Llanfairfechan
Encyclopedia
Llanfairfechan is a town and community
in the Conwy County Borough, Wales
. It lies on the coast of north Wales
on the route of the A55 road
, between Penmaenmawr
and Bangor
. It previously was in Gwynedd
(1972-1996) and prior to that was in Caernarfonshire
. For ceremonial and electoral boundary purposes it was transferred from the preserved county
of Gwynedd to that of Clwyd
in 2003. It is known as a seaside resort
and had a population at the 2001 Census
of 3,755.
It has a railway station
on the North Wales Coast Line
. For electoral purposes, the community of Llanfairfechan consists of three electoral wards, Bryn, Lafan and Pandy.
Morfa Madryn, the salt marsh
area immediately west of the town on the shore of Traeth Lafan, is a local authority-managed nature reserve of outstanding beauty and a favourite haunt of bird watcher
s. The site is home to cormorants & shags. The rare Little Egret
can also be spotted.
Llanfairfechan is also home to Bryn y Neuadd, a learning disability hospital (currently subject to a comprehensive resettlement programme - due for completion in 2008), a mental health unit (Carreg Fawr) and a medium-secure unit (Tŷ Llywelyn). The site, Bryn Y Neuadd, is also home to the control centres for both the Emergency and Non-Emergency Ambulance
services for the north.
Translated from Welsh
into English
, Llanfairfechan means "The Little (or Lesser) Church of St. Mary".
Llanfairfechan was judged North Wales village of the year for 2009 in the competition run by Calor Gas UK
It is not far from Aber Falls
.
, 50.4% of the population of the town can speak the Welsh language
. This is far above the national average of 20.8%. The age group with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers is the 10-14 year olds, where exactly 70% can speak the language fluently, with more having some knowledge of the language.
Llanfairfechan also has two Welsh-language schools, Ysgol Babanod Llanfairfechan, and Ysgol Pant-Y-Rhedyn. They are for pre-school to year 2 and year 3 to year 6 respectively.
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in the Conwy County Borough, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It lies on the coast of north Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
on the route of the A55 road
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
, between Penmaenmawr
Penmaenmawr
PenmaenmawrConwyPenmaenmawr is a town in the parish of Dwygyfylchi, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 3857 in 2001. It is a quarrying town, though the latter is no longer a major employer, on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan.The town was bypassed by the A55...
and Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
. It previously was in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
(1972-1996) and prior to that was in Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire , historically spelled as Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire in English during its existence, was one of the thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county of Wales....
. For ceremonial and electoral boundary purposes it was transferred from the preserved county
Preserved counties of Wales
The preserved counties of Wales are the current areas used in Wales for the ceremonial purposes of Lieutenancy and Shrievalty. They are based on the counties created by the Local Government Act 1972 and used for local government and other purposes between 1974 and 1996.-Usage:The Local Government ...
of Gwynedd to that of Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
in 2003. It is known as a seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
and had a population at the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
of 3,755.
It has a railway station
Llanfairfechan railway station
Llanfairfechan railway station serves the small seaside town of Llanfairfechan and is located on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. There are regular through services to Chester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Flint...
on the North Wales Coast Line
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
. For electoral purposes, the community of Llanfairfechan consists of three electoral wards, Bryn, Lafan and Pandy.
Morfa Madryn, the salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
area immediately west of the town on the shore of Traeth Lafan, is a local authority-managed nature reserve of outstanding beauty and a favourite haunt of bird watcher
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
s. The site is home to cormorants & shags. The rare Little Egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
can also be spotted.
Llanfairfechan is also home to Bryn y Neuadd, a learning disability hospital (currently subject to a comprehensive resettlement programme - due for completion in 2008), a mental health unit (Carreg Fawr) and a medium-secure unit (Tŷ Llywelyn). The site, Bryn Y Neuadd, is also home to the control centres for both the Emergency and Non-Emergency Ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
services for the north.
Translated from Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Llanfairfechan means "The Little (or Lesser) Church of St. Mary".
Llanfairfechan was judged North Wales village of the year for 2009 in the competition run by Calor Gas UK
It is not far from Aber Falls
Aber Falls
Aber Falls is a waterfall located about two miles south of the village of Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, Wales....
.
Welsh Language
According to the 2001 CensusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, 50.4% of the population of the town can speak the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. This is far above the national average of 20.8%. The age group with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers is the 10-14 year olds, where exactly 70% can speak the language fluently, with more having some knowledge of the language.
Llanfairfechan also has two Welsh-language schools, Ysgol Babanod Llanfairfechan, and Ysgol Pant-Y-Rhedyn. They are for pre-school to year 2 and year 3 to year 6 respectively.