Llandre

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Llandre
Cardiganshire
Location
Grid reference: SN625869
Location: 52°27’46"N, 4°1’29"W
Data
Post town: Bow Street
Postcode: SY24
Dialling code: 01970
Local Government
Council: Ceredigion
Parliamentary
constituency:
Ceredigion

Llandre, or Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn, is a village and parish in Cardiganshire. It lies five miles north of Aberystwyth in the north-west of the county, on the road from Rhydypennau to Borth. To the north lies the village of Dôl-y-bont.

Toponymy

The traditional placename of the village was Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn (meaning 'St Michaels at the Mouth of the Valley'), which derives from its location in the commote of Genau'r Glyn, part of the cantref of Penweddig. Before that, the name was Llanfihangel Castell Gwallter. The name changed to Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn in the 16th century. When the railway station opened in 1864 the nameboards read simply "Llanfihangel", but in 1916, at the request of Cynallmawr Parish Council "as Llanfihangel is a very common place name in Wales and much confusion is causing considerable inconvenience", the name was changed to Llandre (meaning 'Churchtown').[1] The old name of Llanfihangel Genau'r Glyn still occurs frequently in books of Welsh history.[2]

Local sites

Among the antiquities of the district are Castell Gwallter (Walter's Castle), a motte-and-bailey castle built by the Normans in around 1110. This stood around half a mile to the west of the village. An Iron Age hill fort stood on the hill to the east of the village.

Station

Llandre station, formerly Llanfihangel, was opened on 23 June 1864 on the Cambrian Coast Line between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth. It closed on 14 June 1965.[1] Between 1897 and 1899 this was the interchange for the Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway.

Notable residents

  • Tom Macdonald (1900-1980), journalist and novelist
  • Cynog Dafis (b. 1938), politician

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Green, C.C.. The Coast Lines of the Cambrian Railways Volume 1. Wild Swan. ISBN 1-874103-07-0. 
  2. Afan ab Alun, Cestyll Ceredigion (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1991) (in Welsh)

Outside links

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