Past, Present & Future

Llanfair Kilgeddin

Llanfair Kilgeddin is a 730 hectare rural parish bounded in the north and east by the picturesque River Usk and bisected by the B4598 Abergavenny to Usk road.   Well known landmarks include the 17^th century Pant-y-Goitre house, a Norman Motte and a Bailey Castle.

The Crawshay family of Llanfair Court are connected with the iron-masters of Merthyr Tydfil, once world famous as the Welsh metropolis of iron and steel. Captain Crawshay became well known for organising a rugby team of Welsh International players, and was High Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1939. The Captain’s nephew, Sir William Crawshay, now occupies Llanfair Court. He brought honour to the village through his bravery in working with the French Resistance during the Second World War.

Tucked away down a leafy lane, is the little church of St Mary the Virgin, built on the site of a hermit’s cell. The font is 16th century, dated 1577. The inner walls are famous for having been decorated in sgraffito, an ancient Italian process, executed by the English artist, Haywood Sumner, in the 1880s, commissioned by the rector in memory of his wife, Mrs Lindsay.

Glebe House, in Church Lane near St Mary’s church, now a private residence, was originally the rectory for Llanfair Kilgeddin. The rector, Mr Lindsay, also Dean of Raglan, gave the village church hall to both parishes. This hall serves a widespread community in many ways. Church events, school concerts, village fetes, WI meetings, YFC socials, YE celebrations, a pantomime, drama performances, keep fit classes, and recently a bowls club, have all contributed to raising funds to keep the hall in use.

St Mary’s Hill, on the road to Llanfair Cross, was once the home of Sir Mather-Jackson, the Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire. His wife, a Lady in her own right, was a direct descendant of the Duke of Beaufort. Lady Jackson founded the WI movement in Monmouthshire.

Llanfair still has a church school. It is a quaint red-brick building with a school house, built in 1872. One log book records that a Mr Swinnerton and his sister were among a staff of three in 1896, with 80 pupils on the register.

Schooldays are recalled by local residents. A ‘travelling player’ with a hurdy gurdy used to entertain them, with a monkey and many tunes. Opposite the school in the front room of the Corner House, Mr and Mrs Chambers (Mum and Dad to everyone), kept the village shop and post office, with a letter-box in the side wall. The children saved their old copybooks for Mrs Chambers. She used them to wrap up her home-made toffee to sell. Each child was given one free piece for their help. Mr Chambers owned a donkey with which he used to go around selling paraffin and other wares. On Good Friday, from 6.30 am, ‘hot cross buns’ were the special attraction.

The village boasts a very attractive group of agricultural houses built in 1952. About 20 years ago more houses were constructed. The growing population and the increase in car ownership has reduced the once efficient bus service to one bus operating on market day only from Usk to Abergavenny.

Llanddewi Rhydderch

The village of Llanddewi Rhydderch lies in a natural bowl some 2 miles east of the Little Skirrid alongside the Pant brook which eventually flows into the River Monnow.

The first signs of occupation are evident by a bronze age axe head found in the grounds near the church on Church Farm (currently on display in the National Museum of Wales), where ample water springs and shelter from the prevailing west wind made it a suitably habitable site for early settlers.

The church, known as St Davids in English and Llanddewi in Welsh, translates as the Parish of David and dates back over 700 years ago, with a magnificent belfry tower thought to be one of the finest medieval wooden structures in Monmouthshire. The bells have thought to have been since replaced as one bears the inscription `William Jones, Robert Hughes CW 1710`.

The second half on the village’s name, `Rhydderch`, originates as the name of the Welsh Chieftain who ruled the area during the Norman times. When translated, the names of some surrounding local farms and cottages imply an intriguing history of occupants, such as:

• The farm of Tresaison; transcribing as `Homestead of the Saxons`.
• The farms of Pentre Gwyddel ; translates as `Village of the Irish`.
• The farm of Mynachty; previously the monks’ house which was once in the diocese of Abbey Dore, run by the Abbot and monks.
• Crispin Cottage was a former post office and shop and prior to that the blacksmiths and cobblers shop. Saint  Crispin is the patron saint of  cobblers or could be named after `Saint Crispins Day` on which the 1415 Battle of Agincourt was won, when Henry V who was born in the Gatehouse at Monmouth, was saved by his close friend, Sir David Gam from Llantilio.
• Tŷ Mote; translates and explains its origin after a mote and bailey castle built in an adjoining field and believed to be a look-out post and satellite of White Castle.

Originally, the centre point of the village was the now-derelict Llanddewi Court (please see attached picture prior to its abandonment), which dates back to medieval times. Leading up to Llanddewi Court is a dilapidated medieval horse-and-cart bridge (please see watercolour, by kind permission of local artist Glyn Harris), of which there is now pressure from the Community Council to save and preserve for future generations.

The village has suffered the usual rural cutbacks and closures signifying modern times, such as the closure of the two schools, the post office, shop and the flour mills which are all now domestic dwellings, but whose identities are all still kept by retaining their names and markings of their buildings.