# Llysfaen

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For the suburb of Cardiff, see [Lisvane](/source/Lisvane).

**Llysfaen** is a village and [community](/source/Community_(Wales)) in [Conwy County Borough](/source/Conwy_County_Borough) overlooking the north coast of [Wales](/source/Wales), and situated on the hill [Mynydd Marian](/source/Mynydd_Marian). For [local government](/source/Local_government_in_Wales) purposes, it is also a [ward](/source/Ward_(politics)). The community includes the [Peulwys](/source/Peulwys) estate of [Old Colwyn](/source/Old_Colwyn).

## Introduction

Llysfaen is located one kilometre (0.6 miles) inland, halfway between the coastal towns of [Abergele](/source/Abergele) and [Colwyn Bay](/source/Colwyn_Bay). Neighbouring villages include [Old Colwyn](/source/Old_Colwyn), [Llanddulas](/source/Llanddulas), [Dolwen](/source/Dolwen) and [Betws-yn-Rhos](/source/Betws-yn-Rhos). To its immediate west is [Mynydd Marian](/source/Mynydd_Marian), a [mountain](/source/Mountain) known for its [limestone](/source/Limestone) [grassland](/source/Grassland) and the rare dwarf subspecies of the [silver-studded blue](/source/Silver-studded_blue) butterfly, and [Craig y Forwyn](/source/Craig_y_Forwyn_(Conwy)) is to the east. Llysfaen also overlooks the Irish sea, as well as [Kinmel Bay](/source/Kinmel_Bay), [Rhyl](/source/Rhyl), and the [Clwydian Range](/source/Clwydian_Range).

The council ward, including the village centre and surrounding precincts, occupies 5.11 square kilometres (1,260 acres, 511 hectares). The community's [population](/source/Population_(human_biology)) has remained relatively static in recent times and was 2,652 at the census held in 2001.[1]

The community is currently part of [Conwy County Borough](/source/Conwy_County_Borough). However, it historically formed an [exclave](/source/Exclave) of [Caernarfonshire](/source/Caernarfonshire) assumed by the surrounding [Denbighshire](/source/Denbighshire_(historic)) in 1923; subsequent local government reorganisation saw it administered as part of [Clwyd](/source/Clwyd) (1974–1996).

The name, *Llysfaen* is [Welsh](/source/Welsh_(language)) for *stone court* (i.e. a court built of stone).

Throughout much of Llysfaen's recent history, many of its villagers worked at the nearby Llysfaen and Llanddulas [Limestone](/source/Limestone) [Quarry](/source/Quarry) from where [lime](/source/Lime_(mineral)) was shipped to [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool) or [Fleetwood](/source/Fleetwood) using Raynes Jetty in [Llanddulas Bay](/source/Llanddulas_Bay).

## Facilities

The village has a small number of facilities including a [primary school](/source/Primary_Education_in_Wales), [Ysgol Cynfran](/source/Ysgol_Cynfran), accepting pupils from nursery age to 11; a [convenience store](/source/Convenience_store); the [mediaeval](/source/Mediaeval) [St. Cynfran's](/source/St._Cynfran's) [parish church](/source/Parish_church) (see below); the [village hall](/source/Village_hall); a playgroup; three [parks](/source/Park), a small hairdressers and barbers, two telephone boxes, and two post boxes. A [mobile library](/source/Mobile_library) run by [Conwy Library Service](/source/Conwy_council) also calls at the village every three weeks.[2]

Llysfaen currently has a number of youth [football](/source/Football_(soccer)) teams catering for ages from 7 to 18 and a men's team too. A majority of the teams' games are played on the village's Banana Pitch, so called because it dips heavily in the middle.

Llysfaen has a [bowling green](/source/Bowling_green) which is home to a [lawn bowls](/source/Lawn_bowls) team and a [multi-use games area](/source/Multi-use_games_area) where netball, tennis and hockey is played.

## History

The [patron saint](/source/Patron_saint) of Llysfaen is [Saint Cynfran](/source/Saint_Cynfran), who is traditionally believed to have, in 777, founded the eponymous church in the village, above whose entrance is a carving in rock of the saint. The primary school is also named after Cynfran.

In the 1254 [Norwich Taxation](/source/Norwich_Taxation), Llysfaen was recorded as *Ecc'a de Llesvaen*, and in the 1291 taxation as *Rectoria di Lisnaen* and taxed at £4.

St Cynfran's church has been rebuilt a number of times; the current twin-[naved](/source/Nave) building is said to date from 1377 but is believed to incorporate stones from the original church. In 1870, the building was the subject of an extensive £1,950 internal restoration with only a few panels remaining from the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages), although the mediaeval stone walls remain. The rectilinear [churchyard](/source/Churchyard) contains memorials going back as far as the 17th century. The churchyard is surrounded by a stone wall with [yew trees](/source/Taxus) both in and outside the walls, and there is a holy [well](/source/Water_well), the Ffynnon Gynfran, about 100 metres to the north.

