England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanwnnog St Gwynnog

The Parish

The parish of Llanwnnog lies in southern Montgomeryshire roughly 6 miles west of the market town of Newtown. Llanwnnog sits a half mile east of the A470 road which joins Dolgellau with Llanidloes with most properties in the village on and north of the B4568 toad which connects the A470 with northern Newtown. Despite Llanwnnog giving the parish its name it is not today the largest settlement in the parish, that honour falls upon Caersws, a little over a mile further south which lies in the valley of the Severn at the joining of that great river with the Afon Carno. Caersws has a long history being the site of a Roman fort. Much of the parish consists of rough upland countryside with sheep grazing as the main economic resource, pastures line the main valleys of Carno and Severn while less than 10% of the parish acreage is worthy of arable, growing hardy cereals in the main. Modern developments have come to the parish, the railway line linking Aberystwyth with Birmingham passes through the parish granting Caersws a station, Afon Carno is the main drain for the parish, joining the Severn at Caersws for a long journey initially northeast before turning again south once into the western Midlands of England, the water finally meets salt in the Bristol Channel. Llanwnnog, itself is sited at around 140 metres above the sea with Caersws some 20 metres lower, land rises into the hillier northern reaches of the parish reaching 485 metres on Garreg-hir above the picturesque twin lakes of Llyn Mawr & Llyn Du. Like many upland parishes Llanwnnog parish was rather extensive in its acreage covering a little under 10,500 acres, the population is surprisingly large and mostly confined in the valleys supporting about 1,700 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanwnnog is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Gwynnog's church sits as a centrepiece of the village of Llanwnnog sitting north of the B4568, its extended "llan", a circular early Christian site, surrounded by narrow lanes. There is much dispute around the age of the church with many expounding the theory that the church was originally constructed in the 13th century then extended in the 15th, there is also evidence that stone was robbed from Caersws Roman Fort to be used within the structure. What is certain is that much of the styling indicates that there was a build or rebuild in the 15th century. The Perpendicular style of the east window is evidence for this aging. Of more certain vintage is its slated western spirelet sitting upon wooden internal supports which was added during the major restoration of 1863, the arch-braced roof also dates from this extensive piece of work. It is internally that one finds the church's piece de resistance, however, its rood screen and loft being described rightly as one of Montgomeryshire's greatest treasures and dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. Only 30 such structures in stone were believed to have once existed and Llanwnnog's is probably the finest example. The church sits within a typical "llan" which has been extended southwards in Victorian times, the churchyard is raised well above toad level and is usually entered from the north where a shady set of steps rises into it. Once within the churchyard is open and uncluttered with no significant obstacles for the photographer.