llanymynech amateur dramatic society views · llanymynech amateur dramatic society. ... comes from...

Viewsfrom the

Hilla 2000-year history of the Llanymynech area

20 pages of local stories and pictures

Llanymynech Amateur Dramatic Society

Views from the Hill2a 2000-year history of the Llanymynech area

Introduction

CONTENTS

3 Then and Now4&5 People and Characters6&7 Industrial heritage8&9 Who lived where10,11,12 Transport13 The village in the 19th century14 Then and Now pictures15 Views from Llanymynech Hill16 Tale of an angry giant17&18 People and Places

I began this project knowing very littleabout Llanymynech and the area.After almost six months fairly intensiveresearch, I know more, but realize I haveonly begun to discover the history andstories of the area.

Most people assured me there was verylittle history in the village – Caratacus’last stand was very unlikely. Offa’s Dykewas now invisible. The canals, the quarry,and the railways were now defunct.

But instead of very little history I foundevidence of a long and fascinating past, inthis region of mineral wealth on theborder between the mountains and theplains.

Perhaps every village in the country has afertile history, once you begin to look forit. And perhaps some places have oneevent, a battle, or a building, that hasgreat significance. But I doubt thatanywhere has a longer and richer pastthan Llanymynech.

Neil [email protected]

3Views from the Hilla 2000-year history of the Llanymynech area

Llanymynechthen and now

ABOVE: Looking north towardsLlanymynech Hill.

Below:The same view today.


CHARLES Darwin was born in Shrewsbury in1809. At Cambridge he studied various subjects,

particularly geology, and did field work inShropshire and Wales in the summer of 1831.

He came to Llanymynech with the 1795 map madeby Robert Baugh and John Evans, and coloured it in to

show the geological state of the area. He wrote in his notebooks that Llanymynech was 16

miles east of Shrewsbury – of course, it is west ofShrewsbury. On his return home in August he received the letter offering

him the position of naturalist on the HMS Beagle’s voyage roundthe world. That voyage had a huge influence on his later theorizing.

It is possible he also came to Llanymynech on other dates, 1836, 37,38, or 42, when he did field work in Shropshire.

Darwinand hiseldestchild in1842

People and characters

How Darwingot his east

and westin a muddle

Pen portrait of the village, fromthe Montgomeryshire Almanac

How Llanymynech was seen in 1908

LLANYMYNECH is a village and parishin the counties of Montgomery and Salop,the Welsh portion, consisting of the town-ship of Carreghofa, being in the hundredand petty sessional division of Deytheur,and Union and County Court district ofLlanfyllin.

The village consists of four streets in theform of a cross, which are respectively thehigh roads to Oswestry (6 miles),Welshpool (9), Shrewsbury (16), andLlanfyllin (9).

The country around is hilly and roman-tic, and abound with minerals; a large

quantity of limestone is dug annually,some of which is burnt into lime; smallportions of copper ore are also found.

The great hill called “Llanymynech,” inthis parish, rises to a height of nearly 900feet, and is celebrated for the beautiful andextensive views obtained from its summit.At its base flow the rivers Tanat andVyrnwy, the later being crossed in thevillage by a handsome stone bridge ofthree arches.

Offa’s Dyke, the historical boundary linebetween England and Wales, may betraced at some distance along

Llanymynech Hill. An immense camp atClawdd Coch is believed by some anti-quaries to be the site of Mediolanum,where once were quartered the ambitiouslegions of Rome [It is now known thatthere was no Roman town at ClawddCoch].

About a mile from the village is the siteof Carreghofa Castle, built by Earl Robertde Belesme, and destroyed byGwenwynwyn towards the close of thetwelfth century, when its owner, OwenVaughn, Lord of Mechain Iscoed, wascruelly put to death.


ROBERT Baugh was born in 1748. He engraved several maps ofShropshire and North Wales. He was born at Llandysilio, and wasfor many years parish clerk of Llanymynech. Robert Baugh, andJohn Evans of Llwynygroes, prepared the large map of North Walesengraved by Robert Baugh.

RobertBaugh andJohn Evans

RICHARD Roberts was born on April 22nd 1789. It seemslikely he was born at the gate house that stood on the northside of the canal bridge, on the Shropshire side, although thecanal was built a few years after his birth.

The family tomb stone states that he was born at Carreghofa. His moth-er was from Meifod, and his father from Llwyntidman.

He spent a short time at the village school, then kept in a room in theChurch (an account says the school was kept in a room in the belfry of the

WHEN the Romans invaded Britain in AD43, many Britons acknowledged the powerof the Roman Empire.

But Caradog (Caratacus) king of theCatavellauni tribe, continued to fight theRomans. He had provided the pretext for theinvasion by invading the territories of theAtrebates, whose king, Verica, fled to Romeand appealed for help.

Caradog moved north and west as theRoman army settled Britain as far as the FosseWay, the great Roman road running fromExeter to Lincoln.

With the help of the Silures in the south-eastand the Ordovices in the north, Caradog madelife on the frontier unpleasant. The Romans hadlittle choice but to deal with the troublesometribes.

All we know about Caradog’s last standcomes from a passage by the historian Tacitus.Professor Barri Jones, who lived in the area,surmised that of all the possible places, whichincludes the Breiddyn, three Caer Caradocs,and old Oswestry, the most likely was

The local lad whoseskills made history

Clash with the mighty Romans

Church, but from a contemporary drawing theold Church had only a small tower). When hewas 10 it is said he made his mother a spinningwheel inlaid with mother of pearl, which soimpressed the quarry men of LlanymynechHill that they collected enough money topurchase him a tool chest. He worked at thequarry, and eventually obtained a position as apattern maker at Bradley Iron works inManchester under John Wilkinson.

GasometersHe started his own business in 1816, where

he did mechanical work and screw cutting. Heerected gasometers for Manchester, andinvented a gas meter. He took out his firstpatents in 1822, for machinery for weavingplain and figured cloths, and for certainimprovements in the construction of looms.The next year his firm was established as loco-

motive builders, tool makers, and generalmachinists. He patented some improvements insteam engines.

