Llanfair-y-bryn is the name of a sparsely populated, rural
community and
Church in Wales
The Church in Wales ( cy, Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru) 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 posi ...
parish in
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known ...
,
Wales. Covering an area of some 95 km², it lies along and to the northwest and southeast of the
A483
The A483, officially described as the Swansea to Manchester Trunk Road, although now ending in Chester, is a major road in the United Kingdom. It runs from Swansea in Wales to Chester in England via Llandovery, Llandrindod Wells, Oswestry and ...
Swansea to
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
road immediately north of the town of
Llandovery. The population of the community at the
2011 census was 624.
Description
Two particularities of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn (English meaning: "St Mary's on the hill") are that
*the community and parish contain no settlement of that name: in 1801 it comprised the hamlets of Rhandir Abbot, Rhandir Canol, Rhandir Isaf, and Rhandir Uchaf; today the principal settlements are
Cynghordy and
Rhandir-mwyn
*the
parish church was, until 1883, located one mile outside the parish itself, in Llandingad (Llandovery); in 1883 a new church (also called St Mary's) was opened at a more central location in Cynghordy.
The area is served by trains operated between Swansea and
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Shr ...
via
Llandrindod Wells by
Transport for Wales, which manages
Cynghordy railway station, a
request stop
In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a stop or station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, s ...
on the
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales line ( cy, Llinell Calon Cymru) is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in southwest Wales. It serves a number of rural centres, including the nineteenth-century spa towns Llandrindod Wells, Llang ...
from
Llanelli to
Craven Arms
Craven Arms is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which link it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The Heart of Wales railway line ...
.
The community is bordered by the communities of:
Myddfai
Myddfai () is a small village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is situated south of Llandovery in the Brecon Beacons, and has a population of 415, decreasing to 398 at the 2011 census.
The village is a popular tourist destination on ...
;
Llandovery; and
Cilycwm, all being in Carmarthenshire; by
Llanddewi Brefi in
Ceredigion
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Ce ...
; and by:
Llanwrtyd Wells;
Llangamarch;
Maescar; and
Llywel
Llywel () is a small village located on the A40, about west of Sennybridge in Brecknockshire (currently administered as part of the unitary authority of Powys), Wales. The Afon Gwydderig runs through the village, not far from its source. Llywel ...
, all in
Powys.
The old parish church, Llanfair-ar-y-bryn
The original
Church of St Mary stands a mile outside the parish on the northeastern edge of Llandovery, on the site of the
Roman
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 lett ...
auxiliary fort of
Alabum.
CBHC/RCAHMW: Coflein
/ref> William Williams Pantycelyn (1717–1791), generally acknowledged as one of Wales's greatest hymn writers, is buried in the churchyard there, having been a resident of the parish for much of his life.
References
External links
*http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn/index.html
*http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/2056
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Communities in Carmarthenshire