Llantrisant is a
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
in the
county boroughCounty 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. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished them in England and Wales, but they are still used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern...
of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of
GlamorganGlamorgan 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 names and boundaries until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three preserved...
,
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...
, lying on the
River ElyThe River Ely is a river in South Wales flowing generally south east, from Tonyrefail to the capital city of Cardiff.-Course of the river:The river is about 24 miles long...
and the
Afon ClunThe 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
ParishA parish is a territorial unit that was usually historically served by a local church. This administrative unit is typically found in Roman Catholic, Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches...
of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St
DyfodwgThe name Dyfodwg originates from the ancient parish situated at the head of the Rhondda Valley in Wales, with a history of no less than 1300 years. Tradition produces the name Dyfodwg as its founder Celtic saint . History gives the saint the reputation of a great evangelist and preacher...
. Llantrisant is a hilltop settlement, at an altitude of 174 m (565 ft)
above sea levelThe 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...
.
A settlement has existed on this site from at least the beginning of the 6th century, when the poet
AneurinAneurin may refer to:*Aneurin Bevan, a Welsh politician*Aneurin Jones, a Welsh artist*Aneirin, a 7th Century Welsh bard*Aneurin an alternative name for thiamine...
wrote of 'the white houses of Glamorgan' when referring to Llantrisant.
It was seized around 1246 by
Richard de ClareRichard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford was son of Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford and Isabel Marshal, daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Clare, the 17-year-old daughter of Strongbow....
who built Llantrisant Castle.
Llantrisant is a
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
in the
county boroughCounty 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. The Local Government Act 1972 abolished them in England and Wales, but they are still used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern...
of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of
GlamorganGlamorgan 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 names and boundaries until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three preserved...
,
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...
, lying on the
River ElyThe River Ely is a river in South Wales flowing generally south east, from Tonyrefail to the capital city of Cardiff.-Course of the river:The river is about 24 miles long...
and the
Afon ClunThe 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
ParishA parish is a territorial unit that was usually historically served by a local church. This administrative unit is typically found in Roman Catholic, Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches...
of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St
DyfodwgThe name Dyfodwg originates from the ancient parish situated at the head of the Rhondda Valley in Wales, with a history of no less than 1300 years. Tradition produces the name Dyfodwg as its founder Celtic saint . History gives the saint the reputation of a great evangelist and preacher...
. Llantrisant is a hilltop settlement, at an altitude of 174 m (565 ft)
above sea levelThe 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
AneurinAneurin may refer to:*Aneurin Bevan, a Welsh politician*Aneurin Jones, a Welsh artist*Aneirin, a 7th Century Welsh bard*Aneurin an alternative name for thiamine...
wrote of 'the white houses of Glamorgan' when referring to Llantrisant.
It was seized around 1246 by
Richard de ClareRichard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford was son of Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford and Isabel Marshal, daughter of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Isabel de Clare, the 17-year-old daughter of Strongbow....
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 CharterIn medieval Europe, royal charters were used to create cities . The date that such a charter was granted is considered to be when a city was "founded", regardless of when the locality originally began to be settled.At one time a royal charter was the only way in which an incorporated body could be...
months before the archers from the town helped Edward, the Black Prince, win a victory against the French army at the
Battle of CrecyThe 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
longbowFor the military helicopter, see Apache LongbowA longbow is a type of bow that is tall ; this will allow its user a fairly long draw, at least to the jaw . A longbow is not significantly recurved...
men were pivotal in the adoption of the
English longbowSelf longbows, widespread across Europe since Mesolithic times, were used in medieval Europe as a decisive weapon of war. Particularly powerful bows were employed to penetrate all but the best of contemporary armour....
as the missile weapon of choice for the
EnglishEngland 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 and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
crown during the
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...
.
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 is an ancient custom still observed in many English parishes. The community would walk the boundaries of the parish, to share the knowledge of where they lay, and to pray for protection and blessings for the lands.-Ceremony:...
, 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 CharterIn medieval Europe, royal charters were used to create cities . The date that such a charter was granted is considered to be when a city was "founded", regardless of when the locality originally began to be settled.At one time a royal charter was the only way in which an incorporated body could be...
. 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 2003, but the event is now seen as a purely historic tradition and social community event.
At nearby Tarren Deusant is a spring with unusual
petrosomatoglyphA 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
pubA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises in countries and regions of British influence. Although the terms often have different connotations, there is little definitive difference between pubs, bars,...