Then it is said he invented the Jacquardmachine. However, it seems clear that MJacquard invented the Jacquard machine, whichwas a punching machine for making patterns incloth. It is possible that Richard Roberts alteredthe machine, so that it could punch holes inmetal plates. Whatever it was called, his inven-tion was used to punch the plates of the Menai

Bridge.He also improved the construction and

propelling of twin screw boats. His greatestachievement was the self acting mule, whichconsiderably improved the productivity of thecotton mills. He also made and donated theTurret clock on Llanymynech church.

He died on the 11th of March 1864, at the ageof 75, and was buried in Kensal Green ceme-tery..

People and characters

Llanymynech Hill. The site chosen had to enjoy accessibility

from lowland Britain, as well as possibleescape routes into Snowdonia and north-wards, where Caradog fled after the battle,only to be surrendered to Rome by QueenCartamandua. According to Tacitus, there wasa river that the Roman army crossed, and thesite was defended at its weakest points by arampart.

The hillfort had to be large to accommodatethe huge British army, and Llanymynech Hillis one of the largest in the country at 58.4hectares.

In 1991 Professor Jones excavated atAbertanat, and discovered a number of archae-ological features surviving in section. “Notableamongst these was a clay filled V shaped ditchforming the northern defences of a camp, theinterior of which contained a series of featuresalso visible in section. Amongst these the mostremarkable was a field-oven...”

The Roman timbered gateway was recon-structed and opened in 1991. It seems the campwas probably sited to defend the river crossing,and if there was a siege on Llanymynech Hill,would have been used to prevent suppliesreaching the fort.

Richard Roberts:made his mothera spinning wheelwhen he was 10.

Caractacus’s Last Stand


THE mining technique called firesettinginvolved lighting a fire against the rock,causing it to expand with the heat.When water was thrown against it, therock suddenly contracted and split, andprimitive antler and bone picks wouldprise open cracks in the rock.

Deep trenches would have been dug, butwhen the deposit became too deep it had tobe followed underground. Small handpicked passages have been found in andnear to the Ogof, and part of a deer antler,possibly a broken pick, was found in one.

The Romans developed the copper miningindustry by engineering the workings in amore logical pattern.

Mining was basically the same, with fire-

setting and picking, although they used ironpicks and wooden shovels with iron tips.Copper ore was placed in small wickerbaskets and dragged out along the lowpassages.

It is possible that slaves were imprisonedin the mine, although the discovery ofRoman coins and skeletons do not provethis. It is unlikely that slave miners would beable to accumulate money, nor would deadpeople be buried in a working mine wherethey could spread disease. The burials foundin the Ogof probably took place when theworkings were abandoned.

A great many Roman artefacts have beenfound in the mine including, in 1965, a hoardof silver coins found by some schoolboys.

Roman Mining: Thefiresetting technique

THERE was a great demand for lime-stone in Shropshire andMontgomeryshire, because of the acidicsoils, especially in the Severn andVyrnwy flood plain. It had other uses,particularly as a constituent of mortar inbuilding, and as a flux in the making ofiron.

A turnpike road was built in the 1770s fromBurlton, on the Shrewsbury to Ellesmereroad, to Llanymynech, via Knockin. TheMontgomeryshire and Ellesmere canals wereused to take limestone from Llanymynechsouth to the farms of the upper Severn valley,and east to the ironworks at Oakengates,Dawley and Madeley.

Limestone rock is mainly composed ofcalcium carbonate. Burning limestone in a

APART from being quarried for limestone,Llanymynech Hill was once extensivelymined for copper, lead, zinc and silver.

Mine entrances and spoil heaps are visibleon the golf course. The main mining entranceis called The Ogof, the Welsh for cave, andthis could be one of the earliest sites of miningin Britain.

The hillfort dates from the Bronze Age, andexcavations have revealed that copper smelt-ing took place here at that time.

Copper is one of the main components ofbronze and it would have been visible on thehill as a green stain in the rock.

Copper was mined here in surface pits, andlater in small underground passages.

THE first rope walk in Llanymynechwas in a meadow through which theLlanfyllin railway line was later built.

The rope walk was moved to a fieldnext to the railway station. The ropeand twine manufacturer was JosephPowell of Chester, though there wasanother rope maker at Pant.

The most well-known rope maker ofLlanymynech was Mr John Jeffreys,who lived along the Wern. His father,also called John Jeffreys, was the lastweaver in Llanymynech.

Rope makingin a meadow

kiln converted it to calcium oxide, or quick-lime. Most lime kilns were built into the sidesof hills, for the ease of loading. The shape of thekiln was usually two cones joined base to base,tapering towards the top and the bottom.Limestone and coal were poured in from thetop, to rest on iron fire bars. Every 24 hours afire bar would be withdrawn, allowing a quan-tity of burnt lime to fall into the ash pit at thebottom of the kiln. The process was continu-ous, although small kilns would only be oper-ated when they were needed.

Limestone burning at Llanymynech proba-bly began well before the 16th century. TheReverend Richard Pococke, travelling fromOswestry to Welshpool, noticed a hill which he

thought local people called ‘Tana Manah’. Hesaw a great number of lime kilns.

By the end of the 19th century traditionallime burners were facing increased competi-tion from the manufacture of Portland cementas a building material. Also, after 1870, ironmaking in Shropshire and Staffordshiredeclined rapidly. In the 1860s the number ofrockmen working in Llanymynech fell from 45to 33, and down to 21 by 1881. In Pant thenumber fell from 43 to 11 during the 1870s.

The Hoffman kiln at Llanymynech was builtafter 1900, probably as an attempt by theowners to develop a better product, as themarket for limestone for use in ironworks wasdeclining. It was shut down only 14 years later.

Limestone Burning

Mining in Llanymynech

Our stone in great demand

‘Treasures’beneath the hill


IT IS believed the quarry opened in 1756, mainly forlimestone to be used to improve the land, which, inthe flood plain of the Severn and Vyrnwy, was veryacidic.

The technique used was first to clear the top soil, then drilldown with a drill rod, a long piece of metal with a screw threadon it, another man hitting the top of the rod with a maul, a largemetal hammer with a handle made from hazel, to dampen theblows.

