Old Ruins of the Area

Competition at the Brontecwyn Chapel Meeting February 5th 1925
The Old Ruins of Llandecwyn and the families that last lived in them (by the late Esther Jones, Caerwych)


MAESLLAN: It stands between Llandecwyn Church and Ty Newydd. The last resident there was William Owen, the grandfather of Reverend Tecwyn Evans. He raised two children, one, Griffith Owen, a Wesleyan minister in Australia. William Owen used to dig graves and conduct burials in Llandecwyn cemetery. He was a devoted and useful member of Soar Church. His father was one of the descendants of Morgan of Lasynys.

MURIAU ROBIN: It stood between Ty Newydd and Bronygarth. The last to live there were Shon and Ann Richards. Shon Richards worked at Ffestiniog. The old woman traded in wool and sold shirts, linen petticoats and so on to the neighborhood servants. They raised a houseful of children and kept two cows. They left for the vicinity of Tremadog around the year 1868.

LLAIN WEN: It stood on Gallt Calch land. There lived an old woman who was very fond of picking weeds. She would go to Gwen Jones Gallt Calch to borrow tea quite often. After getting it back, Gwen Jones would never use it but would keep it on the dresser until the old woman came to look to borrow the next time. She moved from there about 1860.


HENDY: It stood in the field in front of Tynybonc. The last resident was Griffith Pirs and his wife. They had a houseful of children attending Tynllan school. They left for Ffestiniog around 1868. The walls of the house were used to build the hay barn at Penbryn Isa .

PENBRYN UCHA: It stood under the same roof as the current Penbryn Ucha (in 1925) and the other is now empty. Ifan and Ann Wmphra and a family of children were the last to live in the old house. They kept a small shop. Ifan Wmphra was a well known mason in his day and an excellent clock cleaner, and particularly clever with weather signs. They moved to Penrhyn around 1884.

CAE BRAN: It stood on Tregwylan land. Griffith Parry, the father of the late Reverend Griffith Tecwyn Parry, a famous minister with the Calvinist Methodists, lived there. The house became vacant around 1912.

EFAIL BACH: It stands where Capel Brontecwyn is now and facing Tynnllan. The last ones to live there were Robert and Beti Jones. Robert Jones was a quarryman and a devout Wesleyan and elder in Soar. They left for Dalsarnau around 1868.

CAPEL BACH: It stands on Bwlchfedwen land on the side of the road. The last resident there was Ellen Jones, mother of the late William Jones, Allt Galch.


CAPEL NEWYDD: It stands a few yards further on from Capel Bach. It was used as a barn by Bwlchfedwen after that. The Sunday School was held there before Brontecwyn was built. Luc and Sian Robet lived there. After Luc was buried Sian Robet kept a small shop. She was a clever and headstrong old woman and had the ability to deal with styes that affected people’s eyes. After her Harri Pritchard and his wife lived in Capel Newydd and the Sunday School was held there as before.


DOLORGAN FAWR: It stood on the land of Tynybwlch on the road between Brontecwyn and Maes y Neuadd. Only its walls are there today. The last ones to live there were Owen and Shan Ellis, he was the brother of Ellis Jones Moel y Glo, the grandfather of Ellis Edmunds Plas Ucha. Owen Ellis died there and his body was taken along the path through Coed Mawr to Llanfihangel. The old woman went to the vicinity of Caernarfon where she died around 1871.


GWASTAD ANNAS: It stands just off the road that leads from Coedty Mawr. It was then used as a milking shed by Plas. The last ones to live there were Charles and Elen Jones, father and mother of William Jones, Allt Gallch. They were faithful members at Capel Llenyrch. They moved from there around 1867.

BLAENDDOL: which is now a ruin. It stood on the right hand side of the road that leads to the top of Llandecwyn parish on Aberdeunant land. John Hughes, son of Maes y Caerau came to live there. He had a splendid garden and raised early potatoes earlier than everyone, and was particularly successful with honey. The last to live there was John Roberts, Canol Cae, Penrhyn, and left there around 1889.


GLANOFER: It stood a little higher up than Blaenddol. The last resident was Sian Ifan, around the year 1860. She belonged to the Saints of the Latter Days and was very self centred in her way of religion.

ABERDUNANT: The last people who lived here were Evan and Catherine Evans and it was here that their son, Dr. Tecwyn Evans was born. They moved from there in 1879 to Groes Newydd. The house was used as a cow shed after that.