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 is a blood sport involving the baiting of bulls.-History:In the time of Queen Anne of Great Britain, it was performed 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 PriceWilliam Price was a Welsh physician and a famous eccentric, best known for reintroducing cremation to the United Kingdom.- Early life:...
a pioneer of
cremationCremation is the process of reducing human remains to basic chemical compounds in the form of gases and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high temperatures and vaporization....
.
Model House
The first
workhouseUnder the Poor Law systems of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland a workhouse was a place where people who were unable to support themselves could go to live and work. The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest reference to a workhouse dates to 1652 in Exeter. There is, however, some written...
in
GlamorganGlamorgan 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 names and boundaries until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three preserved...
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 pumpA 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 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 in its current guise - as a craft and design centre. A registered charity, Model House has been funded by the
Arts Council of WalesThe Arts Council of Wales is an Assembly Government Sponsored Body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. It became accountable to the National Assembly for Wales on 1 July 1999 when responsibility was transferred from the Secretary of State for Wales. The Welsh Assembly...
since the demise of the
Arts Council of Great BritainThe 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 include glass, ceramics and designer jewellery from established British and local artists. The upper floors have workshops for individual craftspeople, whose work can be purchased either from their studio or from the ground floor shop.
Model House shows a programme of art and crafts exhibitions throughout the year and hosts a varied series of workshops, where adults and children can learn the basics of a wide range of contemporary craft skills.
Llantrisant Castle
Llantrisant
CastleA castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress, in that it describes a residence of a monarch or...
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
NormanThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
overlords, led by
Madog ap LlywelynMadog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Cunedda, and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
, and again in 1316 by
Llywelyn BrenLlywelyn 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 GlyndwrOwain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower and also sometimes styled Owain IV of Wales by modern historians, was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welsh person 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. Illtyd, 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
effigyAn effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture.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, but may also be recumbent, kneeling...
of a 13th century warrior, believed to be Cadwgan, lord of
MiskinMiskin 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
WelshWales 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...
church monumentA 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 PrichardJohn 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 the 6th 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
windmillA windmill is a machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails. The main use is for a grinding mill powered by the wind, reducing a solid or coarse substance into pulp or minute grains by crushing, grinding, or pressing...
- 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
follyIn architecture, a folly is a building constructed strictly as a decoration, having none of the usual purposes of housing or sheltering associated with a conventional structure. In the 18th century English gardens and French landscape gardening often featured Roman temples, which symbolized...
.
Employment
The town is the home of the
Royal MintThe Royal Mint of the United Kingdom is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but has functioned since 1975 as a Trading Fund, operating in much the same way as a government-owned company...
, which manufactures all British
coinA coin is a piece of hard material, usually metal or a metallic material and sometimes made of synthetic materials, usually in the shape of a disc, and most often issued by a government. Coins are used as a form of money in transactions of various kinds, from the everyday circulation coins to the...
s. The Royal Mint transferred to Llantrisant in 1967 and its attractions include the Mint's
museumA museum is a building or institution which houses a collection of artifacts.Museums collect and care for objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance and make them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary...
. The town is sometimes known as "The hole with the mint"—a parody of the
PoloPolo is a brand of different flavour sweets, which have a hole in the centre. The peppermint flavoured polo was first manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1948. The name ‘Polo’ is reportedly from the word ‘Polar’ and is to symbolise the cool and fresh feeling one gets from sucking a Polo.- History...
slogan.
Education
The history of education in Llantrisant is firmly based in the varied religious institutions and
Sunday School"Sunday school" is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-Development:The first Sunday school may have been that opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham...
services which rapidly flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries. The Norman
parish churchA 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 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 associated with Llantrisant
- William Price
William Price was a Welsh physician and a famous eccentric, best known for reintroducing cremation to the United Kingdom.- Early life:...
lived in the town.
- Novelist Rhys Thomas, writer of The Suicide Club.
Freemen of Llantrisant
- Sir David Evans: Lord Mayor of London
The 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
Young Dracula
The fictional town of Stokely in the
CBBCCBBC is the brand name used for the BBC's children's television programmes, and currently specifically refers to those programmes aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 12...
children's drama
Young DraculaYoung Dracula was a British children's television series on CBBC, loosely based on the children's book by Michael Lawrence. Directed by Joss Agnew, the first series was broadcast in 2006, and the second series, which started in late 2007, concluded in early 2008.The series follows the Dracula...
, which ran between 2006-2008, was in part based on Llantrisant with many external shots being filmed at various locations around the town.