Once they’d drilled down between 6 to 10 feet, the next holewould be excavated. Each hole was filled with gunpowder, fuseswere attached and lit, and the two men would find shelter. Oncea face had been created, there were levels, or terraces, and themen would climb down ropes to reach their level, and climb upwhile waiting for the detonation.

The stone had to be no smaller than 6 inches across, or it wouldbe too small for the kilns. The stones were loaded into trucks bythe men, and pushed by them (although later ponies were used)to the top of the incline plane, where the trucks were attached tothe gin wheel and lowered to the canal quays or the kilns. Manyfarms took the unburnt stone, having their own kilns. The stone,once burnt, was put on the fields, the action of rain and frostdisintegrating the rock, so that the farmers could rake the limeand spread it over the land.

IN the last half of the 19th century, experimentswere made by the owners of the limestone quar-ries to allow them to obtain a stone in sufficientquantities so they could compete with the quar-ry owners of Staffordshire. They wanted to offerthe fluxing stone to iron masters at a lowerprice, which they could not with the old methodof drilling holes and blasting on a small scale.

The first experiment took place on the 17th ofSeptember, 1867. A shaft was sunk at a distanceof 12 yards from the edge of the face of the rockto a depth of 60 feet. From the bottom of thisshaft, a chamber, 7 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 4feet high, was cut. One and a half tons ofpowder was placed in the chamber, and to itthree fuses were attached. Men were stationedat various points along the Hill with signals,and traffic was stopped along the adjoiningroads. The firing signal was given, the explosion

occurring within 16 minutes. It was estimatedthat about 8 or 9000 tons of rock was broughtdown, and half that amount loosened.

The next experiment was intended to makeuse of electricity. A level was driven into therock a few yards above the base, to a distance of12 yards. At the end of the level, a cross levelwas driven to the right and to the left. At equaldistances small shafts were sunk in that level,until the base of the rock was reached.Chambers were cut at the bottom of these shaftsand a total of six and a half tons of blastingpowder were placed in the chambers. Twopowerful electrical batteries were used so thatthe three charges could explode simultaneous-ly. On the 11th of March 1868, a large crowd ofpeople gathered to witness the explosion. Theowner, Mr Savin, gave the final signal. Theexplosion was instantaneous. The rock was

burst from the base to the summit and poureddown on to the floor of the quarry, a tremorpassing through the rock where people werestanding. Some of the debris fell at a greatdistance. Part of the tramway bridge on theOswestry Road was destroyed, and some frag-ments of powder were carried a mile away. Thenoise of the explosion was heard at Welshpool,ten miles away. No more similar experimentswere carried out on the Hill.

Later that year Thomas Savin went bankrupt.He had financed the development of theCambrian Railways, and developed the neoGothic hotel on the sea front at Aberystwyth.Llanymynech Quarry was, however, the projectwhich caused his downfall, leaving him debts of£3.5 million, over £100 million in today’s terms,and one of the biggest business collapses of the19th Century.

The Quarry

Hammering out a livingin Llanymynech quarry

Blinded by a blastA PANT quarryman blindedby an explosion lived in a rail-way carriage that had beenturned into a house. He weavedbaskets for a living, and his sonled him around as he sold hisbaskets.

John Roberts, a stone-

breaker on the lime-

stone quarries’ wharf

at Llanymynech, about

the turn of the century.


THERE was a flat race in Llanymynech in 1799, though itwas infrequent in the years after. The first steeplechasewas probably in 1886, at Pentref Farm, and continuedevery year until 1889. In 1890 the course used was atLlwynygroes, and that continued, with occasional lapses,and sometimes at Pool Quay, until 1910.

In 1922 the racing was revived at Llwynygroes, andcontinued until the outbreak of the second World War. In1925 Tipperary Tim was second in the LlanymynechOptional Selling Steeplechase – but three years later thehorse won the Grand National, although only because itwas one of two horses still standing, and the other fell.

THE wake Sunday in the parish was thefirst Sunday after February 5th. Crowdsflocked to the village, mainly to go to thepublic houses and spend their time indrinking and fighting.

Football was played in the churchyard,after the services were over. The festivitieswere again carried out on Wake Tuesday inthe same week. In the evening farmers and

their friends met at the Lion hotel, when aball was held until the early hours of thefollowing morning.

There was another day of amusement onthe Thursday after. This was the day whenthe “mayor” was elected. The mayor wasdecked in ribbons, his face painted red orblack, and a huge cabbage suspended on hisback, with its head downwards. A quart potwas put in his hand, and he was carried in a

wheelbarrow to the main farm houses, andprovided with beer.

By the end of the tour everyone wasdrunk, the mayor usually ending in themiddle of the large puddle which hadcollected in front of the Dolphin inn.

An old man, Isaac Dykes, was frequentlyelected. By the late 18th century the wakeshad fallen into disuse.

Bagshaw’s Directory of 1851Those marked 1 reside at Llanytidman, 2 at Treprenal.

2 Asterley Thomas, farmer Asterley William Lloyd, EsqBatterbee Charles, brazier, plumber, painter, and beer-house keeper Baugh Margaret, victualler Cross Keys 1 Botheil Mary, farmer Bower William, wool agent 2 Broughton Richard Nightingale, woolstapler and malt-ster, Llwynygroes hall Broughton and Asterley, grocers,drapers, and general dealers Davies Mrs, gentlewoman 1 Davies John, farmer and miller Dovaston EdwardMilward, surgeon 1 Dyke Issac, farmer Ellis Letia, tailor and draper 1 Evans John, farmer, gardener, and rate collectorGriffiths Richard, blacksmith Griffiths Richard, draperand grocer 1 Griffiths Jn., quarry master Gwynne George, cooperGwynne George, shoemaker Hackett John, tallow chander 1 Harris Geo., quarry master 1 Harrison John, farmer Hughes Edward, shoemaker 1 Humphreys James, victualler, Cross Guns Jeffreys John,weaver Jones Edward, saddler and harness maker 1 Jones Thomas, farmer Leak Francis, toll collector LloydJohn, farmer, timber merchant, builder, and vict., Lion InnLloyd Richard, vict., Dolpin Luxmoore Rev. John, theRectory Morgan Edward, saddler and dealer Morris John,shoemaker Parkins Charles, shoemaker Poole Mrs., gentle-woman 1 Price Elizabeth, farmer Price Hugh, seedsman 1 PryceWilliam, gentleman, Holly Bush Pugh Henry, seeds-man and druggist Pugh James Owen, grocer and draperRatcliffe Samuel, farmer Richards Richard, farmer, malt-ster, and vicl, Bradford Arms 1 Roberts William, gentleman, Prospect cottage RodgersEdward, farmer 1 Savage Elizabeth, farmer 2 Sheldon Wm., gentleman Thomas Thomas, farmerThomas Robert, schoolmaster and parish clerk WatsonMiss, post office Whitticose Mary, gentlewoman WilliamsSarah, schoolmistress

BELOW: The Dolphin Inn... the scene of muchdrinking on the village’s wakes days.

