Llanyblodwel
Encyclopedia
Llanyblodwel is a village and civil parish
in Shropshire
, England
; the spelling "Llanyblodwell" was commonly used in the past, and the village was sometimes simply referred to as "Blodwell". It lies 7 miles west of the nearest town, Oswestry
, in the valley of the River Tanat.
The parish had a population of 817 at the time of the 2001 census. It was formerly in the Llanyblodwel and Pant
ward of the borough of Oswestry. The village is located in a scenic rural area, with attractive views of the Welsh hills across the border. There were formerly several limestone quarries around Llanyblodwel, and limited quarrying still takes place.
. Llan translates as "church" or "parish", so Llanyblodwel means "the church at Blodwel": a tributary of the Tanat was formerly known as the Blodwell, a name with a probable Old English root.
The church itself may have Norman origins. The parish, on which the boundaries of the current civil parish were based, included the township
s of Blodwell, Abertanat, Bryn, Moreton, and Llynclys
.
There was historically a strong Welsh cultural and linguistic influence in the area. In a lecture given in 1878, the geographer E G Ravenstein
noted that of 2,469 inhabitants of the parishes of Selattyn
and Llanyblodwel, 900 spoke Welsh. It was, however, declining at this time: "in Llanyblodwell Welsh preponderates [but] the children of Welsh parents are often unable to speak Welsh. The Welsh service in the parish church has been discontinued since 1875, owing to a paucity of attendance".
The parish church, St Michael the Archangel, was heavily rebuilt in the mid 19th century to designs by its then-vicar, the Rev. John Parker. The design has been referred to in the Pevsner Architectural Guides
as "bizarre", but "unforgettable", particularly the tower, which was apparently modelled on that of Freiburg Minster. The interior is even more unconventional, with many texts and stencilled patterns. There is a 14th century monumental slab in the south porch carved with a coursing hare
, which some antiquaries have tried to connect with the hare iconography seen at Pennant Melangell, which once received the tithes of the township of Bryn. The church contains a memorial to Elias Owen
(1833–1899), the Welsh antiquarian and author of "Welsh Folklore", published in 1887, who was incumbent at the church from 1892 until his death.
Llanyblodwel's timber-framed pub, the Horse Shoe Inn, is of late-mediaeval date and like several other buildings in the village is grade II listed.
There was once a substantial manor house, the seat of the Tanat family, near to the village at Blodwell Hall. In the 15th century it had been the home of their ancestor, Gwerful ferch Madog, known as Gwerful Hael ("Gwerful the Bountiful") for her generosity and often mentioned in Welsh poetry of the time. Sir John Bridgeman, who had married Ursula Matthews, the heiress of the Tanat estate, constructed a new house on the site in around 1700, along with formal gardens. The site of the house is now occupied by a dairy farm, but an entrance gateway and a stone-built summerhouse dated 1718 still survive.
There are a number of monuments to the Tanat and Bridgeman families in St Michael's church.
also ran through the area. Part of the line was still used for quarry trains until 1989, and sections are currently in the process of being restored as a heritage railway
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
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...
; the spelling "Llanyblodwell" was commonly used in the past, and the village was sometimes simply referred to as "Blodwell". It lies 7 miles west of the nearest town, Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
, in the valley of the River Tanat.
The parish had a population of 817 at the time of the 2001 census. It was formerly in the Llanyblodwel and Pant
Llanyblodwel and Pant
Llanyblodwel and Pant was a ward in the county of Shropshire.-Abolition:With the re-organisation of local government in Shropshire in 2009 Llanyblodwel and Pant was a ward in the county of Shropshire.-Abolition:With the re-organisation of local government in Shropshire in 2009 Llanyblodwel and Pant...
ward of the borough of Oswestry. The village is located in a scenic rural area, with attractive views of the Welsh hills across the border. There were formerly several limestone quarries around Llanyblodwel, and limited quarrying still takes place.
Etymology, history
The name is possibly a mixture of English and WelshWelsh 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...
. Llan translates as "church" or "parish", so Llanyblodwel means "the church at Blodwel": a tributary of the Tanat was formerly known as the Blodwell, a name with a probable Old English root.
