Llanfair Talhaiarn ( cy, Llanfair Talhaearn), abbreviated to ''Llanfair TH'', is a 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 ...

approximately south of

Abergele Abergele (; ; ) is a market town and community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough and in the historic county of Denbighshire. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies ...

Conwy county borough Conwy County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) is a county borough in Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south, and Denbighshire to the east. Other settlements in the county borough include Abergele, Betws-y-Coed, Colwyn Bay, Conwy ...

, Wales. Until 1974 it was included in

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 ...

. The village derives its name from the church ("Llan") dedicated to

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

("Mair", altered in this compound word to "Fair", hence "Llanfair"), that was founded by a monk called Talhaiarn from Valle Crucis Abbey (according to local legend). The original church has long disappeared. The poet and architect John Jones (January 1810 – October 1869) was born at the Harp Inn (now known as Hafod y Gân) in Llanfair. He took the bardic name "Talhaiarn", and there is a popular misconception that this was the origin of the name of the village. However, the name of the village is documented long before Jones's birth. The village is situated on the flood plain of the River Elwy (Afon Elwy). The

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

was 979 in 2001, increasing to 1,070 at the 2011 census with 44% being

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...

speakers. The community includes the hamlet of

Moelfre, Conwy Moelfre is a hamlet in the county of Conwy, North Wales, close to Abergele (3 miles north), Betws yn Rhos (4 miles west) and Llanfair Talhaiarn (3 miles south). A commercial fishing pond, some small places of accommodation, a small independent ...

and Moelfre Path near

Abergele Hospital Abergele Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Abergele) is a community hospital in Abergele, Wales. It is managed by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. History The facility was established by Manchester City Council to treat children suffering from tub ...

. Llanfair is accessible from the Abergele to Llanrwst road via an ancient three arch bridge that spans the Elwy and leads directly into the heart of the village, where can be found two old pubs, The Black Lion and The Swan Inn. About 100 yards north of the old bridge is a more modern bridge that carries the main Abergele to Llansannan road across the river. Nearby is Mynydd Bodran, a 287 m (942 ft) hill which towers above the

River Elwy The River Elwy (''Afon Elwy'' in Welsh) is a river in Wales forming a tributary to the River Clwyd. The source of the river is sometimes said to be on the northern flank of Moel Seisiog, south-east of Llanrwst, at Ordnance Survey grid referenc ...

. From the hill are fine views of

Snowdonia Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. Name and extent It was a commonly held belief that the na ...

and the North Wales coast. Other nearby hills include

Moelfre Isaf Moelfre Isaf is a 317 m (1,040 ft) hill located to the south of the town of Abergele. There are views towards the Clwydian Range, Snowdonia, and the Isle of Man and the Cumbrian Mountains can be seen on a clear day. Nearby is the sma ...

and

Moelfre Uchaf Moelfre Uchaf is a hill in the borough of Conwy, North Wales, 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Colwyn Bay and 1.5 mi (2 km) south-west of Betws-yn-Rhos. It is 396 m (1,299 ft) above sea level. A trigpoint A trian ...

. The village was once part of the estate of Garthewin. The first written records of Garthewin date to the fourteenth century, but both that house and a later Jacobean house were replaced in the 18th century by the present building, which was subsequently altered in 1930 by

Clough Williams-Ellis Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis, CBE, MC (28 May 1883 – 9 April 1978) was a Welsh architect known chiefly as the creator of the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales. He became a major figure in the development of Welsh architec ...

. It was from the 18th century until the late 20th the home of the Wynne family and notable for a private theatre constructed in the stables by R.O.F. Wynne which in the 1950s saw the first performances of several of

Saunders Lewis Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis) (15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist, supporter of Welsh independence and was a co-found ...

's dramas.John Davies, Menna Baines, Nigel Jenkins a Peredur I. Lynch ''Gwyddoniadur Cymru'', Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru, 2008, , Page 553

References

External links

A Vision of Britain Through Time

British Listed Buildings

Geograph

Office for National Statistics
{{authority control Villages in Conwy County Borough Communities in Conwy County Borough