England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llys y Fran St Meilyr

The Parish

The parish of Llys y Fran lies in the eastern portion of central pembrokeshire, quite close to the border with neighbouring Carmarthenshire. Llys y Fran lies about 7 miles northeast of the market town of Haverfordwest, it is little more than a hamlet on the southern edge of the Preseli Hills and about 2 miles east of the B4329 which links Haverfordwest to those hills. Nowadays it is more known for the reservoir which lies to the northwest of the village. Prior to the reservoir Llys y Fran was simply a small pastoral agriculture settlement on the eastern banks of the Afon Syfynwy lying at the end of a short stretch of lane. Llys y Fran has more visitors today as the reservoir also doubles as a country park. The Afon Syfynwy heads off south to join the Cleddau and head through Milford Haven to the Irish Sea. Llys y Fran parish was a relatively small one and supported just under 200 parishioners. Like most of Wales there is no mention of Llys y Fran in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Meilyr's church lies at the end of a dead-end lane heading southwestwards off the main village street. After 400 metres you come to the end of tarmac and a short walk leads to the churchyard. The church was largely rebuilt in the mid-19th century and is small as befits a tiny parish. The building clearly shows little architectural merit as Pevsner dismisses it with a few lines mentioning only the curious curved chamber in the south wall. The churchyard is totally screened externally with mature trees making the church invisible until almost the last moment. Once inside, however, photography possibilities are not restricted.