England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Llanfihangel Tre'r beirdd lies in eastern central Anglesey about 3 miles east of the small village of Llanerchymedd. The name is a combination of the church dedication and a reference to the parish being occupied at one time by Druidic Bards. The large and imposing stone of Maen Addwyn being the principal source of these suggestions, it is believed to be Bronze Age in date and lies some 150 yards south of the church. There is not much to modern day Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd, it does not even merit a mention on modern Ordnance Survey maps being just a scatter of farms and cottages with the principal crossroads being labeled Maenaddwyn. The parish also sits in a broad area devoid of significant roads, Llanerchymedd and the route of the B5111 (Llangefni to Amlwch) being the closest numbered road. The area is, however, a fertile district and arable farming, supplemented by cattle raising would have predominated. The small brook of Afon Lligwy drained the parish northeastwards to reach the nearby Irish Sea through Lligwy Bay. Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd is sited at around 90 metres above the sea in a largely flat landscape dominated by the intrusive plugs of Mynydd Bodafon, to the north, which rises to almost 180 metres. The parish of Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd was one of the smaller on the island, it covered just under 1,600 acres and would have supported a population of just under 400 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Michael's church sits on the western side of the lane leading south from Maenaddwyn, about 300 yards south of the crossroads. The church is mostly a Victorian rebuild, dating from a major reconstruction completed in 1888. There are a few features of the original church, reused during that build, which indicate a 14th & early 15th century original building. The northern doorway and a single chancel window are Decorated style and 14th century, whilst a second window uses cinquefoil in the Perpendicular style and is 15th century. The church stands in splendid isolation alongside its lane marked only by a single evergreen tree and a low local stone wall. The verge is barely sufficient for parking so it is wise to get as far off the lane as possible although it appears little used. A short pathway leads to the church which has no obstructions to photography to impede its appreciation.