Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd is a village and

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

, Wales, situated in the

Vale of Clwyd The Vale of Clwyd ( cy, Dyffryn Clwyd) is a tract of low-lying ground in the county of Denbighshire in north-east Wales. The Vale extends south-southwestwards from the coast of the Irish Sea for some 20 miles (about 30 km) forming a triangl ...

about one mile south of the town of

Ruthin Ruthin ( ; cy, Rhuthun) is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales, in the south of the Vale of Clwyd. It is Denbighshire's county town. The town, castle and St Peter's Square lie on a hill, skirted by villages such as Pwllglas and ...

. By the 2001 census, it had 1048 residents and 50.6% of them could speak Welsh. The figures for the 2011 census were: population 1,053:Welsh speakers 46.9%. The age group with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers was the 15-year-olds where every one could speak it. The villages of

Pentrecelyn Pentrecelyn is a rural village in Denbighshire, North East Wales just off the A525 between Ruthin Ruthin ( ; cy, Rhuthun) is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales, in the south of the Vale of Clwyd. It is Denbighshire's c ...

and Graig Fechan are located in the community.

Church of St. Mary and St. Cynfarch

‘The church of St. Mary in the Vale of Clwyd’ – in Welsh Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd – shares its dedication with ‘Saint’ Cynfarch, apparently a Celtic chieftain from northern Britain, related to Coel Hen or ‘Old King Cole’. It is fine big 15th century ‘double-naved’ church with an impressive tower. It also shares its churchyard with massive yew trees, the stump of a preaching cross, a Georgian ‘vestry house and a timbered lychgate inscribed ‘Heb Dduw, Heb Ddim’ (Without God, Without Anything’). Though the interior is much restored, medieval features remain here. Both roofs have carved ‘canopies of honour’ over their east ends – a distinctive local feature – and part of the medieval rood screen still stands in the south aisle. Beside the altar, and perhaps two centuries older than this woodwork, lies a monument to an early 14th-century Welsh knight, David ap Madoc: it depicts his hand clutching his sword, and a cat-like lion on his flowery shield. The most outstanding medieval survival is the mosaic of stained glass (dated 1503) in a south window, including figures of saints and the feet of Christ pierced by a huge golden nail. According to tradition, this glass was once in the big window above the altar, and was preserved from destruction during the Civil War by being buried in the mighty iron-bound oak chest which stands below its present position. There is more medieval glass in the window by the font, near the Elizabethan memorial to Thomas ap Rice, who died ‘at cock-crow’ on a Sunday in 1582. The well-written guide book will enhance a visit to this attractive church. The church is generally open during daylight hours.accessdate=2014-05-31
Diocesan Contacts

Governance

The community falls in Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd/Gwyddelwern electoral ward. This ward has a total population of 2,227 taken at the 2011 census.

References

{{authority control Villages in Denbighshire