The Mayor in a wheelbarrowWakes and festivals in Llanymynech

Llanymynech Races

Awinner in theGrand National

Who lived where


How it looked in 1752

Kelly’s Directory of Shropshire 1891PRIVATE RESIDENTS Baugh Miss Bishton Mrs Davies Mrs EvansDavid Griffiths Miss Johnson William Henry (H. M. AssistantInspector of Schools) Jones Rev. Llewelyn Wynne M.A. The RectoryJones Rev. Richard (Welsh Presbyterian), The New House Jones TheMisses Manning Leonard Archibald M.B. The Hollies Moon RichardNormandale Rev. Jn. Wm. (Prim. Meth) Temple Rev. Robert M.A.(H.M. Inspector of Schools), Llwynygroes Hall

COMMERCIAL. Asterley Amelia Mrs.), farmer Baugh Edward,grocer Bromley Richard, farmer, Lower house Davies E. Fox & Co.grocers Davies Evan, blacksmith Davies Jane (Mrs), shopkeeperDavies John Walter, commission agent Deam Thomas, painter, PostOffice Ethelston William, miller (water) & farmer, LlwyntidmanEvans E, & Sons, grocers Evans John & Sons, nurserymen andflorists Harris John, tailor Jeffreys John Morris, rope makerJeffreys John. linen manufacturer Jones Edward, saddler & harnessmaker Jones Edward, farmer, Plascerig Jones John, shoe makerJones John, butcher Jones William, beer retailer Lloyd George,butcher Lloyd Richard, farmer, Carreghofa Manning LeonardArchibald M.B. surgeon, The Hollies Morgan Harriet, (Mrs.), grocer&c Owen Robt. Cross Guns P.H. Llwyntidman Owen William, beerretailer Phillips William, Dolphin inn Pitt Alfred, timber dealerPoole Charles, butcher Price Edward, shopkeeper Pugh Francis,tailor Randles John, farmer, Elm Tree farm Richards Richard,Bradford Arms P.H. & malster Roberts Catherine Elizabeth (Miss),ladies’ school Roberts Emma (Mrs.), Lion hotel Roberts Wm. Shoemaker Llwyntidman Rogers William, farmer, Llwyntidman Savin &Co. Limited (F. Dunford, manager), lime & limestone works: offices,Llynclys Soames & Co. Cross Keys hotel (James Compton, manager)Thomas John, Malster Thomas Eliza (Mrs.) farmer, Treprenal WardEdward Walter, farmer, Llwyntidman

Kelly’s Directory ofShropshire 1929PRIVATE RESIDENTS BrimelowJoshua David, Glanvirnew BromleyMrs. Elizh. C. The Laurels BromleyRichard. Hafod Davies Mrs.Elizabeth. Fulshaw Evans R.W.School. Llanymynech Jackson MissMary, The Gardd Johnson ThomasHenry, The Hollies Jones CharlesOwen. Vron Vyrnwy Jones Mrs. MaryHannah, Fyrnwy bank Moon MissMorfydd, Pen-y-voel house O’ConorHy. Stratford, The Willows Poole-Hughes Rev. John Prytherch M.A.(rector), The Rectory Randles JohnFrederick. Bronwylfa Roberts Capt.Hy. Fras. Belwood Symond Rev.Oscar S. B.A. Vernon Mrs. I.C.W.Blighty Williams Mrs. Llwyn-y-groes

COMMERCIAL Marked thus o farm150 acres or over. Barraclough Jn. &Son. clog solemakers. Rock view oBromley Rd. N farmer. Lower ho.Brown Chas. blacksmith BryanThomas. Farmer, Plascerrig CapperChas. Rowland, garage Clarke Wm-shopkeeper Cross Keys Hotel (JohnEdward Lewis. Proprietor); family &commercial hotel; charabanc partiescatered for; fishing, golfing, tennis;terms moderate. Day Wm. Ernest.Chemist & druggist Ethelston Ernest,miller (water) Llwyntidman EvansEliz. Ashford (Mrs.), farmer,Beechfield Fox-Davies Edwyn & Son,grocers &c Fox-Davies Frank, grocerFrank John Wallace, farmer,Treprenal (letters through Oswestry)Gruar David, farmer Humphreys Rt.Farmer Jones Arth. & Geo, saddlers oJones Rt. Farmer, Llwyntidman hallKynaston Wm, pig dealer, Greenfieldso Lewis Ernest, farmer, LlwyntidmanLewis Harriet (Mrs.), farmer, ElmTree Lewis Mary (Mrs.) shopkeeper,Station Road Lloyd JohnHarvey,farmer, Carreghofa LloydMar Emily (Mrs.), butcher MarshWilliam Wallace, Lion hotel MorrisWm. farmer O’Conor Henry StratfordL.R.C.P. & L.R.C.S. Edin., L.R.F.P. & S.Glas. surgeon, The Willows OwenGeorge, cowkeeper, Owen Wm. shop-keeper Pearson Jn. Michael, grocerPorthywaen Lime Co. Limited, quar-ry owners Pryce Hugh. shopkeeperPugh Francis & Son. drapersRichards Richard (Mrs.), BradfordArms P.H. Savage Edwd. cowkeeperThomas Wm. Farmer, CarreghofaTomlinson Thomas, Dolphin innVernon Leveson Geo. garage WallRobert John, builder

Who lived where

A detail from John Evans’ map of Shropshire, before the railways, canal, orbridge over the Vyrnwy at Llanymynech. If correct, the Tanat seems to divertfrom the Vyrnwy at Newbridge, about two miles downstream of its presentcourse. The thick line going north/south represents Offa’s Dyke, but is wild-ly inaccurate around Llanymynech Hill.

