England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanbrynmair St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Llanbrynmair lies in western Montgomeryshire not too far from its border with neighbouring Merioneth. Llanbrynmair is located about 10 miles east of the Merioneth market town of Machynlleth. Llanbrynmair sits astride the A470 road which connects Machynlleth with Caersws and onwards into the English Midlands, the valley in which Llanbrynmair sits is also the route followed by the mid-Wales railway. This area is very much an upland one with landscape often mountainous and with extensive areas of the parish remote and not suitable for agriculture. Llanbrynmair is drained by the Afon Iaen which meets the Dovey then reaches the Irish Sea through Aberdovey. The present village of Llanbrynmair has grown up with the development of road and railway, the original village of Llan now sits some 2 miles south along the valley of the Afon Twymyn. Llanbrynmair is sited at around 100 metres above the sea and Llan some 50 metres higher but the land rises steeply to local heights of almost 500 metres on Moel Eiddew (to the northwest) and Trannan (to the southeast). Llanbrynmair parish was very extensive as befits a mountain parish, it covered almost 19,000 acres making it one of the largest parishes in the county, it supported a population of just over 2,000 parishioners. In common with most of Wales Llanbrynmair is not mentioned in Domesday Book which does not cover this area.

The Church

St Mary's church is situated in the old settlement of Llan, it sits on the western side of the B4518 road which heads south from the A470 towards Llanidloes. St Mary is a rare example of a church which has not been extensively restored, its origins in the 14th or 15th centuries are, therefore, not masked by later work. Somewhat later the transept and southern porch were added in the 16th century and roof & gables repair in the 18th but much is clear as to its history. The church sits, in a circular site characteristic of early places of worship, on the brow of a hill almost at the northern end of Llan. The site is raised and a flight of steps rises through a slate-capped lych gate to gain entry. The site is almost devoid of obstacles to photography and commands a beautiful view over the Twymyn valley.