England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanbadarn Fynydd St Padarn

The Parish

The parish of Llanbadarn Fynydd lies in the extreme north of Radnorshire forming a lengthy stretch of the county's border with neighbouring Montgomeryshire. Llanbadarn Fynydd is located roughly 6 miles south of the Montgomeryshire market town of Newtown and stands on the A483 road which links Newtown with Llandrindod Wells. Llanbadarn Fynydd sits on the banks of the Afon Ithon in a narrow valley where both main road and village and river are all squeezed between high mountains. The village consists merely of a few cottages and its former inn which closed in 2019. Two subsidiary settlement are also found, in a side valley off that of the Ithon sits the hamlet of Lliathddu whilst further south on the A483 the slightly larger village of Llananno, much of the remainder of the parish consists of isolated upland farms at the head, usually, of side valleys. The valley bottom being so narrow has little room for the cattle pastures which are normally found in Welsh upland parishes instead most of the parish acreage is formed of rough upland grazing, the home of hardy sheep. Llanbadarn Fynydd is drained southwards by the Afon Ithon which follows a sinuous course passing Llandrindod Wells before meeting the Wye at Newbridge-on-Wye, the Wye still has many miles to go before reaching the Bristol Channel through the port of Chepstow. Llanbadarn Fynydd is sited at 290 metres above the sea at the parish church, already a significantly high point but the majority of the parish stands above the 400 metre contour with 528 metres reached on the tumuli-topped summit of Gors Lydan to the east. Various acreages are shown by differing online sources, many omit that in common, the most likely acreage is around 10,300 acres which would have supported a population of close to 600 parishioners. Like most of Wales Llanbadarn Fynydd is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Padarn's church stands on the western side of the A483 a few hundred yards south of the former New Inn. The church is a mixture of dates most modern, the earliest fabric remaining is a rarity in its county, a window in the early 14th century Decorated style. The roof of c1500 is also intact but much has changed in more modern times. The former chancel was demolished as part of a restoration of 1842 leaving just the single chamber to the church, the east window being reset following that work. The entire southern wall was rebuilt in 1870 during a second restoration whilst the third of 1895 was a more sensitive affair, At sometime during the 19th century the church also acquired its western bellcote. The A483 is a fast road and there is no parking close to the churchyard's prominent lychgate, a side turning leads back northwards to a roughly surfaced car park to the rear of the churchyard. The church sits below road height with only a couple of badly placed trees for the photographer to avoid.