Llanfyrnach

The parish of Llanfyrnach was in the ancient Cantref of Cemais.[1] There is a small Norman motte close to the church. Llanfyrnach (as Llanvurnach) appears on a 1578 parish map of Pembrokeshire.[2] Much of the parish was unenclosed moorland until the start of the 19th century. Population doubled as numerous small farms were established following enclosure from the 16th century onwards.[3]

Llanfyrnach mine adit

There was an important lead mine on the north side of the village until the end of the 19th century. Mining occurred on a small scale for the sake of the low but significant concentration of silver in the ores, perhaps from as early as the 16th century. As a result of high demand for lead in the Victorian era, the mine was greatly extended in the 1840s, and had reached 520 m below the surface by the time of its closure in 1890.[4]

The Whitland & Taf Vale Railway reached the village in 1873,[5] and the village became a transport depot for the surrounding hill country; lead and agricultural produce were shipped out, and heavy supplies, notably lime, were brought in. Although the railway closed in 1963, the village is still a transport hub with Mansel Davies, the road haulage company, based in the village[6] since 1900; the firm was the subject of an S4C documentary in 2017.[7]

The Celtic Blue Rock festival was held at Trefawr Farm in the village,[8] but lost its licence in 2010.[9]

The present church is mid-Victorian, but there has been a Christian community in the village since at least the 6th century when Saint Brynach is believed to have come to the area. The parish includes a number of other settlements, particularly the village of Crymych and the hamlets of Glandwr and Pentre Galar.[10][11] In 1872 the parish covered 6,328 acres (2,561 ha).[12]

The village remains small, with much of the workforce employed in transportation. The population of the parish was 542 (1801), 933 (1851), 954 (1901), 844 (1951) and 837 (1981).[3] The area remains largely Welsh-speaking; the proportion of Welsh speakers was 100% in 1891, 97% in 1931 and 82% in 1971.

The Welsh language poet T. E. Nicholas (1879–1971), bardic name Niclas y Glais, was born in Llanfyrnach

• Llanfyrnach Rural District, historic local government area abolished in 1934

• Photographs of Llanfyrnach and surrounding area on Geograph
• July 2014 Further historical information and sources on GENUKI