Llanarmon-yn-Iâl is a village, and local government
community, in
Denbighshire, Wales, lying in
limestone country in the
valley of the
River Alyn.
The community is part of
an electoral ward called Llanarmon-yn-Iâl/Llandegla. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 2,456, the community population being 1062.
Location
The village sits on the B5431 road, near the junction with the B5430, six miles south of the
market town of
Mold, at approximate
Ordnance Survey map
grid reference .
The boundaries of Llanarmon-yn-Iâl community include, as well as the main village, the villages of
Eryrys and
Graianrhyd, along with a number of small hamlets and large areas of farmland. The community lies mostly within the boundaries of the
Clwydian Range and Dee Valley
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Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
History

The village, considered the capital of the
commote of
Iâl (Yale)—the "hill country"—grew up around a religious community dedicated to a Roman Bishop named
St. Germanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre ( la, Germanus Antissiodorensis; cy, Garmon Sant; french: Saint Germain l'Auxerrois; 378 – c. 442–448 AD) was a western Roman clergyman who was bishop of Autissiodorum in Late Antique Gaul. He abandoned a career as a h ...
(St. Garmon in the
Welsh language).
Pilgrims travelling to St Garmon's shrine, which contained an image of the saint reputed to have miraculous properties, probably financed the construction of the impressive
church of St. Garmon, dating from the 13th century.

Near to the village, the
Lords of Yale had constructed an earth-and-timber
motte and bailey castle, Tomen-y-faerdre, during the 11th century, which seems to have acted as an administrative centre.
King John of England rebuilt the castle in 1212 for his campaign against Prince
Llywelyn ap Iorwerth. Just to the east of the village, close to the river, is a
cave containing signs of
Neolithic human habitation.
Llanarmon was located on several
drovers' roads and owed much of its prosperity to the cattle which passed through on their way from
Anglesey to the markets of England. In the 19th century it was one of the few places in north Wales where
wheat was grown, through heavy treatment of the fields with lime, which also helped to create lush pasture for the drovers' cattle.
The local limestone quarries provided employment after the droving trade died out towards the end of the 19th century.
It was the birthplace of the Welsh folklorist and poet
Robert Bryan (1858–1920)
and of the hymn-writer J. R. Jones ('Alltud Glyn Maelor'; 1800–81).
Amenities
In the centre of the village can be found a small, traditional
village shop and the Raven Inn
public house,
the last of the many drovers' inns that were once found in the village. Both shop and pub are "community run" by villagers. Llanarmon is 2 miles from the
A494, a main north–south trunk route, and 3 miles from the
A525 and the
A5104 roads.
The village is approximately 1.5 miles east of the
Offa's Dyke National Trail
Offa's Dyke Path ( cy, Llwybr Clawdd Offa) is a long-distance footpath loosely following the Wales–England border. Officially opened on 10 July 1971, by Lord Hunt, it is one of Britain's National Trails and draws walkers from throughout ...
. The picturesque nature of the village, and the natural beauty of its surroundings, combined with proximity to major routes, make it a popular destination for
walkers and other outdoor pursuits enthusiasts.
References
External links
www.llanarmon.com: community websitewww.geograph.co.uk : photos of Llanarmon-yn-Ial and surrounding area
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