Mamhilad () is a village in the

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

Goetre Fawr Goetre Fawr is a Community (Wales), community and electoral ward in Monmouthshire, Wales, a few miles south of the town of Abergavenny. According to the 2011 UK Census the population of the community and ward was 2,393. Community The communit ...

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

, south east

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

Location

Mamhilad is two miles to the north east of

Pontypool Pontypool ( ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire in South Wales. , it has a population of 29,062. Locat ...

, Torfaen County Borough.

History and amenities

Mamhilad has a

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

called the Star Inn. The

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal () is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its currently (2018) navigable length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its ...

passes the village. There is another pub at Croes-y-Pant called, the Horseshoe. The Church of St Illtyd is notable for having been the parish of the Reverend Christopher Cook (1825–1927), who held the living between 1855 and 1925. He was also Rector of Llanfihangel

Pontymoile Pontymoile () is a suburb of Pontypool in Torfaen, South Wales. It is all but merged with the nearby suburbs of Cwmynyscoy and Upper Race. It is a community of Torfaen, and includes the electoral wards of Brynwern, Cwmynyscoy, and Pontypool ...

from 1851, a record 74 years, and served as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...

there even before he was made

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position. In an election, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the position that is up for election, regardless of whether they are seeking re-election. There may or may not be ...

. At the time of his death he was described in the local press as ''the world's oldest clergyman'', although this has not been authenticated. He may have been the longest serving parish priest in Wales, and whilst he retired in 1916 he continued to serve for another nine years until declared incapacitated by the Provincial Court of the

Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The position is currently held b ...

. Mamhilad is close to business parks straddling the A4042 on the former ICI Fibres and British Nylon Spinners site.

References

External links

Photo of the Star InnThe ancient Yew trees of Mamhilad
Villages in Monmouthshire {{Monmouthshire-geo-stub