Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain is a large village (in the

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, ...

of Llansantffraid) in

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

, Mid Wales, close to the border with

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

in England, about south west of Oswestry and north of

Welshpool Welshpool ( cy, Y Trallwng) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, historically in the county of Montgomeryshire. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn; its Welsh language name ''Y Trallwng'' m ...

. It is on the

A495 road List of A roads in zone 4 in Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European isla ...

and is at the confluence of the

River Vyrnwy The River Vyrnwy ( cy, Afon Efyrnwy, ) is a river which flows through northern Powys, Wales, and Shropshire, England. The name derives from Severn, the river of which it is a tributary. Course The river used to be sourced from the many rivers ...

and the

River Cain The River Cain (''Afon Cain'' in Welsh) is a river in north Powys which flows into the River Vyrnwy. Cain's source is just west of Llanfyllin, at the confluence of the Nant Alan and Nant Fyllon. After flowing east through Llanfyllin, where it ...

. The population as of the 2011 UK census was 1,415. The community includes the village of

Deuddwr Deuddwr (; en, Confluence, literally: two waters) was a medieval commote (''cwmwd'') in the cantref of Ystlyg in the Kingdom of Powys. It lay at the east of the kingdom, bordering England to the north, the cantref of Mechain to the north-west ...

and several hamlets. ''Llansanffraid'' means "Church of Saint Bride" in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has ...

, and ''ym Mechain'' refers to its location in the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

cantref of

Mechain Mechain was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. This cantref has also been referred to as Y Fyrnwy (''Vyrnwy''). Mechain may owe its name to the River Cain which flows through it on its way to join the River Vyrnwy; 'Me' or 'Mach' (c.f ...

and distinguishes it from other places with the same or similar names. The name is based on the story of St Bhrid, who is said to have floated across the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

on a sod of turf, or to have been carried to Scotland by two

oystercatcher The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia. The ...

s. The followers of St Bhrid possibly set up new settlements known by the Welsh as ''Llan Santes Ffraid'', Church of (Lady) Saint Bhrid. In recent years the spelling of the village name, with or without a "t", has been a contentious issue (as it has been at

Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog Glyn Ceiriog is the principal settlement of the Ceiriog Valley and a community in Wrexham County Borough, north-east Wales. Glyn Ceiriog translates simply as Ceiriog Valley, though there are other villages in the valley. The village and communit ...

History

Early settlers

Many finds of Bell Beaker pottery, dating from 2400 to 2000 BC, suggest settlement of the area in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

. Earlier,

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

settlement is likely, though there are currently no such sites known in the immediate area. During the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

, around 700 BC, a trend towards 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 is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

and

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...

, and kept cattle, sheep and pigs.

Aerial photography Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing airc ...

of the area shows evidence that a pit alignment, possibly Iron Age, is present in the grounds of the nearby Bryn Tanat Hall Hotel.

The Romans

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

archeological evidence in the area includes a Roman fort in Bronhyddon field adjacent to Cae Hywel orchard. An archaeological excavation at this site revealed a barracks with attached centurion's house.

The historic Plas-Yn-Dinas

The Plas-Yn-Dinas, west of

Offa's Dyke Offa's Dyke ( cy, Clawdd Offa) is a large linear earthwork that roughly follows the border between England and Wales. The structure is named after Offa, the Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia from AD 757 until 796, who is traditionally believed to ha ...

and above the flood plain of the Afon Fyrnwy, is a scheduled ancient monument. It was probably a timber castle but certainly a fortified manor house. It is first recorded in the 14th century as the residence of the lords of

Mechain Is Coed Mechain was a medieval cantref in the Kingdom of Powys. This cantref has also been referred to as Y Fyrnwy (''Vyrnwy''). Mechain may owe its name to the River Cain which flows through it on its way to join the River Vyrnwy; 'Me' or 'Mach' (c.f. ...

. Some of the earthworks could be from the Roman period and it is reputed to be the site of the Roman station of

Mediolanum Mediolanum, the ancient city where Milan now stands, was originally an Insubrian city, but afterwards became an important Roman city in northern Italy. The city was settled by the Insubres around 600 BC, conquered by the Romans in 222 BC, and ...

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 fortification, and there are signs of a

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...

and a ditch.

