Mechell | |
---|---|
The winding lane to Mynydd Mechell | |
Location within Anglesey | |
Population | 1,293 (2011 census) |
Community |
|
Principal area | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Mechell is a community in the north of the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. Llanfechell is the largest village within the community area. Tregele, Llanfflewyn, Mynydd Mechell, Bodewryd, Rhosbeirio and Carreglefn have a more dispersed settlement pattern. The antiquity of these settlements is shown by the presence of 6 medieval (or older) churches and some 16 more ancient sites dating back into prehistory.
The population of the community in 2011 was 1,293.
Mechell's settlements are all on inland situations, although a narrow strip of land reaches up as far as the north coast of the island, east of Cemaes Bay, in Llanbadrig Community. To the east is Cylch-y-Garn Community, and to the south is Tref Alaw and Rhosybol.
There are three wards within the Mechell community council area, with a total of 10 councillors representing Llanfechell, Mynydd Mechell and Carreglefn, plus a chairperson. [1]
Prior to the 2012 Anglesey electoral boundary changes Mechell was an electoral ward for the county council. It is now part of a new Talybolion ward. [2]
The oldest of the settlements appears to be Llanfechell, named, as is the larger community, after the 6th century saint Mechell, reputedly a Breton missionary. Tradition has it that he is buried in Llanfechell. [3] The large number of prehistoric sites attest to human habitation across the Community since well before that.
There is a very detailed account of daily life in the Mechell area during the 18th century, within the diaries of William Bulkeley, (1691-1760). He lived at Brynddu, a house on the edge of Llanfechell, and kept a daily record of Anglesey life from 1734 to 1760. [4]
The land of Mechell Community is a settled agricultural landscape, with a network of small farms. The longstanding importance of arable agriculture is shown by the remains of four watermills and three windmills in the Mechell area: Meddanen Water Mill and Melin Mechell Windmill (also known as Minffordd Mill and Melin Maen Arthur) are close together so could have been worked by the same miller, utilising water and wind as available. Further south is Pant y Gŵydd, the second windmill. To the west, along the Afon Cafnan, was a series of mills, including the Cefn Coch Water Mill and Windmill, the Pandy Cefn Coch (a fulling mill), and Cafnan Water Mill at the mouth of the river. [5] [6] [7] [8]
Wylfa Nuclear Power Station, close to the Community boundary's northern tip, was the only substantial employer in the immediate neighbourhood, on the coast, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northwest of Llanfechell. It was the only Nuclear Power Station in Wales after Trawsfynedd shut down. The site produced electricity from 1971, and ceased at the end of 2015. [9] Proposals from Horizon Nuclear Power to build 'Wylfa Newydd' are under consideration. [10]
Mechell Community has 4 Church in Wales buildings in the Bangor Diocese and Bro Padrig Deanery, [11]
There have been least nine non=conformist Chapels in the Mechell area, dating to the nineteenth and early 20th centuries:-
All four extant medieval churches above are given the legal protection of Listed Building status. Below are the other listed buildings within the community, [26] plus some other notable buildings and structures:-
There are five Scheduled monuments within the community area, all of them dating to prehistory, and a further 10 sites are also listed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. All the sites are in open country within the community aea, so cannot be said to be in any one of the settlements. The 'settlement' column is there to give a guide as to which part of Mechell Community it is in.
Picture | Monument Name | settlement | Site type | Period | Purpose | Grid Reference & Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bodewryd Standing Stone | Bodewryd | Standing stone | Prehistoric | Religious, Ritual and Funerary | SH406902, 53°23′05″N4°23′52″W / 53.3847°N 4.3978°W | |
Llifad enclosure | Carreglefn | Enclosure | Prehistoric | Possible defended settlement. [38] | SH384910, 53°23′29″N4°25′49″W / 53.3915°N 4.4302°W | |
Pen-y-Morwyd Round Barrow | Pen-y-Morwyd | Round barrow | Prehistoric | Religious, Ritual and Funerary | SH384912, 53°23′36″N4°25′50″W / 53.3933°N 4.4306°W | |
Standing Stone North of Llanfechell Church (Baron Hill Maen Hir) | Llanfechell | Standing stone | Prehistoric | Religious, Ritual and Funerary. [39] Cup and ring mark found on one of the packing stones. [40] | SH369916, 53°23′47″N4°27′11″W / 53.3964°N 4.4531°W | |
The Llanfechell Triangle Standing Stones | Llanfechell | Standing stone | Prehistoric | Religious, Ritual and Funerary | SH363916, 53°23′48″N4°27′43″W / 53.3966°N 4.46204°W |