The church itself may have Norman origins. The parish, on which the boundaries of the current civil parish were based, included the township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
s of Blodwell, Abertanat, Bryn, Moreton, and Llynclys
Llynclys
Llynclys is a small village in Shropshire, England, in the civil parish of Llanyblodwel. It lies north of Pant at the crossroads of the A483 and B4396, where there are several houses and a pub, the White Lion....
.
There was historically a strong Welsh cultural and linguistic influence in the area. In a lecture given in 1878, the geographer E G Ravenstein
Ernst Georg Ravenstein
Ernst Georg Ravenstein was a German-English geographer cartographer and promoter of physical exercise...
noted that of 2,469 inhabitants of the parishes of Selattyn
Selattyn
Selattyn is the name of a village close to Oswestry in Shropshire, England, on the Anglo-Welsh border.The village, which is considerable, is situated near Offa's Dyke, which bounds the parish on the West...
and Llanyblodwel, 900 spoke Welsh. It was, however, declining at this time: "in Llanyblodwell Welsh preponderates [but] the children of Welsh parents are often unable to speak Welsh. The Welsh service in the parish church has been discontinued since 1875, owing to a paucity of attendance".
Architecture
In the centre of the village is a narrow stone bridge over the Tanat, built in 1710.The parish church, St Michael the Archangel, was heavily rebuilt in the mid 19th century to designs by its then-vicar, the Rev. John Parker. The design has been referred to in the Pevsner Architectural Guides
Pevsner Architectural Guides
The Pevsner Architectural Guides are a series of guide books to the architecture of the British Isles. Begun in the 1940s by art historian Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the 46 volumes of the Buildings of England series were published between 1951 and 1975. The series was then extended to Scotland and...
as "bizarre", but "unforgettable", particularly the tower, which was apparently modelled on that of Freiburg Minster. The interior is even more unconventional, with many texts and stencilled patterns. There is a 14th century monumental slab in the south porch carved with a coursing hare
European Hare
The European hare , also known as the brown hare, Eastern Jackrabbit and Eastern prairie hare, is a species of hare native to northern, central, and western Europe and western Asia. It is a mammal adapted to temperate open country. It is related to the similarly appearing rabbit, which is in the...
, which some antiquaries have tried to connect with the hare iconography seen at Pennant Melangell, which once received the tithes of the township of Bryn. The church contains a memorial to Elias Owen
Elias Owen (Welsh cleric)
Rev. Elias Owen was a Welsh cleric and antiquarian whose works include The Old Stone Crosses of the Vale of Clwyd, 1886 and Welsh Folk-Lore, 1896.-Family:...
(1833–1899), the Welsh antiquarian and author of "Welsh Folklore", published in 1887, who was incumbent at the church from 1892 until his death.
Llanyblodwel's timber-framed pub, the Horse Shoe Inn, is of late-mediaeval date and like several other buildings in the village is grade II listed.
There was once a substantial manor house, the seat of the Tanat family, near to the village at Blodwell Hall. In the 15th century it had been the home of their ancestor, Gwerful ferch Madog, known as Gwerful Hael ("Gwerful the Bountiful") for her generosity and often mentioned in Welsh poetry of the time. Sir John Bridgeman, who had married Ursula Matthews, the heiress of the Tanat estate, constructed a new house on the site in around 1700, along with formal gardens. The site of the house is now occupied by a dairy farm, but an entrance gateway and a stone-built summerhouse dated 1718 still survive.
There are a number of monuments to the Tanat and Bridgeman families in St Michael's church.
Railways
Rather surprisingly given its remote rural location, the village was once served by a railway station (Llanyblodwell, later known as Blodwell Junction) on the Potteries, Shrewsbury and North Wales Railway, and the Tanat Valley RailwayTanat Valley Light Railway
The Tanat Valley Light Railway was a long standard gauge light railway connecting Llangynog with Blodwel in Wales. It opened in 1903 and closed in January 1964.-History:...
also ran through the area. Part of the line was still used for quarry trains until 1989, and sections are currently in the process of being restored as a heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
.