Llanbadarn Fawr is a

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, tow ...

in Powys, within the historic boundaries of

Radnorshire , HQ = Presteigne , Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin = , Status = historic county, administrative county , Start ...

, mid

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 ...

. Consisting of a tract of undulating land directly north east of Llandrindod Wells, the community consists of the settlements of Crossgates and Fron and in 2001 had a population of 654, increasing to 701 at the 2011 Census. The community name comes from the local church.

History

Llanbadarn Fawr was once a parish, much larger than its present-day community. In John Marius Wilson's ''Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'' published in the 1870s, he states that "Llanbadarn Fawr", a parish in Rhayader district, Radnor; ... is divided into the townships of Brinhyfedd and Cellws; and it contains the village of Penybont". Today the village of

Penybont Penybont (also sometimes spelled Pen-y-Bont) is a small village in Radnorshire, Powys, Wales. The population of the community at the 2011 census was 428. The community includes the settlement of Llandegley. Penybont colliery The Penybont colli ...

lies outside the local council jurisdiction of Llanbadarn Fawr being a community in its own right. The

River Ithon A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

flows through the community, passing the village of Crossgates. The community is served by

Pen-y-Bont railway station Pen-y-Bont railway station is a railway station serving the village of Penybont, in mid Wales. It is situated on the Heart of Wales Line south west of . The station is located closer to the villages of Crossgates and Fron than it is to Pen ...

which is closer to the villages of Fron and Crossgate than its namesake Penybont.

Governance

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

with the same name exists. This ward includes Penybont and at the 2011 census had a population of 1,129.

Buildings of note

The most notable building in the community is Llanbadarn Fawr church. The River Ithon flows a hundred metres from the church, and this fact, along with the addition of the affix "fawr" to distinguish it from nearby

Llanbadarn Fynydd Llanbadarn Fynydd (meaning ''Church of Padarn in the mountain'') is a village and community in Radnorshire, Powys, Wales, and is from Cardiff and from London. The community includes the villages of Llanbadarn Fynydd, Llananno and Llaithddu. I ...

, has led one authority to state that the church may be pre-

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

and the mother church of the area. The earliest mention of the church is in 1304, and the name ''Llanbadarn Vaur'' appeared in texts in 1374. The church name translates as the Great Church of Saint Padarn, after who the church is dedicated. The church, like many in the area, was rebuilt during the Victorian Era. The architect who carried out the restoration was S. W. Williams of

Rhayader Rhayader (; cy, Rhaeadr Gwy; ) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, within the historic county of Radnorshire. The town is from the source of the River Wye on Plynlimon, the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains, and is locate ...

, described as having "built at least five rather ugly churches ... in Radnorshire". Despite this, the Romanesque tympanum above the south door remains, one of only two in Wales. The carving depicts a lion and lioness facing each other either side of a tree with a cat head and sun beneath them. The porch also contains an inscribed centurial stone, dated 1171, from a Roman fort at Castell Collen. The church is also significant for containing a figure described by historian Malcolm Thurlby as a Sheela Na Gig. In 1176

Geraldus Cambrensis Gerald of Wales ( la, Giraldus Cambrensis; cy, Gerallt Gymro; french: Gerald de Barri; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and English historians in the Middle Ages, historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and w ...

, the archdeacon of Brecon, sought sanctuary in the church. In Fron is Coedgwgan Hall, a grade II listed building. Originally dated as a 16th-century manor house, the hall was rebuilt in the 19th century though the lateral chimney, dated as 1581, still exists in part.

References

External links

Llanbadarn Fawr Community
Map showing the boundaries of the community {{Powys Communities in Powys