History
Since the time of the Norman Conquest Llanilid and neighbouring Llanharan were part of the Welsh lordship of Ruthin, one of the lordships of Glamorgan in the cantref of Penychen. [2] [3] [4] The region was wild and heavily wooded, consisting of scattered hamlets in the clearings and the land was predominantly taken to pastoralism. [2] Tradition states that Rhys ap Jestyn was granted lordship of the region by the Normans, but there is little historical proof of this. It is known that the Normans left the region fairly untouched, though the motte in Llanilid, believed to be Norman in construct, show evidence of encroachment into the area. [2] Eventually the lordship of Ruthin was partitioned, and by 1245 Richard Seward of the neighbouring lordship of Talyfan had wrested the region of Ruthin away from its Welsh rulers. [5] In 1245 Ruthin, along with Talyfan and Llanblethian, were confiscated by Richard de Clare. [6]
Little is known of the early history of Llanilid after the end of Norman control, though it is known the region boasted an ancient church, a smithy and several displaced small holdings. Most of the farms dealt with livestock, with only the western area of Llanilid, in modern times known as Felindre, possessing fertile land. [7] This portion of Llanilid was given over to the Knights of St. John before 1338 and was known as the manor of Milton. The manor of Milton was the chief possession of the Knight of St. John within Glamorgan and its primary form of income for the order was a water mill which sat on the banks of the River Ewenny. [2] [7] This demesne and the mill was let and its oversight entrusted to a separate seneschal. [8] When the order was dissolved in 1540, Milton was purchased by John Thomas Bassett of Bonvilston. [8] Around this time, Llanilid had a population of around a hundred people whose land was controlled by absentee landlords. By 1666 three land owners, Humphrey Wyndham of Dunraven, Sir Robert Thomas of Llanmihangel and David Jenkins of Hensol, owned most of the parish. [9]
Llanilid remained a rural parish throughout the 18th and 19th century, though with the coming of the industrialisation of South Wales its northern border was transformed by a large opencast mine. In 1848 Sophia Crichton-Stuart, Marchioness of Bute, wrote to her land agent, expressing concern at the actions of the Earl of Cottenham, then Lord Chancellor, who had the patronage of the parish, "where hardly anyone speaks English", for appointing as rector "a man without Welsh". [10] Despite the changes, the hamlet saw little growth or additional housing and in 1961 the population was 95. [11]
Major landmarks
With a sparse population and made up mainly of farm houses, Llanilid still contains several buildings and structures of note. Arguably the oldest recognised structure in Llanilid is the Castle ringwork datable to the 12th century. [14] The ringwork and raised motte, which is roughly circular, are described as one of the best preserved in Glamorgan and contains a visible bank and ditch. It is classed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and comes under the care of Cadw, but it is not one of its protected sites. [15] [16] To the ringwork's immediate south-west sits St. Ilid & St Curig's church. The origin of the church is unknown, but the lower foundation stones are ancient in origin, believed to be pre-Norman Conquest. [17] The rebuild date is unknown but architectural historians, such as John Newman, find comparisons in the design of Ruperra Castle (1626); also the south wall contains two light Tudor windows. [14] The square tower has corbelled battlements with two-light Tudor bell-openings, though these are described as being later than the original design. John Prichard, whose work on Llandaff Cathedral saw him work on many buildings of the Diocese of Llandaff, of which St Ilid and St Cruig's belongs, 'refixed' the chancel roof in its original style, but new-roofed the nave. [14] This work was completed around 1881 after a sum of £380 was found to repair the building from its then ruinous state. [8] The font appears to have been taken from an earlier building, dated as 13th century. [14]
In 2005, work started on a major film studio on the northern borders of Llanilid, named Dragon International Film Studios. The £330m development saw its first major international film, Ironclad released in 2009. [18] [19]
Until 1974, Glamorgan, or sometimes Glamorganshire, was an administrative county in the south of Wales, and later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying boundaries known in Welsh as Morgannwg, which was then invaded and taken over by the Normans as the Lordship of Glamorgan. The area that became known as Glamorgan was both a rural, pastoral area, and a conflict point between the Norman lords and the Welsh princes. It was defined by a large concentration of castles.
Llandaff Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral and parish church in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and three Welsh saints: Dubricius, Teilo and Oudoceus. It is one of two cathedrals in Cardiff, the other being the Roman Catholic Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral in the city centre.
Colwinston is both a village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of the centre of Bridgend and 21 miles (34 km) west of the centre of Cardiff. The village is located within 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) of the A48. The population in 2005 was approximately 400 but with recent building development, the population is now estimated at over 600 people.
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The Diocese of Llandaff is an Anglican diocese that traces its roots to pre-Reformation times as heir of a Catholic bishopric. It is headed by the Bishop of Llandaff, whose seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Llandaff, a suburb of Cardiff. It currently covers most of the former Welsh county of Glamorgan, but once stretched from the River Towy to the middle of the Wye Valley.
William Glyn Hughes Simon was a Welsh prelate who served as the Anglican Archbishop of Wales from 1968 to 1971.