The ancient [parish](/source/Parish) of Llysfaen was an [exclave](/source/Exclave) of the [cwmwd](/source/Cwmwd) (equivalent to a [hundred](/source/Hundred_(country_subdivision))) of [Creuddyn](/source/Creuddyn_Peninsula) within the county of [Caernarfonshire](/source/Caernarfonshire), and comprised the townships of [Isallt](/source/Isallt), [Isyffordd](/source/Isyffordd), [Pant](/source/Pant,_Denbighshire) (or *Tre'r Pant*), [Penmaen](/source/Penmaen,_Conwy) and [Rhwngyddwyffordd](/source/Rhwngyddwyffordd). According to the [Royal Commission of the Welsh Church](/source/Royal_Commission_of_the_Welsh_Church), the then parish had a population of 585 in 1831 rising to 1,489 in 1901.

The parish was originally slightly larger than today with an area of 1,772 acres (7.17 square kilometres) in the 1840s. In 1872, part of the parish was lost to [Colwyn](/source/Colwyn_(district)) but the township of [Twynnan](/source/Twynnan) was gained from [Llanelian-yn-Rhos](/source/Llanelian-yn-Rhos). Around 1910 the parish had increased to 1,879 acres (7.6 square kilometres).

In 1873, the local lime quarrying firm, Raynes & Co. Ltd, was established by James Trevelyan Raynes II to make [sodium carbonate](/source/Sodium_carbonate) and [limestone dust](/source/Limestone_dust) for use in [glass](/source/Glass) manufacture.[3]

### 20th century

- 1923, the parish of Llysfaen was moved from [Caernarfonshire](/source/Caernarfonshire) (of which it had been an [exclave](/source/Exclave)) to the surrounding [Denbighshire](/source/Denbighshire_(historic)).
- 1927, [United Alkali Company](/source/United_Alkali_Company) Ltd took over Raynes & Co. and were then purchased themselves in the same year by [Imperial Chemical Industries](/source/Imperial_Chemical_Industries) (ICI).
- 1931, [Llysfaen railway station](/source/Llysfaen_railway_station) closed, but the signal box was not removed until 1983 as it served sidings used by the ICI lime works.[4]
- 1972, the church was subject to another restoration.
- 1974, the vast majority of the county of [Denbighshire](/source/Denbighshire_(historic)) including Llysfaen was assumed by the larger [Clwyd](/source/Clwyd) with Llysfaen also becoming part of the borough of [Colwyn](/source/Colwyn_(district)).
- 1996, as part of the reorganisation of Wales into [unitary authorities](/source/Unitary_authorities), Llysfaen became part of the [county borough](/source/County_borough) of [Conwy](/source/Conwy_(county_borough)).

## Governance

A Llysfaen [electoral ward](/source/Wards_and_electoral_divisions_of_the_United_Kingdom) exists, coterminous with the boundaries of Llysfaen community. One county councillor is elected to [Conwy County Borough Council](/source/Conwy_County_Borough_Council). At the May 2017 election the seat changed hands, being won by the [Conservative Party](/source/Welsh_Conservative_Party) from [Labour](/source/Welsh_Labour_Party), who had held the seat since the first election in 1995.[5]

Llysfaen also elects community councillors to represent them on Llysfaen Community Council, from the community wards of Peulwys and Upper Llysfaen.[6]

## References

1. [Office for National Statistics : *Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Conwy*](http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do;jsessionid=ac1f930b30d5949f8001401f4363ae9beb81c0a9b241?instanceSelection=03070&productId=779&$ph=60_61&datasetInstanceId=3070&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=8&containerAreaId=790561&nsjs=true&nsck=true&nssvg=false&nswid=1280)

1. ["Error 403: Forbidden"](http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110927195346/http%3A//www.conwy.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat%3D6580%26doc%3D24477). Archived from [the original](http://www.conwy.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat=6580&doc=24477) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2010-07-14.

1. ["History of Raynes"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070928211534/http://www.raynesandco.com/about/ahistory.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.raynesandco.com/about/ahistory.htm) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-06-01.

1. ["Llysfaen Signal Box signal box"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101128030137/http://signalbox.org/gallery/lm/llysfaen.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.signalbox.org/gallery/lm/llysfaen.htm) on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2007.

1. ["Conwy County Borough Council Election Results 1995–2012"](http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Conwy-1995-2012.pdf). The Elections Centre. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180508143138/http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Conwy-1995-2012.pdf) 8 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 March 2018.

1. [Home](http://llysfaencc.org.uk/home.html), Llysfaen Community Council website. Retrieved 26 March 2018.

## External links

- [A Vision of Britain Through Time](http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/11781)
- [British Listed Buildings](http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wales/conwy/llysfaen)
- [Clwyd Churches](http://www.clwydfhs.org.uk/eglwysi/llysfaen.htm)
- [Eastern Conwy Churches Survey](http://www.cpat.demon.co.uk/projects/longer/churches/conwy/16901.htm)
- [Genuki](http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/DEN/Llysfaen/)
- [Llysfaen Weather Station](http://www.metinfo.co.uk)
- [Office for National Statistics](http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=7&r=1&i=1001&m=0&s=1366046118823&enc=1&areaSearchText=Llysfaen&areaSearchType=16&extendedList=true&searchAreas=)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Llysfaen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llysfaen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llysfaen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.