handbook of the origin of place-names in wales and monmouthshire

Llangoed. — The name signifies a church in the wood, so called from the woody nature of theneighbourhood. The church was dedicated to Cawrdaf in the sixth century, and the parish is sometimescalled Llangawrdaf. English name — Churchwood.Llangristiolus. — Cristiolus, a descendant of Emyr Llydaw, flourished in the seventh century, and built thechurch which commemorated his name. Cristiolus signifies " the anointed." English name — Christchurch.Llanrhyddlad. — Rhuddlad, a daughter of the King of Leinster, Ireland, was a saintess of the seventhcentury, and the supposed founder of the above church. One author thinks the right wording is Rhyddlad;rhydd, at liberty, free; lad-gwlad, country. Perhaps the prefix is rhudd, red; the name, therefore, means redsoil or country. English name — Redham.Llantrisant. — The church is dedicated to tri sant, three saints: Afren, Ieuan, and Savan, who, it issupposed, founded it in the year 570. English name- Triton.Llechylched. — Some think the church is dedicated to Ilched or Ylched. The name is, probably, a compoundof Llech, a flat stone ; and cylched, a circumference, what goes about or encloses. Cylchedu, to encircle, toinclude in a circle. Perhaps the name has reference to the Druidical circle stones. English name —Circumstone.Menai Bridge. — The Welsh name is Porthaethwy which is variously derived. The late Rev. P. B. Williamswrites: — " This ferry, probably, took its name from the hundred or division in which it is situated -Tindaethwy. Porth, port, a ferrying place; - Tindaethwy, according to some, is a contraction of aeth or aethanty went ; and hwy - they, signifying the ferry over the strait which they — the first settlers of Mona — crossedto the other side. Iago Emlyn derives aethwy thus: Aeth, terrible; wy-gwy, water; founding his reason on theperilousness of the passage across the straits. Another writer thinks it is Porth-y-caeth-wy, the port of thenarrow water. The place has been popularly called Menai Bridge ever since the construction of the worldrenownedbridge that spans the straits. Menai comes from Main -aw, which signifies the narrow water; or itmight be main-wy, which means the same.Moelfre. — A very common place-name in Wales. It is a compound of Motl y bare, bald ; and bre, a hill, amountain. The name is generally applied to a treeless hill, but covered with short, smooth grass, sometimesinterspersed with heath. English name — Baldhill.Nebo. — This village takes its name from a Nonconformist chapel in the place.Niwbwrch, or Newborough. — Its ancient name, according to some, was Rhosfair, from a small churchdedicated to St. Mary. Mr. Rowlands thinks the name was Rhos Hit, long meadow, from its situation in anextensive marshy plain on the eastern side. The place was once the capital of Mona, and the residence ofthe princes of North Wales. Edward I. made it a free corporation, from which circumstance originated thepresent name of Newborough. Niwbwrch is probably a corruption of Newborough.Pencarneddi. — Pen, head, top, end ; Carneddi, a plural form of Carnedd, which denotes a sepulchral heapof stones. Carneddau were the common monuments erected by the ancient Britons in honour of their greatmen. English name — Cairnham.Penmynydd. — The name signifies mountain top, and was given to the village from respect to the mansionof the same name, which is famous for being the place where Owain Tudor was born in 1384. English name— Montham.Pensarn. — Pen, head, end; Sam, Roman paved road, a causeway. A name of frequent occurrence inWelsh topography. English name— Roadsend.Pentraeth. — The parish is also called Llanfair- Bettws-Geraint. The church was dedicated to St. Mary aboutthe sixth century, and supposed to have been built by Geraint or Gerimius, grandson of Constantine. Thevillage is called Pentraeth, from its being situated at the head or upper end of the sandy beach, or bay, whichis called Traethcoch or Red Wharf Bay. English name — Beachend.Pontripont. — A corruption, probably, of Pontrhyd- y-bont. The ancient name was Rhydpont, or Rhyd-y-bont,the fori of the bridge. The prefix pont was probably added when another bridge was built across Rhydybont.English name — Bridgeford.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 17