Llanrhychwyn
| Llanrhychwyn | |
|---|---|
| Hamlet | |
 Llanrhychwyn church |
|
 Llanrhychwyn
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| Llanrhychwyn shown within Conwy | |
| OS grid reference | SH776619 |
| Community | |
| Principal area | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TREFRIW |
| Postcode district | LL27 |
| Dialling code | 01492 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| EU Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | |
| Welsh Assembly | |
Llanrhychwyn is a hamlet in Conwy county borough, Wales. It lies in the Conwy valley, less than a mile south of Trefriw, and a mile north-west of Llanrwst. Today neighbouring Trefriw is a large village with a population of over 1,300, but in the time of Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great), and up to the early 19th century, Llanrhychwyn was larger than Trefriw, which consisted simply of "a few houses here and there" (quote from Hanes Trefriw, by Morris Jones). Indeed, even today both Trefriw and Llanrhychwyn lie within the parish of Llanrhychwyn.
The adjacent Gwydir Forest would have provided work for many of the inhabitants. A number of metal mines were located in the forest, and the heyday of metal mining here was between 1850 and 1919. The forest also provided wood, and both timber and metal were transported from the forest to the quay at neighbouring Trefriw, from where it was shipped downstream to the coast.
Llanrhychwyn takes its name from Rhychwyn (sometimes recorded as Rhochwyn), son of Helig ap Glannog, the prince who lived at Llys Helig before it was inundated by the sea, and now the subject of myth and legend. Rhychwyn had several brothers who established churches and became saints, including Celynin, who established the old church at Llangelynnin, near Henryd, further down the valley.
Llanrhychwyn's main claim to fame is its parish church, which many claim is the oldest in Wales, it allegedly marking the site where Rhychwyn originally established his church in the 6th century. The church is known locally as Llewelyn’s Church, and the oldest part dates from the late 11th century, which means that it is marginally older than the old church.
Llywelyn Fawr, Prince of Gwynedd and de facto Prince of Wales, had a hunting lodge in Trefriw, close to Llanrhychwyn, known in documents as 'Y Ty Du'. Llywelyn married Siwan or Joan a daughter of King John of England in 1205. In about 1230 Llywelyn endowed another church for the local community living on the valley bottom in the commotal centre, on the site where St Mary's, Trefriw now stands. Llywelyn and Siwan are portrayed in a remarkable stained glass window in the church, as are Rhychwyn and David in a window dating from 1533. An inscription in Latin asks for prayers for the donors.
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Wikipedia