Llannor: Church and Mill History

Llannor has a clear cultural and historical focus for travellers interested in buildings, inscriptions and technological history. The Church of the Holy Cross is at its heart; the Felin Rhyd-hir grist mill and Ty-Newydd Mound Bailey Castle add further topics. Historical references include an early written mention, an early Christian inscribed stone and a surviving waterwheel.

Church and Inscriptions

The Church of the Holy Cross in Llannor is a Grade II* listed building. It was first mentioned in 1253 in the Norwich Taxatio. The date indicates the first mention, not the year the church was built. Its tower was added in the late 14th to early 15th century.

The porch contains a significant 6th-century early Christian granite stone bearing the inscription “FIGVLINI FILI/LOCVLITI/HIC IACIT”. A small stone also bears the inscription “BODVEL” for Huw Gwyn and Thomas Bodfel, who built the south chapel. The two inscriptions have different emphases: the granite stone points to early Christian times, while the second inscription names people associated with the construction of a particular chapel. The chronology is therefore not uniform: the early Christian stone, the mention in 1253 and the much later tower represent three different points in time.

Further Historical References

At the churchyard, the layout is the main feature: it has a curved shape and is bordered by roads to the west and south. Its curved layout and the two road boundaries provide a spatial counterpoint to the inscriptions and dated parts of the church.

The Felin Rhyd-hir grist mill in the parish of Llannor retains its composite overshot waterwheel. In an overshot waterwheel, water strikes the wheel from above. The technical term thus describes a particular engineering design and complements the more architectural and inscription-related details of the Church of the Holy Cross with a different perspective.

Ty-Newydd Mound Bailey Castle in Llannor is listed under SAM code CN096.

Regional Landscape Scale

On a broader landscape scale, a large part of the Llŷn Peninsula was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1957. This regional designation covers a different geographical area from individual buildings and historical evidence in Llannor.

Cycle Route and Services

Llannor is marked on the official map of the Llŷn Circular Cycle Routes. As this is an older route document, please check the route details before your trip. The map therefore answers a different planning question from the historical features: it is relevant to cyclists, while the church and mill provide cultural and technical points of interest.

On alternate Sundays, morning prayer or the Holy Eucharist is held in Welsh at the Church of the Holy Cross at 11 am or 3 pm. Please check the service schedule for the relevant Sunday before your trip, as the dates alternate and two times are given.

Discover more destinations: Garndolbenmaen, Ganllwyd, Mallwyd, Aberllefenni, Barmouth, Llanfachreth, Llandwrog, Llanrug

For the regional travel overview: Gwynedd.