Llantilio Crossenny war memorial - geograph

Old Court Moat, Llantilio Crossenny - geograph

Llantilio Crossenny ( cy, Llandeilo Gresynni) is a small village and much larger former

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, villag ...

, now in the community of Whitecastle, in Monmouthshire, south east

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, in the United Kingdom. It is situated between the two towns of Abergavenny and

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...

on the B4233 road. The community included Penrhos, and

Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern ( cy, Llanfihangel-Ystum-Llywern) is a village in the community of Whitecastle, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located between Abergavenny and Monmouth and north of Raglan. The River Trothy passes close b ...

History

In January 2015

metal detector A metal detector is an instrument that detects the nearby presence of metal. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal objects on the surface, underground, and under water. The unit itself, consist of a control box, and an adjustable shaft, ...

ists unearthed axe and spear heads, thought to be around 3,000 years old, in a field near the village. The items are thought to date back to Ewart Park phase of the late

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 pri ...

, about 1000-800 BC. Principal Curator of Prehistory at

National Museum Wales National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, Adam Gwilt, said: "Many whole and still usable bronze objects were carefully buried in the ground at this particular time and archaeologists now think that these may have been gifts to the gods and ancestors, buried during ritual ceremonies. It is curious that this place in the landscape was chosen for the burial of two hoards of the same date and very close to each other." The site of the village, or at least the locality, is associated with a battle between a Dark Ages King of the Welsh

Kingdom of Gwent Gwent ( owl, Guent) was a medieval Welsh kingdom, lying between the Rivers Wye and Usk. It existed from the end of Roman rule in Britain in about the 5th century until the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century. Along with its neighbou ...

, Ynyr, and the incoming

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 No ...

. The village is also associated with the incoming

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. T ...

in Wales who built many castles in this border area of the

Welsh Marches The Welsh Marches ( cy, Y Mers) is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh March (in Medieval Latin ...

and with

Dafydd Gam Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel (c. 1380 – 25 October 1415), better known as Dafydd Gam, anglicized to David or Davy Gam, was a Welsh warrior, a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndŵr. He died at the Battle of Agincourt fighting for Henry V, King ...

, a local warrior and Welsh ally of

King Henry V Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hu ...

. A Free Grammar School was founded in the village, on 10 August 1654, by James Powell, Gentleman of Cymmerau. In 1924 a history of the grammar school was published by local historian

Sir Joseph Bradney Colonel Sir Joseph Alfred Bradney, (11 January 1859 – 21 July 1933) was a British soldier, historian and archaeologist, best known for his multivolume ''A History of Monmouthshire from the Coming of the Normans into Wales down to the Present T ...

Notable sites

St Teilo's church

The Church of St Teilo dates from the 13th century and is "an unusually grand cruciform church." It was designated a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ire ...

on 19 November 1953 and is dedicated to

Saint Teilo Saint Teilo ( la, Teliarus or '; br, TeliauWainewright, John. in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', Vol. XIV. Robert Appleton Co. (New York), 1912. Accessed 20 July 2013. or '; french: Télo or '; – 9 February ), also known by his ...

White Castle

White Castle is a fine example of 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 a ...

castle-builders art which stands on the hill overlooking the village. The Three Castles Walk passes close by. The fortification was established by the

in the wake of the

invasion of England The term Invasion of England may refer to the following planned or actual invasions of what is now modern England, successful or otherwise. Pre-English Settlement of parts of Britain * The 55 and 54 BC Caesar's invasions of Britain. * The 43 AD ...

in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a populatio ...

. Possibly commissioned by

William fitz Osbern William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Herefo ...

, the

Earl of Hereford The title of Earl of Hereford was created six times in the Peerage of England. Dates indicate the years the person held the title for. Earls of Hereford, First Creation (1043) * Swegen Godwinson (1043–1051) ''earldom forfeit 1051–1052'' Ear ...

, it comprised three large earthworks with timber defences.

Hen Gwrt

Hen Gwrt is the site of a thirteenth-century manor house and a sixteenth-century hunting lodge. Originally constructed for the

Bishops of Llandaff The Bishop of Llandaff is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. Area of authority The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The bishop's seat is in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (the site of a c ...

, it subsequently came into the possession of the Herberts of

Raglan Castle Raglan Castle ( cy, Castell Rhaglan) is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th centuries, when the suc ...

Culture

The

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 h ...

path passes through the village. Llantilio Crossenny holds an annual festival of music and drama, which was co-founded in the 1960s by Welsh composer

Mansel Thomas Mansel Treharne Thomas, (12 June 1909 – 8 January 1986) was a Welsh composer and conductor, who worked mainly in South Wales. He was one of the most influential musicians of his generation, known as a composer, conductor and adjudicator. He w ...

. At nearby Great Treadam is the Hog's Head pub, also situated on the Offa's Dyke path.

Governance

An electoral Ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches north to

Llangattock-Vibon-Avel Llangattock-Vibon-Avel ( cy, Llangatwg Feibion Afel) is a rural parish and former community, now in the community of Whitecastle in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is located west of Monmouth and some east of Aberg ...

. The total population of this ward at the 2011 census was 1,755. In the 2022 local elections, Paul Chandler became Monmouthshire's first Green councillor after being elected to represent the Llantilio Crossenny electoral ward. Llantilio Crossenny

(parish) elected a Community Council of nine members.

Notable residents

* Sir Henry Jackson, 2nd Baronet (1831–1881) Member of Parliament (MP) for Coventry from 1867 to 1868 and 1874–1881, and a Deputy Lieutenant of Monmouthshire who lived at Llantilio Court from 1873 until his death in 1881. His son, Sir Henry Mather-Jackson, 3rd Baronet, bought the lordship of the manor of Llantilio Crossenny and the ruins of the White Castle from the 9th Duke of Beaufort in May 1902.

References

Sources

External links

The Festival of Music and Drama

Information about the Parish and the Church
*
Llantilio Crossenny Community Council
{{authority control Villages in Monmouthshire Former communities in Monmouthshire Monmouthshire electoral wards