THIS is a letter from the vicar of Criggion,Robert Brock, complaining about the state ofthe Criggion branch of the Shropshire &Montgomery Railway:

23rd November 1912

Sir, I booked today my fare by the 3.57 train fromAbbey Gate station to Criggion on the Shropshire& Montgomery Rly. I rode to Kinnerley Junctionby a properly equipped train. Proceeding by the branch to Criggion, I was putwith another man and two women into the backpart of an engine with only a screen between us andthe fire - no roof, and the sparks and smuts fallingall over us - one spark nearly got into my eye - withdanger of being blinded - my clothes too injured bythe same.

I wish to know whether passengers can be thustreated and deceived - for the last train I caughtabout a fortnight ago I was incarcerated in acarriage as I have hitherto been. I have had occasion to use the railway for my wifeand daughters and friends from London, and ofcourse I cannot subject them to such risk &barbarous treatment. If they cannot or will notserve proper accommodation through the journey,they should not be allowed to advertise it - therewere carriages at the Station (Kinnerley), and as anengine ran - a carriage could and should have beenon the back. Another matter of which I have complained andwhich the Supt. has promised to have remedied isthe hollow appropriately termed a ditch by one ofthe officials, formed by sinking the rails, or makingproper approaches to the crossing to my church -

trusting that these matters may be inquired intoand remedied. I am your obedient servant,

R. BrockVicar of Criggion

Robert Brock was ordained in South Africa bya bishop who had been excommunicated forheresy. His first wife was said by the locals ofCriggion to have been eaten by cannibals inAfrica. When his second wife died he married theCriggion schoolmistress, who had also beencourted by his son. Throughout the years he was Vicar ofCriggion, 1900 to his death in 1926, he hadconstant financial problems, and wrote

frequent letters to the governors of QueenAnne’s Bounty, who held the parish churchfunds, asking for money to be paid him moreoften, and for credit. He became bankrupt in 1912, which onlymade him beg for more money from churchcommissioners. In 1918 he sent his wife to London to plead hiscase, but she too was refused, even though shesaid she was stranded without the train farehome. The secretary of the governors wrote: “MrBrock is not a very estimable old man, I fear,and not very formidable. He regularly begs tohave advances against the warrants comingdue to him, sometimes by letter, sometimes inperson, and not long ago by sending his wife.He never gets them.”

15/01/1860: Oswestry to Pool Quay opened25/07/1864: Cambrian Railways formed13/08/1866: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech opened13/08/1866: Llanymynech to Nantmawr opened21/12/1866: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech closed. Llanymynech to Nantmawr closed12/1868: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech opened. Llanymynech to Nantmawr opened18/04/1870: Llanymynech to Llanyblodwell opened21/06/1871: Kinnerley to Criggion opened20/06/1880: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech closed. Llanymynech to Nantmawr closed,

Kinnerley to Criggion closed

01/06/1881: Llanymynech to Nantmawr opened (by the Cambrian)13/04/1911: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech opened05/01/1912: Kinnerley to Criggion opened10/1932: Kinnerley to Criggion closed06/11/1933: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech closed1939: Wern Junction to Blodwell Junction abandoned01/06/1941: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech opened by the War Department26/02/1960: Shrewsbury (Abbey) to Llanymynech closed18/01/1965: Llanymynech to Llanfyllin closed. Oswestry to Buttington Junction closed15/02/1992: Llanddu Junction to Nantmawr closed

THERE was an accident at Wern Junction (near Carreghofa School) on 7 August1908. A livestock train of Great Central stock was derailed as it left the Nantmawrline to join the new spur to Llanfyllin, just past the bridge under the canal. Theengine fell on its side, and the track was badly damaged. At the inquiry excessivespeed was blamed.

In the year after, a man was knocked down by a train near Llanymynech. Averdict of suicide was recorded, and the directors asked the general manager toreport on the question of trespass.

‘Excessive speed’ to blame

Railway Chronology: Transport

Rise and fall of ourrailway

Vicar of Criggion gets all steamed up!

Views from the Hill10 11a 2000-year history of the Llanymynech area

Views from the Hill

LEFT: A picture which appeared in a recent edition of the ShropshireStar, contributed by Stan Turner of Shrewsbury shows the end of anera... the arrival of the last train from Shrewsbury on The Potts – TheShropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway. Crowds lined thebridge and platform to witness the historic moment.


BEFORE the bridge was built atLlanymynech the ford, and the heavi-ly wooded road either side, wasmeant to be haunted by a white horse.

The horse, bridled and saddled but rider-less, galloped furiously along the road, and onits shoulders it had great blood clots.

In 1903 there was a story in Bye-Gones,which used to appear in the OswestryAdvertizer, about a girl who rode back fromOswestry market one Wednesday, hurrying tocross the ford before dark. She had great diffi-culty persuading her horse to enter the water,but once out and smelling home it set off at acanter. At that moment she heard behind herthe sound of furious galloping. As she lookedround she saw coming closer the outstretchedhead and neck of a white horse. As shereached the end of the wood the soundstopped, but her horse raced on to her home.

On April 23, 1825, Betsy Elliot, who was 15years old, was crossing the River Vyrnwy bythe ferry, during the floods, and the boat over-turned. Betsy and the boatman’s wife werekilled.

Two years later, in 1827, the road bridge toWelshpool was built.

Queen Victoria crossed the bridge in 1832,on her way to Oswestry. She stayed at the LionHotel for a short time (not overnight).Quarrymen fired a salvo in celebration.

A crowd had assembled for the laying of thefoundation stone of St Agatha’s Church in1843. Miss Sarah Tannatt and her three sisterswere riding along the road from Llandysiliowhen there was a sudden thunderstorm.

Sarah’s ‘spirited’ horse took fright anddashed off in the direction of the river bridge.The horse knocked down a woman who waswalking across, and swerved against the rightside of the bridge, just above the second arch.