Bonvilston is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village is situated on the A48 about four miles east of Cowbridge and near the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The population in 2011 was 392.
Llanblethian is a village in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales which sits upon the River Thaw. It makes up part of the community of Cowbridge with Llanblethian, which consists of the village itself, the larger market town of Cowbridge and Aberthin.
Llanharan is a village and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. As a community Llanharan takes in the neighbouring settlements of Bryncae, Brynna, Llanilid, Peterston-super-Montem and Ynysmaerdy. Llanharan thrived during the British Industrial Revolution, with several tin and coal mines in the location providing employment to the town's residents. With the decline of heavy industry in the South Wales Coalfield, Llanharan has been in economic decline, though its proximity to the M4 motorway offers its residents easy commutable access to most of South Wales.
This page is a list of High Sheriffs of Glamorgan. Sheriffs of Glamorgan served under and were answerable to the independent Lords of Glamorgan until that lordship was merged into the crown. This is in contrast to sheriffs of the English shires who were from the earliest times officers of the crown. Sheriffs in the modern sense, appointed and answerable to the crown, were instituted in the county of Glamorgan in 1541.
John Prichard was a Welsh architect in the neo-Gothic style. As diocesan architect of Llandaff, he was involved in the building or restoration of many churches in south Wales.
Newcastle Castle is a medieval castle located on Newcastle Hill, Newcastle, overlooking the town centre of Bridgend in Glamorgan, South Wales. It was originally believed to date from 1106 when a ringwork was created at the site by the Norman baron Robert Fitzhamon. Some of the fine stonework survives, but today the castle is ruinous.
Caerau Hillfort is a large triangular multivallate Iron Age hillfort, built on a previously occupied Neolithic site, occupying the western tip of an extensive ridge-top plateau in the western suburbs of Caerau and Ely, Cardiff, Wales. It is the largest Iron Age site of its type in south Wales and also one of the largest in Great Britain. The old parish church, St Mary's, and a small ringwork, almost certainly a medieval castle site probably contemporary with the church, stand within the hillfort on the north-eastern side.
Coychurch Higher is a community in Bridgend County Borough, south Wales. It covers the westerly area of the county north of Pencoed and south of Ogmore Vale. The community is sparsely populated and contains only one settlement, the small village of Heol-y-Cyw, which is located on the southerly border of the community. The majority of the community is made up of hilly terrain populated by several farm houses. It was once the site of Wern Tarw Colliery, the site of the first major coalminers' strike post-nationalisation of the coal industry. The population of the community in 2011 was 888.
St Mary Hill is a settlement in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north west of the market town of Cowbridge. It is part of the community of Llangan along with Treoes and the village of Llangan itself.
Welsh St Donats is a village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Consisting of 1207 hectares of mainly rural land, it is located north east of Cowbridge. The population of the community was 534 in the 2011 census. Welsh St Donats includes the villages of Maendy, Prisk and Tair Onen. A mile to the east from the village lies the Hensol Forest, while the remains of Talyfan Castle are to the north.
Saint Ilid is a semi-legendary saint of Wales. He has at times been identified as Joseph of Arimathea, perhaps because he is referred to as a "man of Israel" and to have been born Jewish. Moreover, he is said to have returned from Rome with Caratacus, Saint Cyllin and Eigen and formed a religious college of twelve named Cor Eurgain, suggesting the early entry of Christianity into Britain. He may be commemorated in the village Llanilid. According to Thomas Morgan, Llanilid follows the tradition of Welsh place names attached to a parish in taking its title from the saint to whom the local church is dedicated. In Llanilid the local church is St. Ilid & St Curig's church, and Morgan states that this relates to Ilid a person who introduced Christianity to Wales in the 1st century. This research may be connected to that of famed literary forger Iolo Morganwg, who produced elaborate tales of Ilid going as far as stating that it was the Welsh names of Joseph of Arimathea. Morgan relates that "Llan" – "Ilid", refers to the 'parish of St Ilid'. This has been challenged by R. W. D. Fenn, who, after studying the Book of Llandaff and Nennius's Historia Brittonum writes in 1962 that the Latin equivalent of Ilid represents the name of a district, similar to Llandovery, and not a person. Fenn then writes that in 1566 Llanilid was dedicated to Ilid and Curig, whom he connects to the saints more commonly known in Christian tradition as Julietta and Quiricus. He links this through the Appendix of the Book of Llandaff which states that the church at Llanilid is first given as the 'Church of St Julitta'.
St Curig was a Celtic Roman Catholic bishop and saint of Wales during post Roman times.
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1720 to Wales and its people.
The Church of the Holy Cross is a medieval church in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. Initially a chapel of ease to Church of St John the Baptist, Llanblethian of Cowbridge as a medieval market town. Believed to have been built in the 13th century, the church has an unusual tower design. It has undergone several restorations including one by John Prichard in 1850–52. The Church of the Holy Cross was listed as a Grade I building on 12 May 1963.