Skirmishes and battles

Two battles fought within this parish are recorded. Around the middle of the 5th century, a battle is said to have taken place in the township of Llanerch. Emrys wen Pascen induced the

Saxons The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

to attack the Welsh. Emerys Benaur was appointed head of the Welsh army, and his victory secured the naming of the township in his honour. These events have no known factual basis. The second recorded battle was fought between Meredydd and Ithel, sons of

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Gruffydd ap Llywelyn ( 5 August 1063) was King of Wales from 1055 to 1063. He had previously been King of Gwynedd and Powys in 1039. He was the son of King Llywelyn ap Seisyll and Angharad daughter of Maredudd ab Owain, and the great-gre ...

, 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 sole king of North Wales and Powys.

Evolution of the village name

The earliest written form in the

Book of Llandaff The Book of Llandaff ( la, Liber Landavensis; cy, Llyfr Llandaf, ', or '), is the chartulary of the cathedral of Llandaff, a 12th-century compilation of documents relating to the history of the diocese of Llandaff in Wales. It is written prima ...

, a 12th-century document, refers to 'Llann sanfreit' in 1066. With so many places named Llansanffraid in Wales it was necessary to add location details, hence Llansanffraid-ym-Mechain (in Mechain) and Llansanffraid Glyn Ceiriog, etc. The earliest written record of Llansanffraid-ym-Mechain is 1254 as 'Llansanfret'. In 1526 the name of the village appeared as 'Llansayntefrayde' in an English document. "The 'saynte' suggests an English influence on the Welsh name." The English language

tithe maps The term tithe map is usually applied to a map of an English or Welsh parish or township, prepared following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836. This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods. The map and its accompanying schedule gave ...

of the early 1800s use two anglicised forms, 'Llansaintffraid' and 'Llansaintfraid'. The first

Ordnance Survey Ordnance Survey (OS) is the national mapping agency for Great Britain. The agency's name indicates its original military purpose (see ordnance and surveying), which was to map Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745. There was a ...

drawing map by Robert Dawson in 1830 records the spelling of the village name as 'Llansanffraid'. Welsh place names were often anglicised. For example, when the railway arrived in the village in 1862, the station was called 'Llansaintffraid'. The ''Border Advertiser'' was originally a railway company publication to advertise the railway, but as it became a local newspaper it continued to use this spelling. By the beginning of the 20th century, the 'i' was lost, and the spelling appears to change again. In 1863, Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain had a station on the Llanfyllin Branch Line which connected the village to both the small market town of

Llanfyllin Llanfyllin ( – ) is a market town, community and electoral ward in a sparsely populated area in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. Llanfyllin's community population in 2011 was 1,532, of whom 34.1% could speak Welsh. Llanfyllin means ''church or ...

and Llanmynech which was on the Oswestry and Newtown Railway. In 1922 when the Great Western Railway took over the Cambrian Railways, the station name changed to Llansantffraid. The station closed to passengers in 1965 along with the entire branch line as part of the Beeching Axe. The station had a single platform; the entire building remains as a restaurant. The former goods yard is now an industrial estate for Wynstay. In 2008, the letter 't' was officially dropped by Powys County Council, which claimed it was correcting a "mistake". Nonetheless, the council's website still referred to the village as "Llansantffraid". However, on 30 September 2014, Powys County Council voted to restore the "missing" 't'. In May 2018, someone took a blowtorch and defaced multiple signs, including those found at the entrances to the village, and direction signs at Llynclys and Llanyblodwel. The attacks were thought to have taken place overnight. In an interview with the ''

Shropshire Star The ''Shropshire Star'' is reputedly the twelfth biggest-selling regional newspaper in the UK. It is based at Grosvenor House, Telford where it covers the whole of Shropshire plus parts of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Cheshire ...

'', Councillor Gwynfor Thomas stated: "It is so frustrating. We have just formed a committee to look at entering the village of the year committee next year and now this happens."

Notable residents

* John Cledwyn Hughes (1920-1978) – Anglo-Welsh writer. * Kate Williams Evans (1866–1961) – suffragette and campaigner for women's rights

Football team

The local football team, previously known as Total Network Solutions F.C., won the League of Wales in the 1999–2000 season, the first title since changing its 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

, east of Oswestry. A new team was formed in the village in 2007 called Llansantffraid Village.

Photographs

;Photographs from around 1885 File:Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain NLW3361174.jpg, View of Llansantffraid across the river File:Llansanffraid-ym-Mechain NLW3363423.jpg, The main road through Llansantffraid File:The church, Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain NLW3361718.jpg, Church of St Ffraid File:The interior of the church, Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain (?) NLW3361761.jpg, Interior of church of St Ffraid

References

External links

Photos of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain and surrounding area on geographHistoric Photos of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain
{{authority control Villages in Powys