Llantrisant
Encyclopedia
Llantrisant is a town in the county borough
of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales
, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan
, Wales
, lying on the River Ely
and the Afon Clun
. The town's name translates as The Parish
of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno
and St Dyfodwg
. Llantrisant is a hilltop settlement, at an altitude of 174 m (565 ft) above sea level
.
wrote of 'the white houses of Glamorgan' when referring to Llantrisant.
It was seized around 1246 by Richard de Clare
who built Llantrisant Castle. It is thought that de Clare established the borough of Llantrisant though the exact charter occurred in 1346.
In 1346, Llantrisant was granted a Royal Charter
months before the archers from the town helped Edward, the Black Prince
, win a victory against the French army
at the Battle of Crecy
. The Llantrisant longbow
men were pivotal in the adoption of the English longbow
as the missile weapon of choice for the English
crown during the Middle Ages
.
Llantrisant was one of the eight boroughs constituting the Glamorgan borough following the Act of Union, a status it held until 1918.
, where local children are bounced by elders onto the boundary stones of the old borough, still occurs to modern times. This event occurs every seven years and has its roots set as far back as the 14th century. The rite was intended as a reminder to each generation of the importance of the borough boundaries. The children in question are held under the arms and the legs, and their backside is bounced on each of the stones of the old borough. It is believed that the Beating of the Bounds started in 1346, when Llantrisant was awarded its Royal Charter
. This allowed them the freedom to trade without paying tolls within the boundaries of the former borough. The last occasion of this event was in June 2010, but the event is now seen as a purely historic tradition and social community event.
At nearby Tarren Deusant is a spring
with unusual petrosomatoglyph
carvings of two faces, two saints (1696), but now six are present (Sharp 1979).
Llantrisant is known for its pub
culture with a number of venues including The New Inn, the Wheatsheaf and the Cross Keys Hotel. Formerly in the Bull Ring was the Rock and Fountain pub, which became the home of the original Llantrisant Workingmen's Club in May 1953, it was founded by Freeman of Llantrisant, Seth Morgan.
, until it was disallowed in 1827 due to unruly crowds. The square contains a statue of Dr William Price
a pioneer of cremation
.
in Glamorgan
opened in Llantrisant in May 1784, using a number of adapted cottages on Swan Street and part of the Black Cock pub on Yr Allt, a road to the south west of the Bull Ring, between the parish church (to the west) and the castle (to the east).
The Union Workhouse was built in 1884 on the Bull Ring - west of where Dr Price's statue stands today and behind the town pump
. It became known as The Model House, in the rather optimistic belief that its inmates would lead a life of model Christianity. Two pubs, a shop and a cottage were demolished to make way for the expansion of the workhouse.
The building closed as a workhouse in the early 1900s and first became a boarding house, then an inn and later a general store, called County Stores. They were known as a cornflour and provisions merchant, and a linen and woolen drapers, also selling boots and shoes. The site was bought in the 1950s by 'Planet Gloves', who manufactured gloves there until the late 1960s. The Model House stood empty for many years before being bought by the local authority to convert into a craft and design centre.
In 1989 the Model House re-opened as a craft and design centre. A registered charity, Model House was funded by the Arts Council of Wales
since the demise of the Arts Council of Great Britain
in 1994, receiving about 35,000 visitors a year. The ground floor contains galleries that included glass, ceramics and designer jewellery from established British and local artists. The upper floors have workshops that were used by individual craftspeople, whose work could be purchased either from their studio or from the ground floor shop.
The Model House has a programme of art and crafts exhibitions throughout the year and hosts a varied series of workshops, where adults and children may learn the basics of a wide range of contemporary craft skills.
The centre closed in December 2009 after suffering a funding cut from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
, but reopened in mid 2010 .
overlords, led by Madog ap Llywelyn
, and again in 1316 by Llywelyn Bren
. It is believed that the castle was destroyed in 1404 by Owain Glyndwr
though there is no written proof of the event. John Leland reported the castle as ruined in his writings in 1536.
