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Coordinates: 51°32'32?N 3°22'43?W? / ?51.54229, -3.37849
Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, south Wales, lying on the River Ely and the River Clun. The town's name translates as The Parish of the Three Saints. The three saints in question are St Illtyd, St Gwynno and St Dyfodwg. At the towns highest point is the remains of a 13th Century windmill - stone tower known locally as “Billy Wynt”. By the early 19th century the tower was in ruins and in 1893 it was restored as a folly.
In 1346, Llantrisant was granted a Royal Charter months before the archers from the town helped Edward, the Black Prince, win a victory against the French army at Crecy. The Llantrisant longbow men were pivotal in the adoption of the longbow as the missile weapon of choice for the English crown during the Middle Ages.
[edit] Culture
The town is known as the home of the Royal Mint, which manufactures all British coins. And its attractions include the Mint's museum, the remains of Llantrisant Castle and a design centre. The town is sometimes known as "The hole with the mint"—a parody of the Polo slogan.[2]
An ancient tradition called the "Beating of the Bounds",[3] where local children are bounced by elders onto the border stones of the village, still occurs to modern times. This event occurs every seven years and has its roots set as far back as the 14th century. The rite was intended as a reminder to each generation of the importance of the village boundaries. The children in question are held under the arms and the legs, and their backside is bounced on each of the stones of the village. It is believed that the Beating of the Bounds started in 1346, when Llantrisant was awarded its Royal Charter. This allowed them the freedom to trade without paying tolls within the boundaries of the town. The last occasion of this event was in June 2003, but the event is now seen as a purely historic tradition and social community event.
At nearby Tarren Deusant is a spring with unusual petrosomatoglyph carvings of two faces, two saints (1696), but now six are present (Sharp 1979).
Llantrisant is known for its public house culture with a number of venues including The New Inn, the Wheatsheaf and the Cross Keys Hotel. Formerly in the Bull Ring was the Rock and Fountain pub, which became the home of the original Llantrisant Workingmen's Club in May 1953, which was founded by Freeman of Llantrisant, Seth Morgan.
[edit] Education
The history of education in Llantrisant is firmly based in the varied religious institutions and Sunday School services which rapidly flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries. The Norman parish church was the starting point for the education movement, although it was one that would take a century or more to fully develop into a successful entity. In 2001 the Llantrisant Town Trust sponsored an educational website called ‘’Llantrisant Online’’ which was noted for being one of the first websites to use the Circle of Friends social networking technology.
Sport flourished in Llantrisant for centuries and the remains of the ancient Fives Court of the 1790s, stands at the rear of the Workingmen's Club. Llantrisant is also known as the home of the Black Army or Llantrisant rugby union club.
[edit] Notable people associated with Llantrisant
[edit] Freemen of Llantrisant
- Sir David Evans: Lord Mayor of London in 1891
- Ivor Jacob: Late Town Council Chairman
- Seth Morgan: Late publican and Royal Navy serviceman
- Cennydd George Traherne: Late Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan
- Brandon Meredith Rhys Williams: Late Conservative Politician
- Evan John, First Town Trust Clerk / Fellow of the Entomological Society of London
[edit] References
- Sharp, Mick (1997). Holy Places of Celtic Britain. Blandford. ISBN 1-85079-315-8. Pps. 32–33.
- Powell, Dean; "Llantrisant" (Tempus Publishing Ltd 2001); "Llantrisant Revisited" (Tempus Publishing Ltd) 2002
(Source: Wikipedia) |