Llannerch facts for kids

Llannerch (pronounced Llan-erch) was a special area in Wales a long time ago. Think of it like a small district or region. It was part of a bigger area called Dyffryn Clwyd. Later, this region became known as the Marcher Lordship of Ruthin.

Llannerch was located south of a town called Ruthin. It covered a large area, about 9,000 acres (which is about 14 square miles). This area included two parishes, which are like local church districts: Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd and Llanelidan. It also had 19 smaller areas called townships. A lot of the land in Llannerch was owned by the Bishopric of Bangor, which means it belonged to the church leaders in Bangor.

What Was a Commote?

A commote was a type of land division used in medieval Wales. It was smaller than a cantref, which was a larger district. These divisions helped organize the land and how people lived.

Llannerch Becomes Part of a County

The old system of commotes like Llannerch changed in 1536. This was when the English system of counties was brought to North Wales. This change happened because of something called the Act of Union 1536. After this, Llannerch became part of the new county of Denbighshire. This meant the old way of dividing the land was stopped.

Famous People from Llannerch

Llannerch is known for being the home of a famous poet named Gruffydd ap Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan. He was a very important writer in his time.

Gruffydd had four children, and two of them also became poets! Their names were Catrin ferch Gruffudd ap Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan and Alis ferch Gruffudd ab Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan. Alis was also known as Alis Wen. It's pretty cool that a whole family of poets came from Llannerch!

Llannerch Hall

The name Llannerch lived on even after the old commote system ended. In the 16th century, a large house called Llannerch Hall was built in the area. This building helped keep the historic name alive.