Llanelidan is a small village and
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 the county of
Denbighshire
Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...
in north-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 ...
. The community also includes the hamlet of Rhyd-y-Meudwy.
The church, village hall and pub all lie within 200 yards of each other overlooking the village
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
ground and pavilion. Also in the village centre is King George's field, this is land legally protected by the
Fields in Trust
Fields in Trust, is a British charity set up in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), by Brigadier-General Reginald Kentish and the Duke of York, later King George VI, who was the first president, which protects parks and green s ...
Charity, and is free for use by anyone. Public space in the village includes the Village Green. This is 3 1/2 acres of registered Village Green
Denbighshire Commons Register No. VG12 Ancient and semi natural woodland that is a bluebell wood in the spring. It was allotted to be held IN TRUST for the Community of Llanelidan by the
Inclosure Awards of 1861 and is for the enjoyment and recreation of members of the Parish. It lies north west of the village along a footpath towards Coed Pen Y Bryn.
Reference ;
Public Record Office MAF 1/243 EXMID 13430 and Map date 1816 found at RRO
EXMID 15388 Denbigh Record Office QSD/DE/5
Location
![Bwrdd y Tri Arglwydd Bryneglwys Sir Ddinbych Cymru 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Bwrdd_y_Tri_Arglwydd_Bryneglwys_Sir_Ddinbych_Cymru_04.JPG)
The village of Llanelidan is located just off the
A494 road
The A494 is a trunk road in Wales and England. The route, which is officially known as the Dolgellau to South of Birkenhead Trunk Road, runs between the terminus of the M56 motorway between Mollington, Cheshire, Mollington and Capenhurst and th ...
between
Ruthin
Ruthin ( ; cy, Rhuthun) is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales, in the south of the Vale of Clwyd. It is Denbighshire's county town. The town, castle and St Peter's Square lie on a hill, skirted by villages such as Pwllglas and ...
and
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. Historically, Corwen is part of the county of Merionethshire. Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llango ...
in the valley of
Afon y Maes
Afon y Maes is a tributary river to the Clwyd and flows through the village of Llanelidan, Denbighshire, Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea t ...
, a tributary of the
Clwyd
Clwyd () is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire to th ...
. The River Clwyd forms part of the western boundary of the community (parish), which extends further east and south of the village, covering much of the area in the triangle formed by the A-roads joining Ruthin, Corwen and
Llandegla
Llandegla or Llandegla-yn-Iâl is a village and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. In the 2011 census, the community had a population of 567.
Name
The village's name is Welsh for the "Parish of Saint Tecla", which honours th ...
. The southernmost tip of the community is marked by
Bwrdd y Tri Arglwydd (the table of the three lords), an ancient stone monument marking the point where the lordships of Ruthin, Glyndyfrdwy and Yale met. It is currently the meeting point between the communities of Llanelidan,
Bryneglwys
Bryneglwys is a village and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The village lies to the northeast of Corwen on a hill above a small river, Afon Morwynion. The community covers an area of and extends to the top of Llantysilio Mountain.Davies, Jo ...
, Corwen and
Gwyddelwern
Gwyddelwern is a small village and community of 508 residents, reducing to 500 at the 2011 census, situated approximately north of Corwen in Denbighshire in Wales. Historically the village was part of the Edeyrnion district of Meirionnydd. Edey ...
.
History and amenities
St Elidan Church
Llanelidan is a pretty, scattered hamlet in the green valley of the Afon y Maes, a tributary of the Clwyd. The church - uniquely dedicated to a local saint - stands beside the
Leyland Arms public house, surrounded by yews and old Welsh tombstones. Built in the 15th century and ‘double-naved’ in the distinctive local style, it retains many
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, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
features despite extensive
Victorian restoration
The Victorian restoration was the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. It was not the same proce ...
. There are a pair of barrel-vaulted ‘canopies of honour’ over the altar spaces, fragments of medieval glass - notably the symbols of the crucifixion in blue shields above the altar - and above all a wonderful display of carved woodwork. Sections of the medieval rood screen (which must have been especially fine) are set by the pulpit, including horse-like beasts, intricate roundels, and trails of vines and ivy-berries. The
Jacobean pulpit has carvings of its own, with more panels of the same date behind the altar. Old box pews, monuments to successive squires of nearby
Nantclwyd Hall
Nantclwyd Hall is a 17th-century Grade II* listed buildings in Denbighshire, Grade II* listed mansion near the village of Llanelidan, Denbighshire, Wales, , and a touching portrait of the local
Roman Catholic
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 ...
martyr
Edward Jones are noteworthy.
Church usually open daylight hours. Further information and opening times from
Diocesan Office, High Street,
St Asaph
St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355 ...
, LL17 0RD Phone number: 01745 582245
[accessdate=2014-05-31](_blank)
Diocesan Contacts
Llanelidan ger Corwen a Rhuthun Sir Ddinbych 30.JPG, Internal; towards the altar
Llanelidan ger Corwen a Rhuthun Sir Ddinbych 14.JPG, Wood carved pulpit
Llanelidan ger Corwen a Rhuthun Sir Ddinbych 23.JPG, Family pews
The village
In December 1873, Major
Walter Clopton Wingfield
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield (16 October 1833 – 18 April 1912) was a Welsh people, Welsh inventor and a British Army officer who was one of the pioneers of tennis, lawn tennis.Tyzack, AnnThe True Home of Tennis''Country Life'', 22 June 2005 ...
designed an early version of
lawn tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cove ...
— which he called sphairistike (
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
: σφάίρίστική, meaning "skill at playing at ball"), and was soon known simply as "sticky" — for the amusement of his guests at a garden party at
Nantclwyd Hall
Nantclwyd Hall is a 17th-century Grade II* listed buildings in Denbighshire, Grade II* listed mansion near the village of Llanelidan, Denbighshire, Wales, in Llanelidan.
[Claudio Véliz, ]
The New World of the Gothic Fox: Culture and Economy in English and Spanish America
', Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1994, p. 134. .[Wimbledon's Welsh roots](_blank)
''BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
'', June 30, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
Llanelidan, the song
A song titled ''Llanelidan'' has been written, performed and released to a tune composed by
Robat Arwyn
Robat Arwyn (born November 1959) is a musical composer from Ruthin, North Wales, best known for his many Welsh-language songs. His notable compositions include the songs "Anfonaf Angel" and "Benedictus".
Arwyn was born in Talysarn, in the Nantlle ...
. The words portray how Llanelidan's strong and active Welsh community became just a memory due to the actions of
Sir Vivian Naylor-Leyland, who intentionally burned down many of the homes of the Welsh-speaking locals on his Nantclwyd estate. In the song, Naylor-Leyland is described as a
Fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
Notes
External links
www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Llanelidan and surrounding area
{{authority control
Villages in Denbighshire