Sarah was thrown over the parapet into theriver and carried down the swollen river, anddrowned, in her heavy riding habit.

TramwaysLine started out as a roadTHE first record of a railway at Llanymynech seems to be in1809 when a line was mentioned in the rent book of theBradford estate.

In 1820 a man was killed at the “Old Rail Road Rock” whenboarding in a quarry. That Tramway was probably the linewhich ran down to the canal along what is now a distinctive-ly narrow plot in which stands the house called Rock Cottage.

It seems this Tramway may have started as a public road. Itwas derelict in 1838, but remained in the occupation of theCarreghofa Lime Rock Company.

There were at least five inclined planes at LlanymynechHill. Since the traffic was downhill, they would act on gravity,the weight of the stones in the truck going down pullingempty trucks going up.

Canal chronology23/10/1792 Meeting held at Welshpool to support a proposal to extend the Llanymynech

branch of the proposed Ellesmere Canal as far as Welshpool.18/10/1793 Meeting agreed to continue the line to Newtown; decision to form a separate

company independent of the Ellesmere Canal.1794 to 1797 26 km length from Carreghofa to Garthmyl, and the 3 km Guilsfield branch,

constructed1796 The Ellesmere Canal completed from Welsh Frankton to Carreghofa18/07/1794 John Dadford appointed Engineer to the Montgomeryshire Canal09/1796 John Dadford resigns as Engineer to the Montgomeryshire Canal1815-1821 12 km Garthmyl to Newtown built.1823 George W Buck rebuilds the Vyrnwy aqueduct.1880s More repairs on the Vyrnwy aqueduct.1892 Major work on the Vyrnwy aqueduct.05/02/1936 Breach in the canal about 1 mile south of Welsh Frankton.07/1980 Williams Bridge demolished.

Ghostly goings-onRiver crossings

A riderlesshorse atfull gallopwith greatclots ofblood on itsshoulders


12

3

4

56

7

8 9

10

Old buildings of Llanymynech, according toJohn Fewtrell, writing in the MontgomeryshireCollections in the 1870s.

1 Near Elm Tree Farm stood atollbar, and next to it a sentry boxfor the keeper.

The old man who looked afterthe bar was often the butt of prac-tical jokes, once being so fright-ened by some youths he kneltdown and began to pray.

2 Between there and the Post Office stood athatched cottage, partly of timber, and near that apond.

On the Llansantffraid side of the Dolphin pubwas a smithy, heavy and tumble down.

The Dolphin was once known as the Holly BushInn, apparently because the proprietor used toplace a barrel of beer for sale under a holly bush,because a license was not then required. The name‘Dolphin’ is a corruption of the word ‘Godolphin’,the family who once owned the inn.

3 Ty Croes wasonce the CornerShop, althoughbefore that itwas a small ‘by-tack’, or farm.

5 To the north of the village, on the far side of thecanal, was the Sun Inn, originally a butcher’s shop.

Opposite were two small thatched cottages, at theside of one a smithy, and by that the Gate house,which in the 1870s remained as it was at least 80years before. Richard Roberts was born in this house.

6 On the south side of the canal were a shopand two cottages, and before that there weretwo very old cottages. One had a cellarkitchen and the other was a small shop.Next to these was a large building with thedate 1719. The lower part was a shop. Nextwere some stables, and over them a granary.Between these and the Cross Keys hotel wasa cottage and workshop.

7 The old Cross Keys hotel was not built asnear to the road as the present one. It wasthatched with a jutting gable. The front partwas surrounded by wooden palings. Most ofthe inn was rebuilt about 1820, and severallarge rooms were added. In the 19th centurythe boundary between Shropshire andMontgomeryshire, and between Englandand Wales, passed along the foundations ofthe front walls of the houses to the north ofthe hotel. It then passed through the centreof the smoke room of the hotel. According toJohn Fewtrell, an inquest was held in the inn.After the jury had been sworn in, and theinquest began, someone discovered that thejury and coroner was sitting inMontgomeryshire, but the death had takenplace in Shropshire.

At the back of the Cross Keys hotel wasthe ‘well house’ yard, a corruption fromwool house. It had a large room used for thestoring and stapling of wool.

Next to that was a garden and then a malthouse.

8 Opposite the malt house was a shop and threecottages. Before that was a refuse pool, similar tothe slough.

Further along the road was a building with aslaughterhouse, and a thatched and dilapidatedcottage. It was condemned, but the tenantrefused to leave, so the roof was taken off toforce the tenant to leave.

9 Before the houses of Bradford Row were builtthere was a series of barns, one section of which wasa malthouse. The houses, until fairly recently, wereshops.

The Bradford Arms used to be called ‘The OldCoach’, when coaches went between Oswestry andWelshpool.

Next to it was a smithy, and a cottage.

10 The Lion Hotel was theRed Lion Inn, until the middleof the 19th century. The frontpart was added by the propri-etor and owner, the late MrLloyd, in the 19th century.There was a set of stocks bythe roadside, just outside thechurchyard. People confinedin them were usually thosefound in a state of drunken-ness by the constable.

4 Opposite Ty Croes there was alarge field (where Llanymynechgarage is now) and in the corner awooden building known as theMarket Hall. Articles were placedthere for shelter and sale on fairdays. Near this was a large slough,or cesspit, which seems to havebeen an open sewer for the village.

The field seemed to be the usualplace for fights, the losers beingthrown into the slough. Fewtrellsays, “So low were the morals ofsome of the inhabitants, that a manhas been known to roll himself intothe centre of it for a small quantityof beer, a circumstance scarcely tobe credited in these days”.

The rector managed to arrangefor the slough to be drained, and asewer to be constructed through thevillage, terminating in the river.

The village in the19th century


Llanymynechthen and now

ABOVE: Looking south... in the days when itwas safe to stand in the middle of the road! Below:The same view today.


