Llanfachreth, Anglesey

Historical Description

Llanfachreth, a village and a parish in Merionethshire. The village stands on the river Mawddach, at the N foot of Moel Offrwm, 2 miles NNW of Font Newydd station on the G.W.R., and 3½ NNE of Dolgelly. It has a post office under Dolgelly; money order and telegraph office, Dolgelly. The parish comprises 17,651 acres of land and 115 of water; population, 865. Nannau is a modern mansion, the seat of the Vaughan family, succeeded an ancient edifice which was the residence of Howel Sele, the cousin and foe of Owen Glendower, and stands in a very large park extending several miles up the Bala Road and to the foot of Moel Offrwm. A spot, now occupied by a sun-dial, within the park, was the site of an ancient oak 27 feet in girth, popularly regarded as the haunt of evil spirits, and destroyed by lightning in 1813. The death of Howel Sele at the hand of Owen Glendower occurred in the vicinity of that spot, and his body was hid in a hollow of the tree and not discovered for upwards of forty years. The place is still viewed by the country people with superstitious dread, and it was selected by Lord Lytton as the scene of his romance of Arthur:- "Of evil fame was Nannau's antique tree, Yet styled the hollow oak of demonrie."

Moel Offrwm (1328 feet) commands a magnificent view, similar to that from Cader Idris, and is crowned with a strong ancient fortification, surrounded by a stone rampart, having two entrances protected by outworks, and containing traces of cyttiau. Moel Cynwch is another height, Llyn Cynwch is a preserved lake, and the Precipice Walk is a charming path on the way from Moel Cynwch to the Mawddach. Much of the land is waste upland and hill pasture. Copper ore has been worked. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Bangor; gross value, £319 with residence. The church was rebuilt in 1873. There are Congregational and Calvinistic Methodist chapels.

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.

Land and Property

A full transcript of the Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Anglesey is online.

Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following newspapers online:

• Western Mail
• The North Wales Chronicle