, St. Gwynno and St. Dyfodwg. The site is believed to have been a place of Christian worship since at least the 7th century, and in 1096 the parish church was built and dedicated. The church was rebuilt by Richard de Clare in 1246 in the Norman style and in the 15th century the tower was added. Its interior houses an effigy
of a 13th century warrior, believed to be Cadwgan, lord of Miskin
, a valuable Welsh church monument
. The interior was restored in 1874 by Welsh neo-gothic designer John Prichard
. The second religious building in Llantrisant is Penuel chapel, built in 1826.
- stone tower known locally as “Billy Wynt”. By the early 19th century the tower was in ruins and in 1893 it was restored as a folly
.
, which manufactures all British coins. The Royal Mint transferred to Llantrisant in 1967 and its attractions include the Mint's museum. The town is sometimes known as "The hole with a mint"—a parody of the Polo
slogan.
was the starting point for the education movement, although it was one that would take a century or more to fully develop into a successful entity.
rugby union football club.
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Rhondda Cynon Taf in 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...
, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, 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...
, lying on the River Ely
River Ely
The River Ely is a river in South Wales flowing generally south east, from Tonyrefail to the capital city of Cardiff.-Course of the river:...
and the Afon Clun
Afon Clun
The Afon Clun is a long tributary of the River Ely , in the counties of Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. Its bedrock is predominantly of sandstone...
. The town's name translates as The Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno
Gwynno
Gwynno, or Gwynnog ab Gildas, is the name of a 6th century Welsh saintArchives at the Vatican record that his festival is October 26; he is regarded as a confessor; and that there is said to be a sacred well, Ffynnon Wyno, associated with Llanwonno, in Glamorganshire.Gwynno appears to have been the...
and St Dyfodwg
Dyfodwg
Dyfodwg, or Tyfodwg, is the name of a 6th century Welsh saint, of whom very little evidence survives. According to research by Rice Rees, Tyfodwg was one of the associates of Cadfan , but the family line indicated for him in the available source, the Cambrian Biography, is inconsistent with known...
. Llantrisant is a hilltop settlement, at an altitude of 174 m (565 ft) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
.
History
A settlement has existed on this site from at least the beginning of the 6th century, when the poet AneurinAneirin
Aneirin or Neirin was a Dark Age Brythonic poet. He is believed to have been a bard or 'court poet' in one of the Cumbric kingdoms of the Old North or Hen Ogledd, probably that of Gododdin at Edinburgh, in modern Scotland...
wrote of 'the white houses of Glamorgan' when referring to Llantrisant.
It was seized around 1246 by Richard de Clare
Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford
Richard de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford, 6th Earl of Gloucester was son of Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford and Isabel Marshal. On his father's death, when he became Earl of Gloucester , he was entrusted first to the guardianship of Hubert de Burgh. On Hubert's fall, his guardianship was...
who built Llantrisant Castle. It is thought that de Clare established the borough of Llantrisant though the exact charter occurred in 1346.
In 1346, Llantrisant was granted a Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
months before the archers from the town helped Edward, the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
, win a victory against the French army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
at the Battle of Crecy
Battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...
. The Llantrisant longbow
Longbow
A longbow is a type of bow that is tall ; this will allow its user a fairly long draw, at least to the jaw....
men were pivotal in the adoption of the English longbow
English longbow
The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, is a powerful type of medieval longbow about 6 ft long used by the English and Welsh for hunting and as a weapon in medieval warfare...
as the missile weapon of choice for the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
crown during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Llantrisant was one of the eight boroughs constituting the Glamorgan borough following the Act of Union, a status it held until 1918.
Culture
An ancient tradition called the Beating the BoundsBeating the bounds
Beating the bounds is an ancient custom still observed in some English and Welsh parishes. A group of old and young members of the community would walk the boundaries of the parish, usually led by the parish priest and church officials, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for...
