Historic Landscape Characterisation
Llŷn - Area 5 Neigwl (PRN 33486)
Porth Neigwl
Neigwl Plain
|
Historic background
Neigwl is an extensive low-lying plateau,
mostly between 20m - 30m OD, bounded by the steeply rising
ground of Mynydd Rhiw to the west and the Llangian/Llanengan
escarpment to the east. The area is limited by the wide sandy
bay of Porth Neigwl on the south and the rising ground of Botwnnog
and Nanhoron to the north. The low ground is drained by the
Afon Soch which, fed by innumerable tributary streams springing
from the foothills of Mynydd Rhiw and the rising ground to
the north, winds a course from Bryncroes east across the plain,
skirting the Llangian/Llanengan escarpment to reach the sea
on the east coat on the peninsula at Abersoch. Smaller streams
from Llanengan and the marshy ground of Rhosneigwl drain to
the south at Porth Neigwl. The bay itself fronts actively eroding
20m high clay cliffs along most of its length and particularly
so at the west end.
There are indications of a possible concentric
circular multi-phase prehistoric settlement in the area of
Bodgyri, below the north-eastern end of Mynydd Rhiw, close
to the Soch and another settlement enclosure, undated, at Faerdre,
Botwnnog, 1km south-east of Bodgyri (PRN 4376). Ploughed-out
ditched barrows of the early Bronze Age have been recorded
from the air near Bodnithoedd (PRN 4372), a possible ploughed-out
barrow at Llawr y Dref (PRN 4377) and a possible late-prehistoric
ring-ditch and enclosure at Towyn (PRN 4379). A ‘burnt
mound’ and water boiling trough of Bronze Age date, has
recently been discovered on the shoreline, uncovered by coastal
erosion at Nant.
|
During the Middle Ages, Neigwl was the maerdref,
the royal administrative centre and demesne of the lord of
the commote of Cymydmaen. After the death of Owain Gwynedd
in 1170, Giraldus indicates that Llyn was in the hands of Owain’s
sons, Dafydd and Rhodri. Maredudd ap Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd
seems to have briefly held Llyn in around 1200. In 1252 Dafydd
ap Gruffydd, younger brother of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was lord
of Cymydmaen. The lands in his lordship would include the bond
trefgyfrif township of Towyn, on the coast near Llanengan,
the two bond hamlets of Neigwl itself, Trygarn and Trefollwyn,
the bond trefgyfrif township of Dindywydd at the northern end
of Mynydd Rhiw with its hamlet, Crugeran and Penarfynydd, on
the west side of Mynydd Penarfynydd (for Dindywydd and Penarfynydd,
see Rhiw and Penarfynydd character area). Trefollwyn, a hamlet
of Neigwl lies on the coast to the west of Towyn. Trygarn lies
to the east of Dindywydd. With the exception of the outlying
township of Penarfynydd we can begin to define the location
and extent of the maerdref. The precise location of the llys
or ‘palace’ is not known but several ‘Neigwl’ names,
Neigwl Uchaf, Neigwl Ganol, Neigwl Plas are indicative of the
later dismemberment of a Medieval township into a small number
of large properties, often bearing the same name. There are
also geographical and topographical names which are indicative
of the proximity of a particular location, such as Rhosneigwl
and Penrallt Neigwl. The farm name Faerdre within this cluster
can only mean an association with the territory of the township
and, similarly, two farms with the name Llawrdref, one with
early origins the other nineteenth century, are an indication
of a settlement or territorial focus. At Aberffraw on Anglesey,
for example, Maerdref in the Middle Ages had become Llawr y
Dref by the eighteenth century. Finally the two hamlets of
Neigwl are identifiable at the south and north-west extremities
of this place name cluster and similarly, two of the three
trefgyfrif (demesne) townships lie immediately adjacent. Some
confirmation of the association of identification is forthcoming
in leases of William and Mary, and Elizabeth, which refer to
the Manor of Neigwl, messuages, tenements and appurtenances
in Maerdref. Furthermore correspondence in the Wynn of Gwydir
papers of around 1620 refers to Trefgarne (Trygarn), Trefollwyn,
Crugeran, Neigwl, Towyn and Maerdref as Crown lands. The conclusion
to be drawn is that almost the entire character area, described
here as the Neigwl plain, constitutes the royal maerdref of
Neigwl. In the late fifteenth century, Cymer Abbey held land
at Neigwl, operating as a grange.
Across the entire area lanes frequently cross streams and
wet ground. Small stone bridges and causeways are a regular
feature of the character area.
Key historic landscape characteristics
•A low lying, flat landscape transected
by meandering rivers and streams; reclaimed land from areas
of marsh; stone causeways and bridges to facilitate communication.
•Coherent place name evidence for the location and
extent of the royal maerdref of the Medieval commote of Cymydmaen.
•Large farmhouses set within a pattern of large nineteenth-century
fields enclosed within clawdd banks in contrast to the higher
ground to the west and east.
There is coherent place name evidence for
the location and extent of the royal maerdref of the Medieval
commote of Cymydmaen which spreads across almost the entire
character area, described here as the Neigwl plain.
The landscape is low lying and flat, transected by meandering rivers
and streams, reclaimed from areas of marsh. Large farmhouses are set
within a pattern of large nineteenth-century fields enclosed within clawdd
banks in contrast to the higher ground to the west and east. Stone causeways
and bridges to facilitate communication are an important feature of the
landscape. The eastern part of the area is characterised by a small number
of large farms set among large fields with essentially straight nineteenth-century
clawdd-type boundaries. The banks have gorse hedges. Towards the west
the ground slopes very gently, fields are smaller and less regular, particularly
in the area close to the smaller farms and houses in the area of Rhosneigwl.
Here, there are areas of wet marshy ground, ponds and frequent drains
and streams. The clawdd banks are overgrown. In 1800 the tenants of Llawr
y Dref and Deuglawdd near the Soch ‘had a great number of large
banks scattered and the soil mixed with lime, new fences made and gorse
seeds sown in them’ (Llawr y Dref) and ‘the old banks have
been erased and new hedges made with gorse seeds’ (Deuglawdd).
The church of Llandygwnning falls within the character area. The dedication
is ancient. The church is recorded in the sixteenth century as a chapel
to Llaniestyn. It was rebuilt in 1840 to an unusual design. The present
church has an octagonal western tower surmounted by a cylindrical upper
storey, capped with a conical rendered spire. The only other buildings
of note are the farmhouse of Llawrdref near Llangian, which contains
sixteenth-century roof trusses and chamfered beams; and the eighteenth
century mansion house, Gelliwig, mostly remodelled in the nineteenth
century.
Back to Llŷn
Landscape Character Map |
|
