St Elvis
| St Elvis Welsh: Llaneilfyw | |
| Pembrokeshire | |
|---|---|
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1532807.jpg) The Dinas Fawr headlands beside the site of St Elvis | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SM811240 |
| Location: | 51°52’19"N, 5°10’52"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Haverfordwest |
| Postcode: | SA62 |
| Dialling code: | 01437 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Pembrokeshire |
St Elvis is a parish in Pembrokeshire, about four miles east of St David's. At 200 acres it is one of the smallest parishes in Wales[1] but its rector was previously the superior of the vicar of the church at Solva[2] (today dependent upon nearby Whitchurch instead[3]). The parish of Whitchurch and St Elvis together form the community of Solva. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path passes through the parish.
Name
The name is a Latinized form of Saint Eilfyw, also well known by his Gaelic name Ailbe. Former forms of the name include Llanelvewe and Llanailfyw. According to Rhyddferch's 11th-century Life of Saint David, Elvis baptized Saint David[4] in AD 454 at Porth Clais.[5] (Note, however, that this dating seems unlikely.[6])
History
A 5,000-year-old cromlech—including two early British tombs—lies nearby,[7] although they were damaged by a tenant farmer in the 19th century who removed two of the stones.
GENUKI notes church and chapel records dating from the 19th century, with two farms.[8] There is still a St Elvis farm (Vagwr Eilw[7]) and the ruins of the earlier monastery and church, covered with blackthorn.[7] St Elvis's Well is also nearby and continued to produce 360 gallons an hour amid the 1976 drought.[7]
Religious sites
There is a shrine to St Elvis, located at 51°52’13"N, 5°10’43"W.
References
- ↑ "GENUKI: St Elvis". http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/StElvis/. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ↑ Breverton, Terry (2009). "Saint Elvis". Wales: A Historical Companion. Stroud: Amberley. p. 164. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=I2qoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT164.
- ↑ GENUKI. "Whitchurch (Tre-groes)".
- ↑ Everything2. "Saint Elvis".
- ↑ Breverton, Terry. An A-Z of Wales and the Welsh. Christopher Davies, 2000.
- ↑ The Catholic Encyclopedia. "St Ailbe". Hosted at New Advent.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Saint Elvis" in Terry Breverton's Wales: A Historical Companion, pp. 164 f. Amberley Publishing (Stroud), 2009.
- ↑ Hicks, Gareth (11 November 2007). "St Elvis (Llaneilfyw)". http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/StElvis/. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
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