, where local children are bounced by elders onto the boundary stones of the old borough, still occurs to modern times. This event occurs every seven years and has its roots set as far back as the 14th century. The rite was intended as a reminder to each generation of the importance of the borough boundaries. The children in question are held under the arms and the legs, and their backside is bounced on each of the stones of the old borough. It is believed that the Beating of the Bounds started in 1346, when Llantrisant was awarded its Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
. This allowed them the freedom to trade without paying tolls within the boundaries of the former borough. The last occasion of this event was in June 2010, but the event is now seen as a purely historic tradition and social community event.
At nearby Tarren Deusant is a spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
with unusual petrosomatoglyph
Petrosomatoglyph
A petrosomatoglyph is an image of parts of a human or animal body incised in rock. Many were created by Celtic peoples, such as the Picts, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Cumbrians, Bretons and Welsh. These representations date from the Early Middle Ages; others of uncertain purpose date back to megalithic...
carvings of two faces, two saints (1696), but now six are present (Sharp 1979).
Llantrisant is known for its pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
culture with a number of venues including The New Inn, the Wheatsheaf and the Cross Keys Hotel. Formerly in the Bull Ring was the Rock and Fountain pub, which became the home of the original Llantrisant Workingmen's Club in May 1953, it was founded by Freeman of Llantrisant, Seth Morgan.
Notable buildings
The focal point of the town is the Bull Ring, a commercial square in the centre of the town that was used for bull-baitingBull-baiting
Bull-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of bulls.-History:In the time of Queen Anne of Great Britain, bull-baiting was practiced in London at Hockley-in-the-Hole, twice a week – and was reasonably common in the provincial towns...
, until it was disallowed in 1827 due to unruly crowds. The square contains a statue of Dr William Price
William Price (doctor)
William Price was a Welsh physician who achieved notoriety for his support of Welsh nationalism, Chartism and his involvement with the Neo-Druidic religious movement...
a pioneer of cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
.
Model House
The first workhouseWorkhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
opened in Llantrisant in May 1784, using a number of adapted cottages on Swan Street and part of the Black Cock pub on Yr Allt, a road to the south west of the Bull Ring, between the parish church (to the west) and the castle (to the east).
The Union Workhouse was built in 1884 on the Bull Ring - west of where Dr Price's statue stands today and behind the town pump
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
. It became known as The Model House, in the rather optimistic belief that its inmates would lead a life of model Christianity. Two pubs, a shop and a cottage were demolished to make way for the expansion of the workhouse.
The building closed as a workhouse in the early 1900s and first became a boarding house, then an inn and later a general store, called County Stores. They were known as a cornflour and provisions merchant, and a linen and woolen drapers, also selling boots and shoes. The site was bought in the 1950s by 'Planet Gloves', who manufactured gloves there until the late 1960s. The Model House stood empty for many years before being bought by the local authority to convert into a craft and design centre.
In 1989 the Model House re-opened as a craft and design centre. A registered charity, Model House was funded by the Arts Council of Wales
Arts Council of Wales
The Arts Council of Wales is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales.Established by Royal Charter in 1946, as the Welsh Arts Council , when it merged with the three Welsh regional arts associations...
since the demise of the Arts Council of Great Britain
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
in 1994, receiving about 35,000 visitors a year. The ground floor contains galleries that included glass, ceramics and designer jewellery from established British and local artists. The upper floors have workshops that were used by individual craftspeople, whose work could be purchased either from their studio or from the ground floor shop.
The Model House has a programme of art and crafts exhibitions throughout the year and hosts a varied series of workshops, where adults and children may learn the basics of a wide range of contemporary craft skills.
The centre closed in December 2009 after suffering a funding cut from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council is the governing body for Rhondda Cynon Taf, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The council headquarters are located in the town of Tonypandy.- Current composition :- Historic results :...
, but reopened in mid 2010 .
Llantrisant Castle
Llantrisant Castle stands in parkland in the centre of the town though only one wall of the raven tower remains. Although initially built as a wooden fortification it was rebuilt as a stone structure around 1246 by Richard de Clare, Lord of Glamorgan. In 1294 the castle was damaged during the uprising against the NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
overlords, led by Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn
Madog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
, and again in 1316 by Llywelyn Bren
Llywelyn Bren
Llywelyn Bren , or Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys or Llywelyn of the Woods , was a nobleman who led a revolt in Wales during the reign of King Edward II of England in 1316. The revolt would be the last serious challenge to English rule in Wales until the attempts of Owain Lawgoch to invade Wales with...
