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The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868


National Gazetteer, 1868

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)]"LLANVIHANGEL-NANTMELLAN, a parish in the borough and county Radnor, 3 miles S.W. of Radnor, its post town. It includes the township of Trewern. Near here is a waterfall of about 70 feet high, called Water-breakits-Neek, and the little lake of Llyn-hilyn. The village, which is remarkably small, is situated on the slope of a hill. On the other side of the hill, in the parish of Llandegley, is a strong sulphur spring, much frequented during the summer for drinking and bathing. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of St. David's, value £142. Tile church, dedicated to St. Michael, is in the Norman style of architecture, and is shaded by ancient yew-trees. The charities amount to about £7 per annum. Here are traces of a British camp,"

"GWYTHLA, a township in the parish of Llanvihangel-Nantmellan, county Radnor, 3 miles S.W. of Radnor. It is united with Trewern. The small river Gwythla rushes over a fall here."

"TREWERN WITH GWYTHLA, a township in the parish of Llanvihangel-Nantmellan, county Radnor, 4 miles N.W. of Radnor. It is situated among the hills."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]

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A Topographical Dictionary of Wales Samuel Lewis, 1833

LLANVIHANGEL-NANT-MELAN (LLAN - VI - HANGEL-NANT-MELAN), a parish in the liberties of the borough of NEW RADNOR, county of RADNOR, SOUTH WALES, 2 1/2 miles (W. S. W.) from New Radnor, containing 410 inhabitants, of which number, 284 are in the township of Llanvihangel-Nant-Melan. The adjunct to the name of this parish is supposed to be a corruption of " Melin ; " and the name, which would then signify " the church of St. Michael at the Mill brook," is derived from the dedication of its church, and its situation on a small stream which flows into the Somergill brook. The lands are partially enclosed and cultivated; the soil is various, being in some parts fertile and productive, and in others comparatively poor. The surface is undulating ; the hills are finely formed and of pleasing aspect, and the grounds in the lower part of the parish are richly clothed with wood. The surrounding scenery is pleasingly varied ; and from the higher grounds are some interesting views, extending over the adjacent country. Llyn Llanillyn, in this parish, is a large pond, nearly three-quarters of a mile in circumference, but, from the want of wood both on its banks and in the immediate vicinity, it is destitute of picturesque beauty. The cascade quaintly called " Water break its neck " is also within this parish : it is situated in a narrow defile, among the hills of Radnor forest, about two miles to the west of New Radnor : the fall is about seventy feet in perpendicular height, but the water, instead of descending in one continuous sheet, trickles down the rock, and loses all that interest and grandeur of effect which it might otherwise be capable of producing. The village, though small, is of more prepossessing appearance than many in this part of the principality, and is considerably enlivened by the traffic occasioned by the roads from Hereford to Aberystwith, and from Knighton and Presteign to Builth, in the county of Brecknock, which pass through the parish. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Brecknock, and diocese of St. David's, rated in the king's books at £4. 13. 4., endowed with £ 600 royal bounty, and in the patronage of the King, as Prince of Wales. The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is a small ancient edifice, consisting of a nave and chancel, and, though possessing no architectural details of interest, is kept in good repair and neatly fitted up. Lady Joan Hartshorne bequeathed a house and about twenty-five acres of land, for the support of a school for the gratuitous education of poor children of this parish, and also of the parishes of Old Radnor and Gladestry. This parish is entitled to one-third of the produce of a farm, let for £ 18 per annum, in the parish of Llandeglay, purchased with the benefactions of Evan and Ann Griffiths, made in 1721, and applied to the relief of the poor, agreeably to the directions of the donors ; and there is also a rent-charge of £ 1 on a small farm within its limits, called Llaniago, given by an unknown benefactor for the same purpose. There are two large tumuli, and one of smaller dimensions in the parish, but no historical particulars have been recorded of them. The average annual expenditure for the maintenance of the poor is £ 190. 8.

GWILLER,

GWILLER, a joint township with Trewern, in the parish of LLANVIHANGEL NANT MELAN, within the liberties of the borough of NEW RADNOR, county of RADNOR, SOUTH WALES, 2 miles (S. W.) from New Radnor. The population is returned with Trewern. The parish church is situated in this township, which occupies a small vale in the southern portion of the mountainous district called Radnor Forest, near the source of the Sommergild brook. Here is also the celebrated cascade called " Water break its neck," which is formed by a stream that rises in the above-mentioned district, and, after a fall of seventy feet perpendicularly, joins that brook. The lower portion of the township is well-wooded ; and there is a lake, termed Llyn Llanillyn, about three-quarters of a mile in circumference.

TREWERN

TREWERN (TRE-WERN), a joint township with Gwiller, in that part of the parish of LLANVIHANGEL-NANT-MELAN which is within the liberties of the borough of NEW RADNOR, county of RADNOR, SOUTH WALES, 6 miles (W.) from New Radnor, containing, with Gwiller, 126 inhabitants. It forms the extreme western division of the parish, occupying the southern declivity of a lofty mountain which anciently composed a part of the forest of New Radnor. Trewern stands on the upper portion of the eminence, and Gwiller on the lower, with the road from New Radnor to Rhaiadr passing between them. There are two large tumuli on the hill.

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