Aberffraw is now a small
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
and
communityA community is the lowest level of local government structure in Wales, corresponding to a civil parish in England.Until 1974, Wales was divided into civil parishes. These were abolished by section 20 of the Local Government Act 1972, and replaced by communities by section 27 of the same Act. The...
on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey
(WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
: Ynys Môn), in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
, by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at . The UK postcode begins LL63. Access by road is by way of the
A4080The A4080 is a British A road which is located on the Island of Anglesey, Wales. The road begins at Menai Bridge and runs via Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Newborough and Rhosneigr to join the A55 about 9 miles from Holyhead. In all the road is about 17 miles long...
and the nearest rail station is
BodorganBodorgan railway station serves the hamlet of Bodorgan and the village of Bethel on the Isle of Anglesey. The stop is an unmanned halt, and serves as a request stop for Chester and Holyhead-bound local trains along the North Wales coast.-Services:...
. In the early
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
Aberffraw was the capital of
GwyneddGwynedd is one of several Welsh successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the Deceangli which were collectively known as Venedotia in late Romano-British documents...
from c.860 AD until c.1170. Under the eponymous Aberffraw Dynasty it came to be the most important political centre in
medieval Wales*Wales in the Early Middle Ages*Wales in the High Middle Ages*Wales in the Late Middle Ages...
.
Aberffraw is now a small
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
and
communityA community is the lowest level of local government structure in Wales, corresponding to a civil parish in England.Until 1974, Wales was divided into civil parishes. These were abolished by section 20 of the Local Government Act 1972, and replaced by communities by section 27 of the same Act. The...
on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey
(WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
: Ynys Môn), in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
, by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at . The UK postcode begins LL63. Access by road is by way of the
A4080The A4080 is a British A road which is located on the Island of Anglesey, Wales. The road begins at Menai Bridge and runs via Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Newborough and Rhosneigr to join the A55 about 9 miles from Holyhead. In all the road is about 17 miles long...
and the nearest rail station is
BodorganBodorgan railway station serves the hamlet of Bodorgan and the village of Bethel on the Isle of Anglesey. The stop is an unmanned halt, and serves as a request stop for Chester and Holyhead-bound local trains along the North Wales coast.-Services:...
. In the early
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
Aberffraw was the capital of
GwyneddGwynedd is one of several Welsh successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the Deceangli which were collectively known as Venedotia in late Romano-British documents...
from c.860 AD until c.1170. Under the eponymous Aberffraw Dynasty it came to be the most important political centre in
medieval Wales*Wales in the Early Middle Ages*Wales in the High Middle Ages*Wales in the Late Middle Ages...
. The
Llys remained the symbolic throne of the Kings of Gwynedd from the 9th century to the 13th century. The Royal Annals of
Edward I of EnglandEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons. In 1259 he briefly sided with a baronial...
show the Llys was dismantled in 1315 to provide building materials for nearby
Beaumaris CastleBeaumaris Castle, located in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed...
.
...appeared to demonstrate the presence of a two-phase, round-angled, rectangular enclosure, at least 70m NNE-SSW, thought to represent a Roman military work, refurnished in the early medieval period as a llys (Princely court) enclosure; although a radio-carbon date centring on the period 27-387AD, appears to support this thesis, the identification of a Roman work is currently out of favour: the site of the llys, whose (partial?) dismantling is recorded in 1317, is regarded as uncertain: two sculptured heads, of apparent C13 style, are known from the village (White 1978): the putative curving angle of the enclosure has been suggested to hint at the former presence of a motte: excavations at the traditional site of the llys, about 650m to the WSW, recorded only C18 remains. Excavation, 1973-4 (White 1979) http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/Welshsites/966.html.
Aberffraw village
Aberffraw has a population of 599 of which 79.8% are able to speak Welsh (2001 Census). Attractions near Aberffraw village include Llyn Coron (a lake),
Barclodiad y GawresBarclodiad y Gawres is a Neolithic burial chamber two miles north-west of Aberffraw on the island of Anglesey in North Wales, and on the Anglesey Coastal Path. It is an example of a cruciform passage grave, a notable feature being its decorated stones. It is cared for by the Welsh heritage...
, a
NeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BCE in the Middle East that is traditionally considered the last part of the Stone Age...
burial chamber and the island of
CribinauCribinau is a small tidal island off the south west coast of the isle of Anglesey in Wales between Porth China and Porth Cwyfan. The nearest village is Aberffraw. The island, which can be reached on foot at low tide, is notable for the 13th century, St Cwyfan's church perched on its top...
with the 7th century church of Saint Cwyfan perched on top. The church still holds services in the summer and is sometimes used for weddings with access by boat. The village has an excellent sandy beach which was awarded the
Blue flagThe Blue Flag is an award that is given to beaches and marinas that have met stringent standards. The exclusive ‘eco-label’ is awarded on an annual basis to beaches and marinas around the world....
rural beach award in 2005, and is on the
Anglesey Coastal PathAnglesey Coastal Path cost £1.4 million and runs virtually within the length of the entire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on Anglesey, Wales. It is a network of public rights of way and some designated permissive paths....
.
In mythology
In
Welsh mythologyWelsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
, Aberffraw features as the site of
BranwenBranwen, Daughter of Llŷr is a major character in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, which is sometimes called the Mabinogi of Branwen after her. Branwen is a daughter of Llŷr and Penarddun...
and
MatholwchMatholwch, King of Ireland, is a character in the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, the tale of Branwen ferch Llŷr.The story opens with Bran, King of Britain, sitting on a rock by the sea at Harlech and seeing the vessels of Matholwch approaching. Matholwch has come to ask for the hand of Bran's...
's wedding festival, where Efnysien maimed Matholwch's horses.
External links