Other Archaeological sites in Mechell:-
Monument Name | settlement | Site details | Grid Reference & Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|
Barrow between Rhosbeirio and Yr Efail | Rhosbeirio | Bronze Age or later Round barrow | SH395911, 53°23′32″N4°24′55″W / 53.3922°N 4.4154°W |
Burial Chamber at Foel Fawr, or Stones near Cromlech Farm | Llanfechell | It may just be a 'suggestive natural feature'. [41] | SH360920, 53°23′57″N4°28′03″W / 53.3993°N 4.4675°W |
Clegyrog Blas, Cropmark Enclosure | Carreglefn | Cropmarks of a concentric ditched enclosure. [42] | SH386907, 53°23′19″N4°25′42″W / 53.3887°N 4.4284°W |
Maen-Y-Goges; Maen-Y-Eoges (the Cook's stone) | Carreglefn | Natural feature with legendary associations, from which Carreglefn is named. [43] | SH395895, 53°22′40″N4°24′51″W / 53.3778°N 4.4141°W |
Mynydd Groes Earthwork | Llanfechell | Field enclosure earthworks, largely cleared. [44] | SH351915, 53°23′38″N4°28′54″W / 53.3940°N 4.4818°W |
Pen-y-Morwydd Barrow | Llanfechell | Field enclosure earthworks, largely cleared. [45] | SH385913, 53°23′36″N4°25′50″W / 53.3933°N 4.4306°W |
Pen-y-Morwydd Pillow Mound | Llanfechell | Constructed rabbit warren. Up to 7 mounds recorded at this site, most no longer visible. [46] | SH385912, 53°23′34″N4°25′49″W / 53.3927°N 4.4304°W |
Enclosure north-west of Llanfechell | Llanfechell | roughly square enclosure 15m across. [47] | SH364917, 53°23′48″N4°27′44″W / 53.3967°N 4.4622°W |
Hilltop enclosure at Carog | Llanfechell | Neolithic settlement evidence with circular defensive ditch dated to 800BC. Also 800-900AD house and domestic artifacts. Excavated 2010. [48] | SH373922, 53°24′04″N4°26′57″W / 53.4012°N 4.4491°W |
Tai Hen Cropmark Enclosure | Llanfechell | Irregular rectilinear enclosure some 46m across [49] | SH384915, 53°23′45″N4°25′57″W / 53.3957°N 4.4325°W |
St Fflewin's Church, Llanfflewin is a small rural church, situated by a farm in Anglesey, Wales. The first church on the site is said to have been built by St Fflewin in 630, but the present building has no structural features dating from before the 18th century, although the church has a font from the 14th or 15th century and part of an inscribed medieval gravestone has been reused in a window sill.
St Peirio's Church is a small disused medieval church, in Rhosbeirio, Anglesey, north Wales. It is unclear when a church was first established on this site, although it has been said that this happened in about 605. The current structure, which may date from the 15th century, has been restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. It ceased being used for services some years ago and has been boarded up.
Llanfechell is a village in Anglesey, Wales. It is the largest of several small villages and dispersed settlements that make up Mechell Community Council area. It is 11 miles (18 km) east of Holyhead, and 5.6 miles (9 km) west of Amlwch, in the north of the island.
Bro Garmon is a sparsely populated community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales. It is located on the eastern side of the Conwy Valley, stretching from north east of Llanrwst to just west of Pentrefoelas, and includes the villages of Capel Garmon, Glan Conwy, Melin-y-Coed, Nebo, Oaklands, Rhydlanfair and Pentre-tafarn-y-fedw. Moel Seisiog, on the eastern boundary, rises to a height of 1,535 feet (468 m). The main settlement, Capel Garmon, lies 2.4 miles (3.9 km) east of Betws-y-Coed, 5.2 miles (8.4 km) north west of Pentrefoelas, 4.4 miles (7.1 km) south of Llanrwst and 15.7 miles (25.3 km) south of Conwy. At the 2001 census the community had a population of 648, increasing slightly at the 2011 census to 652.
St Brides Major is a community on the western edge of the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its largest settlement is the village of St Brides Major, and also includes the villages of Ogmore-by-Sea and Southerndown, and the hamlets of Ogmore Village, Castle-upon-Alun, Heol-y-Mynydd, Norton and Pont-yr-Brown It is notable for coastal geology and scenery, limestone downlands and fossilised primitive mammals, sea cliffs and beaches, two Iron Age hillforts, three medieval castle sites,, two stepping stone river crossings and a clapper bridge. Three long distance paths cross the community. It is the western limit of the Vale of Glamorgan Heritage Coast, and has a visitor centre and tourist facilities.
Bont Goch is a village in Ceredigion, Wales, 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Aberystwyth. With Talybont, it is in the community of Ceulanamaesmawr.
St Mechell's Church is a medieval church in the village of Llanfechell, Anglesey, Wales. The building dates from the 12th century and was rebuilt in the mid to late 19th century. It also underwent some renovations in the 1990s. It was designated a Grade II*-listed building on 5 December 1970.