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Llanidan is a community in the south of Anglesey, Wales which includes the village of Brynsiencyn (). The parish is along the
Menai Strait The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...
, about 4 miles north-east of Caernarfon (across the strait). The parish church of St Nidan is near the
A4080 The A4080 is a British A road which is located on the Island of Anglesey, Wales. It follows a very roundabout route from the A5 road at Llanfairpwllgwyngyll via Newborough and Rhosneigr back to the A55 and the A5 about south of Holyhead. In a ...
highway, a little to the east of Brynsiencyn. The ruins of an earlier parish church survive.


History


Possible site of Roman invasions

On the basis of field names it has been suggested that the Roman army under
Suetonius Paulinus Gaius Suetonius Paulinus (fl. AD 41–69) was a Roman general best known as the commander who defeated the rebellion of Boudica. Early life Little is known of Suetonius' family, but it likely came from Pisaurum (modern Pesaro), a town on the Ad ...
landed here in 60, and again in 78 under Agricola, overcoming the
Ordovices The Ordovīcēs (Common Brittonic: *''Ordowīcī'') were one of the Celtic tribes living in Great Britain before the Roman invasion. Their tribal lands were located in present-day North Wales and England, between the Silures to the south and the D ...
of north-west Wales and Anglesey, at a spot known as Bryn Beddau, (Hill of Graves in
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
). In 1867 it was suggested that the local field names "Maes Hir Gad" (Area of long battle) and "Cae Oer Waedd" (Field of cold or bitter lamentation) may indicate the site of these battles


Roman coastal settlement

Near Tai Cochion house, excavation and geophysical survey has revealed part of a Roman settlement of unusual layout, and on the opposite side of the Menai Strait to the Roman fort at Segontium. This may mark the main crossing of the Menai Strait. A trading settlement would have been likely at such a point. Geophysical survey indicates a road of typical Roman construction, 600 metres long and 8 metres wide, with several side branches, running slightly north of east from Tai Cochion house to the shore of the Menai Strait. The roads were flanked by a series of small enclosures, with typical dimensions of about 20m x 40m. Many of the enclosures contained fairly clear, rectangular anomalies interpreted as buildings, with typical dimensions of around 16m x 8m. About 25 possible buildings were detected by the survey. Most appeared to be rectangular, possibly with internal subdivisions. A few seemed to be more complex with extensions or additional rooms. The layout, with a central road flanked by plots containing rectangular buildings, is similar to Roman villages and small towns such as Sedgefield. This arrangement has no defences and is otherwise unlike the military Roman sites in Wales, nor does it resemble the native defended settlements with their roundhouses and irregular outlines, nor the occasional villas; it suggests a previously unknown level of civilian Romanization in the remote west of the province. Two other similar layouts in Wales are suggested by aerial photography; on the opposite side of the Menai Strait, adjacent to
Foryd Bay Y Foryd (meaning 'the estuary' or 'the inlet'), also known as Foryd Bay, is a tidal bay in Gwynedd, Wales. It is located at the south-western end of the Menai Strait, about two miles south-west of Caernarfon. Several rivers flow into the bay a ...
, there is a small linear settlement of rectangular buildings, but no others are known from North Wales. The western and southern parts of the settlement were fairly regular with one building in each plot. The northern and eastern parts were less regular and more difficult to interpret. Two hundred and seven pottery shards were found on the surface of the field to the south of Tai Cochion. These dated from c. 100 to c. 300, including a high proportion of high-status 2nd century material. In the burned level of one building, many shattered Lezoux colour-coated beakers may be the stock of a shop. Several coins were found, the latest was of Constantius II (337-347). Geophysical survey at the western end of the site shows a large prehistoric defended settlement. The settlement is sub-circular with dimensions of 130m x 100m and is defended by a double bank and ditches. A series of circular anomalies in the interior could indicate several phases of round houses. The probable course of the Roman road runs immediately to the south of the defensive ditches and the entrance appears to open onto the road. The Romans probably improved a pre-existing Iron Age trackway and may have abandoned the Iron Age settlement.


Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, the parish was part of the commote of Menai, in
cantref A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divided into ''cantrefi'', which were ...
Rhosyr.


Governance

A Llanidan
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 ...
existed, which also included the community of
Llanddaniel Fab Llanddaniel Fab (or Llanddaniel-fab) is a village and community in Anglesey, Wales. At the 2001 census it had a population of 699, increasing to 776 at the 2011 census. It is near the prehistoric monument of Bryn Celli Ddu which was constructe ...
to the north. The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 1,851. Since the 2013 county elections Llanidan has been part of a new ward,
Bro Rhosyr Bro Rhosyr is an electoral ward in the south of Anglesey, Wales, created in 2012. Bro Rhosyr includes the communities of Llanidan (Brynsiencyn), Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog (Gaerwen), Llanddaniel-fab and Llangristiolus. The ward elects two county co ...
, which includes three neighbouring communities and elects two county councillors.


Notable people

Amongst the notable people associated with the parish are: *
Rowland Ap Meredydd Rowland Ap Meredydd (by 1529 – 1600 or later), of Bodowyr in Llanidan, Anglesey, was a Welsh politician. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast ...
(ca.1529 – ca.1600), of Bodowyr in Llanidan, a politician. *
Owen Holland (MP) Owen Holland (died 1601), of Plas Berw, Llanidan, Anglesey, was a Welsh politician. He was the only son of Edward Holland of Plas Berw, Llanidan, Anglesey. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Anglesey in 1584 and High Sherif ...
(died 1601), of Plas Berw, Llanidan, a Welsh politician. *
Henry Rowlands Henry Rowlands (1655–1723) was rector of Llanidan on Anglesey, and the author of ''Mona Antiqua Restaurata: An Archaeological Discourse on the Antiquities, Natural and Historical, of the Isle of Anglesey, the Antient Seat of the British Druids' ...
(1655–1723), the
rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of Llanidan when he published ''Mona Antiqua Restaurata'' in 1723 *
Thomas Williams of Llanidan Thomas Williams (13 May 1737 – 30 November 1802) was a Welsh industrialist and Member of Parliament. At the time of his death, he was the richest man in Wales. Life Thomas Williams was born in Llanidan, Anglesey, the son of Owen Williams of ...
(1737–1802) Member of Parliament and
industrialist A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...
, lived in Plas Llanidan *
Carwyn Williams Carwyn Williams (born 25 July 1965) is an ex-professional surfer from Mumbles, Wales, who "rose to global prominence" in the 1980s. Williams grew up in the Langland Bay area, near Mumbles. He had a strong Welsh rivalry during the 1980s with S ...
(born 1965) an ex-professional surfer from the Mumbles, lived here for a period of time.


Amenities

There is a horse stud: Llanidan Stud, which breeds Welsh ponies of cob type (section C) and Welsh cobs (section D). Near Brynsiencyn is the Anglesey Sea Zoo.


Brynsiencyn

Brynsiencyn is a small village, housing a few hundred people. It has a post office, shop, kebab house and pub. There is also a primary school, a church, and a large chapel.


References


External links


Roman Anglesey: Recent Discoveries. Britannia, Volume 49 November 2018 , pp. 313–322 David Hopewell Gwynedd Archaeological Trust 2018. Published by The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X18000247 Published online by Cambridge University Press: 5 June 2018
{{Communities of Anglesey Former wards of Anglesey