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FACTS
ABOUT LLAETH -Y- LLAN |
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Llaeth y Llan
Dairy was the earliest place of learning in the village of Llanefydd.
Being from 1746 to 1756 one of the Rev Griffith Jones Llanddowror's
circulating schools with thirty pupils ( Griffith Jones 1683-1761,
Carmarthenshire born evangelist and educator pioneered education in
the Welsh language by establishing 3,000 circulating schools in 25
years). |
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So it has a
long association with culture. The early school enabled people to
read the Bible and enrich their souls. Now the 'cultured' milk produced
here as Llaeth y Llan Yogurt nourishes the body while its flavour
transports the taste buds to sheer ecstasy. |
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Could Twm o'r
Nant 1739-1810, born Thomas Edwards of peasant stock at nearby Penporchell
Isa and later known as the Cambrian Shakespeare have received his
early education here? Twm's claim to fame and notoriety is in the
writing of his sometimes ribald metric plays known as interludes,
often performed using his timber wagon as a stage. |
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Through his
written work performed at fairs he was bold enough to attack the injustices
of his day in a language which still has a robust charm. |
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OUR
VILLAGE |
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Llannefydd
village, 800 ft up in the North Wales coastal hinterland has
everything. Seclusion without isolation (before Telford's A5
road took traffic from London to Angelsey - the stage coaches
went through this village). |
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is a region of mountains and rivers where on warm spring
days you'll hear forgotten birdsong. Mynydd y Gaer - the
local Iron Age hill fort - shows how man lived here 3,000
years ago. It's a favourite place to explore and to imagine
how the ramparts around its outer ridge may have been
(remember to pack some refreshing yogurt tubs for your
ramble). |
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Here
too at nearby Berain was the home of Catrin o Ferain -
a direct descendant of Henry 1V and owner of the home
of the Tudor dynasty in Anglesey - who was married four
times to the richest and most influential men in Wales.
She became known as the 'Mother of Wales' and the chief
bards of the day paid homage to her renown. Her second
husband was Richard Clough, the merchant banker and architect
who with Sir Thomas Gresham was Elizabeth 1's factor at
Antwerp - the then money capital of the world. He managed
this country's finances in the 'never had it so good'
days of Good Queen Bess and built the London Stock Exchange
based on the Bourse in Antwerp. He even introduced fine
buildings into the Vale of Clwyd , inspired by his European
experiences. Clough Williams Ellis, in more recent times,
was proud of his ancestor and continued the tradition
of innovative architecture at Portmeirion in North West
Wales. |
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all that is as yesterday compared with Nefydd, the Celtic
saint who established her place of worship near the 13th
century parish church where Catrin is believed to be buried.
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Even
more intruiging are the caves a short distance across
the valley from Llaeth y Llan at Cefn Meiriadog where
archaeologists Dr Boyd Dawkins ( in the 19th century)
and Dr Stephen Green more recently have discovered strange
animal remains : hippo, rhino, woolly bear and deer -
but most surprising of all - human remains , a child's
tooth dating back 250,000 years! |
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Llannefydd is the home of many of the people who work
at the village dairy and is ideally located to explore
the surrounding countryside and history - as well as to
see where Llaeth y Llan yogurt is produced and admire
the nationally acclaimed gardens there. |
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- Visit
our gardens. |
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