BRACTY: It stood on the road to Caerwych. Sian Gwen lived there for about 50 years. She raised 11 children and was a devout Wesleyan. After her, Robert and Mary Evans, he was the grandson of Sian Robat, Capel Newydd, came to live there and they moved to Ffestiniog around 1881.


We now come to the village of COEDTY, consisting of the following five houses, namely PARC, COLDY, Y GEGIN, Y GEGIN BACH and COEDTY. They were quite close to each other and not far from where the current Coedty stands. Simon Jones lived in Cegin, a useful man and an elder with the Wesleyans. After his death his wife moved to her daughter in Efailnewydd. The last ones who lived there were William and Sydney Jones who lived in Cefn Gwyn, Talsarnau after that. Cegin Bach faced where Margaret Jones lived after she moved from Coedty.


GLANRAFON CAERAU: It stood at the bottom of Maescaerau land. The last person to live there was Hugh Hughes who then moved to Maescaerau after burying his father.


MAESCAERAU UCHAF: It stood on the land of Maescaerau closer to the mountain. Thomas Rhys lived there, who was the grandfather of Elisabeth Jones, Soar earlier. He raised a houseful of children. He was famous for making cages and also as a gardener. Cefntrefor Fawr's wagon would come there to fetch a load of potatoes to sell in Talsarnau.


BRYN MELYN: It stood on the upper reaches of the land of Coedty Mawr. Thomas and Shan Jones lived there. They raised a houseful of children. They were devout members of the Calvinist Methodists in Talsarnau. The last ones there were David and Ann Williams, he being Moelgeifr's son. They left Bryn Melyn around 1890.

TY’N Y MYNYDD: Near the mountain boundary wall on Coedty land you can see a few traces of Ty’n y Mynydd. The family left there around the year 1843.

HEDRE CERRIG: It stood on the road from Caerwych to Nantpasgen. Robert Richards lived there and after him Willaim and Mary Jones, who moved to Allt y Calch. The last ones to be there were Harri and Jane Jones who moved to Hafodwern, Clynnog in 1894.


TALRHOS: It stood a little higher up than Hendre Cerrig on Yr Onnen land and the last ones to live there were Griffith and Elin Williams and they raised a family of children. They moved from there in 1882.


TYNYGROES: It stood on the land of Penbryn Pwll Du. Owen and Lisa Davies were the last to live there. In ancient times the boundary of the two parishes passed through the middle of the house, that is, Llandecwyn parish and Maentwrog parish. There would be a dispute between the Registrar of Maentwrog and Harlech about being allowed to go there to register a new baby when one was born. Owen and Lisa Davies moved to Ty Newydd Llenyrch which stood on Llenyrch land. After them came William and Sarah Davies, brother and sister. They were there for about two years and moved in 1883.

MUR MAWR: It stood on the land of Llenyrch. The last people who lived there were William the Cowmon and his wife. He moved from there about 1843.

TYNPANT: It stood on the land of Caencoed Uchaf and its remains can be seen not far from the boundary wall of Llenyrch. The last to live there were William and Marged Williams. They moved from there to Muriau'r Gwyddel around the year 1860.

There are also the remains of two houses on the land of Felenrhyd Fawr called BREICHIAU, not far from each other. Their remains can be seen on the left side of the road that leads from Maentwrog to Llyn Tecwyn. The last ones who lived there were Sion Llwyd and his wife Catrin Pitar. They moved to Capel Bach around 1866. Two children from the other Breichiau attended Ysgol Llandecwyn around 1867, namely Janet and William. Both Breichiau were notable for apples and plums.

TYNCEUNANT: It stood in the woods nearer to Felenrhyd bridge but has been gone for a long time.

TYNYFOEL: It stood at the top of Felenrhyd land, near Foel Tecwyn Plas. The remains can be seen there today and the garden next to it.

HENDRE ENGAN: It stood in the direction of Felenrhyd Fawr from Pen y Foel. The last people who lived there were Griffith Ellis (Guto Wyllt) and his wife. He moved from there to Gelli Grin around 1873.


YSGOL BACH: It stood near Maesyneuadd where William Morris and his wife Catrin lived. There was an old tradition that it was Lowri Wyn, Maesyneuadd who built Ysgol Bach so that the children in the area could have a school to learn throughout the year 1700.

BEUDU'R BONC: This was an old farmhouse on Penbryn Isa land, where the Reverend Hugh Hughes, Gellidara and the Reverend Tudwal Davies, Brynrodyn, grew up.