Llanfaes Friary

Llanfaes Franciscan Friary

Brodordy Llan-faes
Location within Anglesey
Monastery information
Order	Order of Friars Minor
Established	1237
Disestablished	1538
Diocese	Bangor
People
Founder(s)	Llywelyn ab Iorwerth
Important associated figures	Joan, Lady of Wales, Eleanor de Montfort
Architecture
Heritage designation	Scheduled monument (AN134)
Site
Location	Nr Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales
Coordinates	53°16′29″N 4°05′14″W / 53.2748°N 4.0873°W / 53.2748; -4.0873Coordinates: 53°16′29″N 4°05′14″W / 53.2748°N 4.0873°W / 53.2748; -4.0873
Grid reference	SH6091677341
Visible remains	None

Llanfaes Friary was a Franciscan friary in the now vanished medieval town of Llanfaes, close to what is now Beaumaris, in south east Anglesey, Wales. It was founded around 1237 in memory of Joan, wife of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth. The Friary survived the depopulation of the town, but was dissolved in 1538 and most of the buildings dismantled soon afterwards. The land became an estate on which, in 1623, Rowland Whyte built a house which he called Friars. It became one of the many properties of the Bulkeley family, and was substantially rebuilt in 1866. By the 20th century the house and grounds were owned by James Hartley Burton. In 1939 they were requisitioned for wartime use, adapting and repairing flying boats, by Saunders-Roe, who continued after the war with a wide variety of light engineering activities. The industrial uses finally came to an end in the late 1990s. An archaeological dig on the site in 1991 identified substantial buried remains of the friary church and other monastic buildings. The site is a Scheduled monument.

The medieval settlement of Llanfaes is now represented only by St Catherine's Church, and even that is a product of 19th century rebuilding. However it is the residual survivor of a thriving town which by the 12th century was controlling 70% of the trade of the whole of Gwynedd. By the 900s it was the main town (Maerdref) and Royal Court (Llys) of the commote of Dindaethwy which covered the southeast quarter of Anglesey. Control of the ferry crossing gave Llanfaes its wealth and prestige, and by the early 13th century it was a busy commercial town, probably centred around the Church. It was into this urbanised location that the Franciscan Friary was established. However, by the end of the 13th century Edward I had defeated Llywelyn ap Gruffudd and put down the rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn, and to press home his conquest, began a new castle and walled town at Beaumaris. The new town took control of the ferry crossing, and to ensure Llanfaes did not compete commercially with the new maerdref of Beaumaris, in 1303 the Llanfaes burgesses were forcibly resettled on the other side of Anglesey, at another new township, Newborough. Apart from the Church and the Friary, little seems to have survived this determined depopulation, such that even the location of the town is now uncertain.