Meline | |
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![]() Church of St Dogfael | |
Location within Pembrokeshire | |
OS grid reference | SN118388 |
Principal area | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Crymych |
Postcode district | SA41 |
Police | Dyfed-Powys |
Fire | Mid and West Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
UK Parliament | |
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Meline (also recorded as Meliney and Melinau) is a parish in the Diocese of St David's in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. There is no settlement of this name.
While there is no settlement called Meline, the name may refer to a mill on one of the rivers that run through the north of the parish, including the Nevern and Brynberian. [1] Meline (as Malenay) appears on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire. [2] The parish was in the ancient Hundred of Cemais and in 1833 was described as including some ancient mansions as well as prehistoric features. [3] In 1835 the parish had a population of 492 of which 30 or 40 attended Sunday School in the summer months. [4] By the 1870s the population had fallen to 414 people, living in 108 houses and fell to below 300 in the mid-20th century. [5] At the turn of the 20th century Meline was sharing a Board School with Whitechurch (Eglwyswen). [6]
The parish, with an area of 4,523 acres (1,830 ha), includes the hamlet of Crosswell, a number of other minor settlements and farms, and extends southwards into the Preseli Mountains. [1] It is mostly within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. [7]
The former parish church, in the northern tip of the parish, [1] is dedicated to St Dogmael (or Dogfael) and is a Grade-II listed building. It was built in 1865, replacing an earlier structure, possibly 13th century, some of which was incorporated into the present church, including the font. [8] [9]
In 2017, the church was vested in the care of Friends of Friendless Churches, a charity that rescues redundant churches across England and Wales. [10]
A carved pew back from the earlier church is preserved at Penbenglog nearby, bearing the inscription (in Latin) "The pew of Matilda, wife of George Perrott, of Penybenglog, gentleman, 1626". [11] Penbenglog is a Grade-II listed house dating from the early 17th century, with earlier origins, and one of the oldest continuously-occupied sites in north Pembrokeshire. [12] [13]
Benjamin Evans (minister) (1740-1821) was born in the parish. [14]