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Nevin or Nefyn, Carnarvonshire

Historical Description

Nevin or Nefyn, a small town and a parish in Carnarvonshire. The town stands on the W coast of the Lleyn Peninsula, under Carn Bodvean, 7 miles NW by W of Pwll-hell. It is rapidly developing as a favourite seaside resort, as it has a fine beach quite safe for bathing at all states of the tide. It was the place where Edward I., in 1284, held a triumphal festival, with tournaments and other amusements, attended by a vast concourse of nobility and gentry, in celebration of the conquest of Wales; was made a borough by the Black Prince, but never attained to any considerable consequence. It consists of one long street with several branches, and is somewhat straggling and irregularly built. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Pwllheli. It unites with Carnarvon, Bangor, Conway, Criccieth, and Pwllheli to form the Carnarvon district of boroughs, which sends one member to the House of Commons. The parish is conterminate with the borough, includes the village of Morfa Nevin, and comprises 1661 acres; population, 1798. There is a parish council consisting of fifteen members. Porthdynlleyn, 1½ mile W½SW of the village, ranks as a sub-port to Carnarvon; is believed to have been used as a port by the Romans; and retains in its neighbourhood strong entrenchments which appear to have been Roman. It was proposed during the railway mania to make it the chief mail packet station to Ireland in lieu of Holyhead, and also a terminus of railways in connection with the Great Western system. Nant Gwrtheyrn was the final retreat of Vortigern, where he died and was buried, and his remains have been discovered in a large mound on the E side of the valley. Cam Bodvean rises abruptly from a plain to a height of about 900 feet, and commands a fine panoramic view. The walks along the cliffs overlooking the beach are very fine, and there are splendid views of Anglesey, and even Wicklow Hills are visible. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Bangor; net value, £121 with residence. The church has a curious narrow tower, and is good. There are Baptist, Calvinistic Methodist, Congregational, and Wesleyan chapels, and a chapel of ease at Morfa Nevin.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5

Administration

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

Registration districtPwllheli1837 - 1937
Registration districtPwllheli & Portmadoc1937 - 1974

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


Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Carnarvonshire is available to browse.


Maps

Online maps of Nevin or Nefyn are available from a number of sites:


Newspapers and Periodicals

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