tour started at Llanrhystud Church on a beautiful sunny day, where members of Ceredigion Historical Society listened to a talk by Richard Suggett

1.5 Later Medieval Lordly Seats in Cardiganshire: A Re-examination of Castell Gwallter (Llandre) and Caer Penrhos (Llanrhystud) – JOHN WILES – 39
Ceredigion – Journal of the Ceredigion Historical Society Vol XVIII, No I, 2017

1.6 Lloffion Llanrhystud – PETER DAVIES – 49
Ceredigion Journal of the Ceredigion Antiquarian Society Vol XII, No 4 1996

1.7 The Rebuilding of Llanrhystud Church – By Ieuan Gwynedd Jones – 99
Ceredigion – Journal of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society, 1973 Vol VII No 2

1.8 A disturbance on Llanrhystud mountain (W. J. Lewis) – 312
Ceredigion – Journal of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society, 1962 Vol IV No 3

1.9 Storm Francis reveals ‘ancient’ forest in Cardigan Bay

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2. Illustrations and Old Pictures

2.1 Index to Illustrations, Ceredigion Journal, Volumes I-X, 1950-84

  • Llanrhystud Church. The old and the new, between vii:106 and 107 pl. 2a and 2b
  • Llanrhystud. Plan of the parish church, facing vii:106 fig. 6

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Vanished and Vanishing Cardiganshire

Vanished and Vanishing Cardiganshire - Llanrhystud Church before Restoration
Vanished and Vanishing Cardiganshire – Llanrhystud Church before Restoration

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3. Location Map

View Larger Map of Llanrhystud

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4. A Topographical Dictionary of Wales

Originally published by: Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (London, Fourth edition, 1849)

LLANRHŶSTID (LLAN-RHŶSTYD), a parish, in the poor-law union of Aberystwith, Lower division of the hundred of Ilar, county of Cardigan, South Wales, 9 miles (S. by W.) from Aberystwith, on the road to Cardigan; comprising the townships of Llanrhŷstid-Hamminiog and Llanrhŷstid-Mevennydd, and containing 1608 inhabitants. This place, though at present of little importance, has been distinguished in history from an early period. In 987 its church was demolished by the Danes, in one of their descents upon South Wales. The castle of Llanrhŷstid, called also Dinerth Castle, in 1080 belonged to Iestyn ab Gwrgan, Prince of Glamorgan, and was then sacked by Rhŷs, Prince of South Wales. It was destroyed in 1135, by Owain Gwynedd and his brother, aided by Hywel ab Meredydd and Rhŷs ab Madog ab Ednerth; and, having been re-erected, was besieged and taken, in the year 1150, with several other fortresses, by Cadell, Meredydd, and Rhŷs, the sons of Grufydd ab Rhŷs, Prince of South Wales, who, enraged at the spirited resistance of its defenders, whereby they lost some of their bravest troops, put the garrison to the sword. It was fortified by Roger, Earl of Clare, in 1158, and, about the close of the same century, was besieged and taken by Maelgwyn ab Rhŷs, who slew the garrison left to defend it by his brother Grufydd, and in 1204 razed it, with several others, to prevent its falling into the hands of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth.

The parish is situated on the shore of Cardigan bay, and bounded on the north by the parish of Llanddeiniol, on the south by that of Llansantfraid, and on the east by Llangwyryvon. It comprises by admeasurement 8650 acres, of which 2250 are arable, 600 meadow, 5200 pasture, 400 uninclosed common, and 200 woodland. The surface is ornamented with the stream of the Wyre and several other rivulets, and interspersed with oak and ash, and some recent plantations of larch; it is marked by moderate elevations in several parts, and in the vicinity of the sea are some fine level tracts. The lands are in general well cultivated, the chief produce being wheat, barley, and oats. The seat of the ancient family of Lloyd is situated here, and is now occupied by a family of the name of Philipps. The village is situated near the influx of the Wyre into the bay of Cardigan, and consists only of a few cottages, indifferently built. Fairs are held on the Thursday before Easter, on November 12th (a fair for hiring servants), and the Thursday before Christmas; and at Lluest Newydd others take place on Sept. 23rd, on Oct. 8th, and the second Friday after the 10th of the same month. The living is a discharged vicarage, rated in the king’s books at £6. 13. 4.; patron, the Bishop of St. David’s: the tithes have been commuted for £620, of which a sum of £450 is payable to the Dean and Chapter of St. David’s, and one of £170 to the vicar. The church, dedicated to St. Rhystyd, occupies an elevated situation above the village, and is of considerable antiquity. There are places of worship for Calvinistic Methodists, and Baptists; a day school; and five Sunday schools, one of which is in connexion with the Church, and the other four with the dissenters. Leland mentions the remains of a large edifice here, which some suppose to have been a nunnery; but there are now no vestiges of it, nor any authentic account of such an establishment having existed here.

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Some ideas to share your Stories below!

Have a memory and your not sure what to write? We have made it easy with some prompts and ideas, just think about this place and the importance its had in your life and ask yourself:

  • What are my personal memories of living here?
  • How has it developed and shops changed over the years?
  • Do you have a story about the beach, community, its people and history?
  • Tell us how it feels, seeing photographs and images of this place again?
  • Tell us your favourite memories about this place?

The aim of the Ceredigion Historical Society is to preserve, record and promote the study of the archaeology, antiquities and history of Ceredigion. That objective has remained the same since the foundation of the Society in 1909, though its name was changed from Ceredigion Antiquarian Society to the Ceredigion Historical Society in 2002.

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6. References

  1. Llanrhystud map (Header): Reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA) licence with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.
  2. View: Llanrhystud Historic Mapping

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  • Llanrhystud village website
  • Coflein, discover the archaeology, historic buildings, monuments and history of Llanrhystud, Ceredigion
  • Historic Place Names, learn about the field names and house names in the community of Llanrhystud
  • A Pint of History, read about the history of Ceredigion pub’s, inn’s and local taverns of Llanrhystud
  • People’s Collection Wales, share your stories, memories and photographs of Llanrhystud
See:
Index | Towns in Ceredigion | Villages in Ceredigion | Historic Sites in Ceredigion | Ceredigion Listed Buildings | Ceredigion Scheduled Monuments | Ceredigion Parks and Gardens | Ceredigion Conservation Areas | Research Organisations
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