Llanfoist (Welsh : Llan-ffwyst) is a village near Abergavenny, in Monmouthshire, Wales, in the community of Llanfoist Fawr. Llanfoist derives from Ffwyst, an early Christian Welsh saint, although the anglicised version of the church patron is Saint Faith. The population was 1,228 in 2011. [1]
1901 Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire describes the parish church of St Faith's:
"".. an ancient building of small dimensions, in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, south porch and a western bell gable with two bells" adding "The windows are stained; one on the south side, of three lights, was placed by Mrs. Wheeley in memory of her father. The east window and two small ones in the chancel were erected by the neighbouring gentry to the memory of Crawshay Bailey esq., the great ironmaster of Nant-y-glo, who is buried here. A three-light window on the north side was given by his tenantry as a memorial to the same. The chancel was restored in 1877 by Crawshay Bailey esq., son of the above, and since, deceased. There are 80 sittings. In the churchyard are two ancient yew trees, and an ancient stone cross."
The church holds records for baptisms from 1736–1975, for marriages from 1736–1971, for banns from 1824–47 and 1890–1933, and for burials from 1736-1945. There are also Bishops Transcripts for 1725-32, 1734–51, 1753-4, 1756–75, 1777–1806, 1808–10, 1813, 1815–16, 1820–37, 1841–58, 1862–1865, 1869 and 1880.
The parish of Llanelen has historically been held with Llanfoist, although since the retirement of the last resident Rector, the Reverend Thomas Arthur Foster (1923-2010) in 1992 the parishes have been served from Govilon (Llanwenarth Ultra). [2] At the time of his departure, Father Foster was the longest serving incumbent in the Diocese of Monmouth, having held the benefice since 1959. His predecessor, the Reverend Harold Stanley Richards (1888-1976) served between 1930-59. [3] In January 2012 an ancient yew tree in the grounds of St Faith's Church, which was believed to be up to 1,000 years old, was brought down by high winds. [4]
The village also had a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, erected in 1839. In 1851 the attendance was 200 for morning worship (with 180 scholars), 200 scholars in the afternoon and 40 for evening worship with 50 scholars. [5]
Llanfoist was home to ironmaster Crawshay Bailey. Before 1851 he had retired to Llanfoist House in the village. Llanfoist Primary School had a house named after him until 2008 when the House was renamed 'Skirrid'. He died in 1872, aged 83, after at least seventy years in industry. His only son and heir, also Crawshay Bailey (1841–1887), inherited his estate. [6]
The novelist Alexander Cordell, most famously author of Rape of the Fair Country is buried at Llanfoist. [7]
The village is located beneath the hill known as Blorenge, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park, rising 1,838 feet (560 m) above sea level over the vale of the River Usk. The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal runs just above the village. [8]
The village has a church hall, situated on the Merthyr Road. [9] The Llanfoist Fawr Primary School moved to a new location in the Barratt estate (Ffordd yr Ysgol) on Gypsy Lane and was opened in 2008.
Llanfoist Cemetery (also known as New Cemetery), stands on the south bank of the River Usk at the northern edge of Llanfoist. Opened in 1894, its Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales registration describes it as a "good example of a well-preserved Victorian landscaped garden cemetery". [10] The cemetery is listed at Grade II on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales. [11]
Abergavenny is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a Gateway to Wales; it is approximately 6 miles (10 km) from the border with England and is located where the A40 trunk road and the A465 Heads of the Valleys road meet.
Cwmbran is a town in the county borough of Torfaen in South Wales.
Monmouthshire is a county in the south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the south, and Torfaen, Newport and Blaenau Gwent to the west. The largest town is Abergavenny, and the administrative centre is Usk.
Blorenge, also called The Blorenge, is a prominent hill overlooking the valley of the River Usk near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, southeast Wales. It is situated in the southeastern corner of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The summit plateau reaches a height of 561 metres (1,841 ft).
The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a small network of canals in South Wales. For most of its currently (2018) navigable 35-mile (56 km) length it runs through the Brecon Beacons National Park, and its present rural character and tranquillity belies its original purpose as an industrial corridor for coal and iron, which were brought to the canal by a network of tramways and/or railroads, many of which were built and owned by the canal company.
Abergavenny was an ancient hundred of Monmouthshire.
Llangynidr is a village, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Crickhowell and 9 miles (14.5 km) south-east of Brecon. The River Usk flows through the village as does the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. It is in the historic county of Brecknockshire.
Newport Docks is the collective name for a group of docks in the city of Newport, south-east Wales.
Crawshay Bailey was an English industrialist who became one of the great iron-masters of Wales.
Govilon is a small Welsh village located between Llanfoist and Gilwern near Abergavenny in north Monmouthshire. It is part of the community of Llanfoist Fawr. the population was 1,447 in 2011.
The Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway, also known as the Heads of the Valleys line, was a railway line which operated between 1860 and 1958 between the Monmouthshire town of Abergavenny and the Glamorgan town of Merthyr Tydfil in South East Wales.
LlanoverWelsh pronunciation:[ɬaˈnɔvɛr] is a village in the community of Goetre Fawr in Monmouthshire, Wales.
Mamhilad is a village in the community of Goetre Fawr in Monmouthshire, south east Wales.
Llanwenarth is a small village and parish in the Usk Valley of Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, United Kingdom. It is in the community of Llanfoist Fawr and covered by the electoral ward of Llanwenarth Ultra.
Goytre is a village in the community of Goetre Fawr in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom.
Llanddewi Skirrid is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom.
Llanfrynach is a village and community in the county of Powys, Wales, and the historic county of Brecknockshire. The population of the community as taken at the 2011 census was 571. It lies just to the southeast of Brecon in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The village sits astride the Nant Menasgin, a right bank tributary of the River Usk. The B4558 passes just to its north and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal also passes around the village. The Welsh name signifies the 'church of Brynach'. The community includes the hamlets of Llanhamlach and Groesffordd.
St Mary the Virgin is the former parish church for Llanfair Kilgeddin, near Usk in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is a Grade I listed building, notable for its significant Arts and Crafts interior. The church was declared redundant in the 1980s and is now in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.
Pant-y-Goitre Bridge crosses the River Usk between Abergavenny and Usk near the village of Llanfair Kilgeddin. The bridge carries the B4598. It was constructed in 1821 by the engineer John Upton.
Goetre Fawr is a community and electoral ward in Monmouthshire, Wales, a few miles south of the town of Abergavenny.
