Place:Llanarth, Monmouthshire, Wales

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Llanarth is a privately owned estate village within a conservation area in the Welsh county of Monmouthshire. Llanarth is roughly six miles east of Abergavenny and four miles west of Raglan.

History

One of the earliest mentions of the village is in the Book of Llandaff, written in 1125 CE, where it is rendered with the spelling "Llangarth". The village's name translates as either "church on the ridge of the hill” or possibly “church with a garth (yard)”. Both attest to the presence of a chapel with resident priest (Llan).

Settlement within the area potentially dates back to the 6th century CE. The Book of Llandaff states that the king of Gwent - Iddon son of Ynyr Gwent (cy), gave his mansion of "Llangarth" to Teilo, who was the Bishop of Llandaff between 512 and 566. In 880 a Bishop by the name of Nudd was resident within Llanarth.

The Church of St Teilo in the village stands on the foundation of an older, previous church. In 1891 this church was restored, and for over a century catered to Anglican worshippers. Just over a century later, in 2013, the church was declared redundant, owing to the unsustainable cost of necessary repairs.

A 19th century description

A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Llanarth from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"LLANARTH, a parish and a [registration] sub-district in Abergavenny [registration] district, Monmouth[shire]. The parish lies on an affluent of the river Usk, 3 ½ miles E of Penpergwm [railway] station, and 5 ½ SE of Abergavenny; has a post office under Monmouth, and includes the hamlet of Clytha. Acres: 3,793; of which 1,841 are in Clytha. Real property: £6,073; of which £2,993 are in Clytha. Population in 1861: 679; of which 354 were in Clytha. Houses: 125; of which 72 were in Clytha.

"The property is divided among a few. Llanarth Court belonged to the chamberlain of Henry I., and passed to the Herberts. The living is a vicarage, united with the [perpetual] curacy of Bettws Newydd, in the diocese of Llandaff. Value: £288. Patrons: the Dean and Chapter of Llandaff. The church is good; and there are a Roman Catholic chapel, and charities £57."

Clytha was made a separate civil parish by 1894.

In 1935, in a move to reduce the number of parishes within Abergavenny Rural District, Llanarth was absorbed into the civil parish of Llanarth Fawr.

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