Bickerton Hill(729 ft) 25 miles

Bury Walls Fort(630 ft) 20 miles

Grins Hill(630 ft) 16 miles

Nescliffe Hill(492 ft) 8 miles

The Wrekin(1335 ft) 8 miles

Stiperstones(1731 ft) 16 miles

Rodney’s Pillar(1338 ft) 5 miles

Yr Allt(748 ft) 7 miles

Bryn Mawr(541 ft) 2 miles

Allt y Main(1169 ft) 7.5 miles

Cae Afon(2213 ft) 28 miles

Cefn y Coed(746 ft) 4 miles

Gyrn Moelfre(1715 ft) 7 miles

Myrydd y Bryn(1095 ft) 4 miles

Ruabon Mtn(1678 ft) 15 miles

Pontesford Hill(1047 ft) 14 miles

Brown Clee(1790 ft) 30 miles

N

W E

S

Views fromLlanymynech Hill

Llanymynech means place of the monks, local histo-rians now believe, not of the miners, as was oncethought. The first written record of the place name isLlanemeneych in 1254. The plural of monk in Welshis mynaich. There are lots of such names in the area:Tirmynach (monks land) near Pool Quay, Tirabad(Abbots land) in the same area. Strata Marcellamonastery was established in the 12 century.

Vyrnwy, or properly Efyrnwy, has one of two likelymeanings: either it derives from the river Severn(Welsh Hafren), as a tributary; or it is named afterthe Goddess of the efwr, or yew tree. Tanat meansthe fiery one, or possibly the stream that is brightwith fire.

Carreghofa, or Carreghwfa (the correct Welshspelling) means Hwfa's rock. Hwfa is a medieval

Welsh name occurring throughout Wales (egRhostrehwfa on Anglesey - the rough land of Hwfa'stownship).

Powys apparently derives from the Latin ‘pagensis’,or country dwellers. ‘Pagan’ also derives from thisword.

Pen-y-Foel means top of the bare hill.

A CORRESPONDENT to ‘Bye-Gones Relating toWales and the Border Counties (Sept 3rd 1873)’mentioned that the nickname for Llanymynechpeople was ‘Llanymynech Cut Tails’.

Apparently it used to be very common many yearsago to say: “Take care how you go throughLlanymynech or you will have your tail cut!” thoughit’s unclear what exactly was meant by that.

Name Meanings and Nicknames


ALTHOUGH geologists say that theWrekin consists of pre Cambrian rock,it is well-known that the hill was madeby a giant.

Some fishermen from Shrewsbury had saileddown the Severn to look for eels. When theyreached the Bristol Channel, they discovered ahuge eel trap, and helped themselves to the eelsfrom inside.

As they rowed away a huge giant appearedin the distance, shouting at them to return hiseels. Realising they were far enough away toescape, they shouted back that they were menof Shrewsbury and would not return anything.

The giant spent several weeks in festeringanger. Eventually, he lifted his spade, and dug

up a huge amount of earth, and set offupstream determined to dam the river anddrown the town of Shrewsbury and all itspeople.

It was a hot day, and he was tired and fed up

after several hours walking. He didn’t realisethat Shrewsbury was around the next bend inthe river, when he came across a cobbler. The

giant asked him how far it was to the town ofShrewsbury.

The cobbler, though frightened by the giant,realised that he had to keep his wits about him,and took off the sack of old shoes from his backand emptied them onto the road.

“I’ll tell you how far it is to Shrewsbury,” hesaid. “I set out from there two months ago, andI’ve worn out all these shoes to reach here.”

The giant decided he couldn’t walk that far,and dumped his earth beside the river, and thatbecame the Wrekin.

He scraped his shoes off on the back of hisspade, and that became the little hill beside theWrekin called the Ercall, and he walked backhome.

THE present church is thought to be the third on the site. The firstchurch was probably built of wood, and consequently there are noremains.

The second (pictured here) was built in 1272 to 1307, of stone. Itwas a double building with at the west end a turret with two bells.There were three entrances, two on the south side and the third onthe north side.

By the 1840s the church was in a poor state of repair. It wasdemolished in 1843 and on Ascension Day, 25 May 1843 the foun-dation stone of the present church was laid by Lord Dungannon.The site of the foundation stone is not known, though it is probably

under the floor by the altar.The church is built in the Normanesque style. It is constructed of

local limestone, apart from the arches and ornamental portions,which are terracotta, possibly fired at Morda. The cost of the newchurch was £2000, most of which was raised by private subscrip-tions.

The clock was made and given to the Parish of Llanymynech byRichard Roberts in 1844. A condition of his giving the clock was that

one face should be visible from thequarry where he had worked, so thatquarrymen should know the time.

The second of three churches

The giant decided he couldn’twalk that far, and dumped hisearth beside the river, and that

became the Wrekin.


Story of the rockbeneath our feet

Saxon earthwork marks the border

A castleto protectthe mine

BETWEEN 290 and 355 million years ago,there was a warm and shallow tropical seawhich bordered a peninsula of land to thesouth.

Llanymynech Hill consists of theCarboniferous limestone which was depositedthen. Since the hill was close to land, thedeposits are relatively shallow compared todeposits in other parts of Britain.

The limestone is exposed to form the south-ern end of a west facing escarpment, which

continues northwards to the Eglwyseg escarp-ment near Llangollen. The strata lies on foldedOrdovician and Silurian rocks, and is dividedinto four distinct layers: at the bottom, basalshales, which are up to 30 m thick; lower lime-stone, up to 85 m thick; upper grey limestone, 70to 100 m thick; Sandy limestone, 100 to 200 mthick.

The mineral veins in the limestone dates fromthe late Carboniferous age, and tend to runchiefly in a north east direction

AFTER the Romans left, the next periodof activity of mining on the Hill was inthe 12th century.

King Richard I went to the Crusades andwas captured in 1193 on his return.The Bishop of Salisbury, HubertWalter, had accompanied Richard toPalestine and returned to England asone of the commissioners to raise therequired £100,000 for his ransom.

He heard of the discovery of silver at theCarreghwfa Mine on LlanymynechHill, and decided to develop the mineand re-open the mint at Shrewsbury torefine the silver and make it into coins.

To protect the mine, the nearby castle atCarreghwfa was repaired and provid-ed with a garrison of troops. However,silver only occurs in this country in thelead mineral galena, from which it canbe refined in small quantities duringsmelting.

So despite the work that was carried outbetween 1194-95, very little silver wasrefined from the mine and the wholeventure made a net loss.

