{{hatnote|Not to be confused with Llanfechain in northern Powys.}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Use British English|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox UK place |country = Wales |coordinates = {{coord|52.142|-03.504|display=inline,title}} |official_name = Llanfechan |community_wales = Treflys |unitary_wales = Powys |lieutenancy_wales = Powys |population = |population_ref = |static_image = Llanfechan Church - geograph.org.uk - 230355.jpg |static_image_width = 250px |static_image_caption = St Afan's Church in Llanfechan }} '''Llanfechan''' is a small church settlement in the community of Treflys, consisting of a church and a farm, and the surrounding area, it is beside the A483 on the north side of the Irfon Valley near Cilmeri, about {{convert|7|km|sp=us}} west of Builth Wells, Powys, Wales.<ref name="CPAT - Church of St Afan, Llanafan Fechan">{{cite web|title=Church of St Afan, Llanafan Fechan|url=http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk/projects/longer/churches/brecon/16805.htm|publisher=CPAT|accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="CPAT - Llanafan Fechan">{{cite web|title=Llanafan Fechan|url=http://www.cpat.org.uk/ycom/breck/llanfechan.pdf|publisher=CPAT|accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref>

Until 1986 Llanafanfechan was a community.<ref>https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/builth.html</ref>

==Name== The community was originally known as '''Llanafan Fechan''' (Welsh for the "Lesser" ''fechan'' "Parish" ''llan'' of Saint Afan) to distinguish it from the larger one nearby, Llanafan Fawr. The settlement was referred to as ''Llanavon vechan'' in 1543.<ref name="CPAT - Llanafan Fechan" /> A third Llanafan also exists in Ceredigion, near the Trawsgoed Estate.

==The settlement== The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870–72) describes the settlement as follows: <blockquote>LLANAFAN-FECHAN, or LLANFECHAN, a parish in Builth district, Brecon; on the river Irvon ... Acres, 2,783. Real property, £927. Pop[ulation], 163. Houses, 25. The surface is hilly, and the rocks include slate. Gwarafog, an ancient mansion, is now a farm-house. The living is a p[erpetual] curacy, annexed to the vicarage of Llanafan-Fawr, in the diocese of St. David's. The church is small.<ref name="Vision of Britain 1870">{{cite web|title=Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for LLANAFAN-FECHAN, or LLANFECHAN|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/736540|publisher=Vision of Britain}}</ref></blockquote>

The population fell from about 170 in 1801 to less than 90 in 1961, peaking in 1831 at nearly 190.<ref>{{cite web|title=Total population|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10149873/cube/TOT_POP|publisher=Vision of Britain}}</ref> In 1881, agriculture dominated male employment (64% of 39) and apart from a schoolmaster all the rest had manual jobs of various kinds.<ref name="Occupations 1881">{{cite web|title=Occupation data classified into the 24 1881 'Orders', plus sex|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10149873/cube/OCC_ORDER1881|publisher=Vision of Britain}}</ref>

==Church== The present church dates to a refurbishment in 1866. The church is of typical medieval size and plan and this probably reflects the footprint of its predecessor. The 14th century font inside the church presumably comes from this earlier building. The church stands on an unnatural mound, assumed to be the debris of the earlier church, and within a raised churchyard about 45m across.<ref name="CPAT - Llanafan Fechan" />

It was probably attached originally to the church at Llanafan Fawr ('Llanafan the Greater'), records of both churches during the 18th and 19th centuries show that curates from Llanafan Fawr also served Llanfechan.<ref name="Irfon Valley Parish">{{cite web|title=Llanfechan (St Afan's)|url=http://www.irfonvalleyparish.co.uk/llanfechan.html|publisher=Irfon Valley Parish}}</ref> It was attached to the church at Llanganten by the early 20th century.<ref name="CPAT - Church of St Afan, Llanafan Fechan" />

St Afan was a 5th or 6th century Welsh bishop, who was usually known as Afan Buallt, indicating a connection with the Buallt area. It is not known where or when he was a bishop, but the name by which he was referred suggests his diocese was around Builth in Brycheiniog with his seat at Llanafan Fawr.<ref name="Irfon Valley Parish" /><ref name=Baring-Gould>{{cite book |last=Baring-Gould |first=Sabine | authorlink =Sabine Baring-Gould| title=The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and such Irish Saints as have Dedications in Britain |publisher=Charles J. Clark, for the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion |year=1907 |location=London |pages =[https://archive.org/details/livesbritishsai00fishgoog/page/n145 114]–115 |url =https://archive.org/details/livesbritishsai00fishgoog}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

Category:Populated places in Powys Category:Former communities in Powys