England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llangranog St Caranog

The Parish

The parish of Llangranog lies in southwestern Cardiganshire and forms part of Cardiganshire coast with Cardigan Bay, part of the Irish Sea. Llangranog is located about 6 miles southwest of the port of New Quay and 5 miles northeast of Aberporth. Llangranog is a linear settlement built along the small but indented valley of a stream and situated at the end of the B4321 road which runs down to the coast from the A487 (Aberystwyth to Cardigan) road. Llangranog, as a coastal settlement was able to augment its economy from the usual agricultural base by fishing and coastal trade, in the late 18th century a small shipbuilding business arose and the lime kiln at beach-side also offered employment. The settlement is believed to have been founded by its church's patron St Caranog who is alleged to have founded a small chapel or oratory in the valley at the end of the 6th century. Llangranog is drained by its small stream, the Nant Hawen which flows through the centre of the village. As a coastal settlement Llangranog is sited almost at sea level, albeit it rises to over 50 metres by the church and local heights within a miles of the village reach to almost 200 metres in deeply undulating countryside. Llangranog parish was intermediate in size for the county, where parishes are either rather large of quite small, it covered an area of almost 4,400 acres and would have supported a population of almost 900 parishioners. In common with most of Wales there is no mention of Llangranog in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Caranog's church sits at the eastern, upper end of the village on the northern side of the B4321 as it enters the village. Unfortunately the church is a late-Victorian replacement for its mediaeval original having been built between 1885 & 1888. Some residual stonework from the prior church does remain in the northern face but otherwise this is a relatively new church. The simple nave and chancel design is augmented by a porch and bellcote but otherwise is clearly of little architectural interest to Pevsner who pauses only to criticise the strange flat-headed windows in Bath stone which look somewhat out of place. The church sits in a narrow churchyard between road and valley side with metal gated entrances at both eastern and western end, the site is open and with few restrictions to photographic angles.