A documentary source mentions activityat Llanymynech: a grant of land to theCistercian Monastery of StrataMarcella in 1198 included rights‘above and below land’, whichsuggests that the monks had an inter-est in lead mining in this area.

Mining seems to have stopped onLlanymynech Hill until the 17thcentury.

KING Offa of Mercia ruled from 757 to795. He built the great earthwork as aborder between the Welsh and theSaxons. It extends from Prestatyn onthe North Wales coast to Chepstow, onthe Severn estuary.

The Dyke was originally known as theMark or March, which name the Normanslater used to refer to a much wider area.

The Dyke was probably built in the lasttwelve years of Offa’s reign, and it is possiblethere was some agreement between the Saxons

Day's Shop, which was next to the present corner shop.

Offa’s Dykeand Welsh as to its whereabouts, though in anytreaty the Saxons would have been able todictate most of the terms.

Certainly it seems the Dyke was designed formaximum military effect, always keeping to thehigh ground on westward facing hills, and withthe ditch to the west side of the rampart. SomeEnglish settlements were to the west of themark, which suggests that the military purposewas considered the most important.

Offa’s Laws are particularly concerned aboutthe procedure for tracking and recovering cattlewhich were taken over the border. They alsolaid down that any English or Welsh had tohave a guide from the other side, who had toensure they returned safely, without commit-ting any offence.

Only half the usual death fine had to be paidfor either an Englishman or Welshman whowas killed on the wrong side of the dyke. Thelaw that any Welshman who was found carry-ing weapons on the English side should havehis right arm cut off did not exist.

Tale of an angry giantand a clever cobbler...


Pillar of stone to markan Admiral’s victory

Change of location for post office

RODNEY’S Pillar was built to commemo-rate the victory of Admiral Rodney overthe French. It seems there was already aplan to erect a monument because of thetimber taken from trees growing aroundthe Breidden hills and used by the BritishNavy for its ships.

It was built in 1781, and may have beendesigned by John Evans of Llwynygroes.Originally there was a round copper ball on thetop of the Pillar, but this was destroyed by light-ning. It was replaced in 1847, and the wholepillar repaired. Again it was renewed in 1896,and the ball was in place at that time.

In the early part of the 19th century, there wasan idea to raise a monument to the memory ofLord Nelson on Llanymynech Hill.

Meetings were held in Llanymynech, and thescheme was agreed, but abandoned, though it isnot known why.

Rodney’s Pillar

AFTER the Second World War, therewas a move by some of the inhabitantsof Carreghofa to move the parish fromMontgomeryshire to Shropshire.

The main cause of complaint wasthe lack of sewage facilities and mainswater and decent roads.

Montgomeryshire did not want tolose the good ratepayers of the parish,and it seems improvements weremade, though it isn’t known whetherthe threat to move was merely a bluffto gain better facilities.

Carreghofaon the move

The first PostOffice wasopened at theCross Keys Hotel,and when thePostmistressmoved to theLion, it went withher.The nextplace was in asmall shop at theend of BradfordRow, then toAshfield Terrace, alittle further westfrom its presentposition. Earlierlast century it wasin theplace shown inthis photo, on theMaesbrook Road.


Acknowledgmentsand Sources

History

Documents Concerning the Parishof LlanymynechLocal Studies LibraryShrewsbury,1987

The Montgomeryshire CollectionsThe Powysland Club1867-1999

Victorian History of the County ofShropshire1908/1973/1978/1968

Industrial Revolution in ShropshireBarry Trinder1973

A History of ShropshireBarry TrinderPhillimore1983

History of Oswestry &Llanymynech RacesBecher (Geoffrey Edwards)

Geography

The Welsh BordersRoy Millward & Adrian RobinsonEyre Methuen1978

Landscape of the Welsh MarchesTrevor RowleyMichael Joseph1986

Mines of Llanymynech Hill

The Shropshire LandscapeTrevor RowleyHodder & Stoughton1972

Archaeology

The Archaeology of the WelshMarchesS.C.StanfordWilliam Collins1980

The Shell Book of Offa’s DykePathFrank NobleThe Queen Anne Press Limited1969

Offa’s DykeSir Cyril FoxThe British Academy1955

Rome Against CaratacusGraham WebsterBatsford1981

Canals

The Archaeology of theMontgomeryshire CanalStephen HughesRoyal Commission on Ancient &Historical Monuments in Wales1981

Towpath Guide to theMontgomeryshire CanalJohn Horsley DentonLapal Publications1984

Hadfield’s British CanalsJoseph Boughey & CharlesHadfieldSutton Publishing1994

Canals of the West MidlandsCharles HadfieldDavid & Charles

Railways

Branch Line to ShrewsburyVic Mitchell & Keith SmithMiddleton Press1991

The Shropshire &Montgomeryshire RailwayEric S. TonksIndustrial railway Society1972

The Shropshire &Montgomeryshire Light RailwayKeith & Susan TurnerDavid & Charles1982

The Criggion BranchR CarpenterW. Swan

The Cambrian RailwaysRex Christiansen & R.W. MillerDavid & Charles

Handbook to the Shropshire &Montgomeryshire RailwayShropshire County Library1977

Shropshire Railways RevisitedShropshire Railway SocietyShropshire Libraries1982

Railways of ShropshireRichard K MorrisShropshire Books1983

Shropshire & StaffordshireRailways RememberedLeslie OppitzCountryside Books1993

Stories & Memories

Bye-gonesRichard Holland (collected)Gwasg Carreg Gwalch1992

Montgomeryshire Memories1900-1960Sheila Roy (edited)Montgomeryshire Federation ofWomen’s Institutes1994

We would also like toacknowledge the help of:Ron & Betty HughesRobin MorrisThe Rev Tony VilliersCharlie & Marion IngramDr Gill PooleRhis OwenAdrian TuckerLeslie OppitzThe Rev Michael Robertsfor their assistance in the makingof this booklet.


Produced by

Llanymynech AmateurDramatic Society

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nrhodes1www.llanymynech.co.uk

Written by Neil Rhodes Designed by Jeremy and Vicky Smith Printed by Counter Print, Cheshire Street, Market Drayton. 01630 658681