. It is believed that the castle was destroyed in 1404 by Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
though there is no written proof of the event. John Leland reported the castle as ruined in his writings in 1536.
Llantrisant Parish Church and Penuel Chapel
By the early 1900s Llantrisant had eight chapels, as well as the parish church. Only two religious buildings remain. The elder is the church of 'y tri sant'. The three saints to which the church is dedicated are St. IlltydIlltud
Illtyd , was a Welsh saint, founder and abbot of Llanilltud Fawr in the Welsh county of Glamorgan...
, St. Gwynno and St. Dyfodwg. The site is believed to have been a place of Christian worship since at least the 7th century, and in 1096 the parish church was built and dedicated. The church was rebuilt by Richard de Clare in 1246 in the Norman style and in the 15th century the tower was added. Its interior houses an effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of a 13th century warrior, believed to be Cadwgan, lord of Miskin
Miskin
Miskin is a village approximately 2 miles south of Llantrisant in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.The origin of the village was a small hamlet known as New Mill, which grew up around New Mill farm...
, a valuable Welsh church monument
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
. The interior was restored in 1874 by Welsh neo-gothic designer John Prichard
John Prichard
John Prichard was a Welsh architect of the neo-Gothic style. John Prichard was the son of Richard Prichard a rector from Llangan, Glamorgan and was born on 6 May 1817. He established a practice in Llandaff, Cardiff where he became the diocesan architect. Between 1852 and 1863 he set up a...
. The second religious building in Llantrisant is Penuel chapel, built in 1826.
Y Billy Wynt
At the town's highest point is the remains of a 13th century windmillWindmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
- stone tower known locally as “Billy Wynt”. By the early 19th century the tower was in ruins and in 1893 it was restored as a folly
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
.
Employment
The town is the home of the Royal MintRoyal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
, which manufactures all British coins. The Royal Mint transferred to Llantrisant in 1967 and its attractions include the Mint's museum. The town is sometimes known as "The hole with a mint"—a parody of the Polo
Polo (mint)
Polos are a brand of sweets whose defining feature is the hole in the middle. The peppermint flavoured polo was first manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1948 by employee John Bargewell at the Rowntree's Factory, York, a range of flavours followed...
slogan.
Education
The history of education in Llantrisant is firmly based in the varied religious institutions and Sunday School services which rapidly flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries. The Norman parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
was the starting point for the education movement, although it was one that would take a century or more to fully develop into a successful entity.
Sport
Sport flourished in Llantrisant for centuries and the remains of the ancient Fives Court of the 1790s, stands at the rear of the Workingmen's Club. Llantrisant is also known as the home of the Black Army or LlantrisantLlantrisant RFC
Llantrisant Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Llantrisant in the county of Rhondda Cynon Taff. Llantrisant RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union, Division One East League and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues....
rugby union football club.
Notable people
- See :Category:People from Llantrisant
- William PriceWilliam Price (doctor)William Price was a Welsh physician who achieved notoriety for his support of Welsh nationalism, Chartism and his involvement with the Neo-Druidic religious movement...
lived in the town. - Andrew BishopAndrew BishopAndrew Bishop is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays for the Ospreys at Centre.He was a stalwart of the Wales Under 21 Grand Slam victory in 2005. In May 2008 he was selected for the Wales' squad for the 2008 Tour of South Africa, making his debut as a substitute in the 2nd test on...
and Bradley DaviesBradley DaviesBradley Davies is a Wales international rugby union player for Cardiff Blues in the RaboDirect Pro12. His father was a former Pontypridd player Bleddyn Davies who was also a lock forward.-Rugby career:...
, Wales international rugby union players.
Freemen of Llantrisant
- Sir David Evans: Lord Mayor of LondonLord Mayor of LondonThe Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1891 - Cennydd George Traherne: Late Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan
- Brandon Meredith Rhys Williams: Late Conservative Politician