Cefn Meiriadog

Cefn Meiriadog (sometimes Cefnmeriadog) is a rural community in Denbighshire, Wales, just south-west of the city of St Asaph.[2] The boundary of the community on three sides is the river Elwy, which here forms the county boundary with Conwy County Borough. Arguably the largest settlement in the community is the hamlet of Bontnewydd. Also in the community are the hamlets of Groesffordd Marli where Ysgol Cefn Meiriadog is situated, and Cefn.

Wigfair, in the parish of Cefn Meiriadog

Cefn Meiriadog
Fields in the Elwy Valley above Cefn Meiriadog
Cefn Meiriadog Location within Denbighshire
Population	389 (2011)[1]
OS grid reference	SJ007725
• Cardiff	122.3 mi (196.8 km)
• London	185.6 mi (298.7 km)
Community	Cefnmeiriadog
Principal area	Denbighshire
Ceremonial county	Clwyd
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	TREFNANT
Postcode district	LL17
Dialling code	01745
Police	North Wales
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Vale of Clwyd
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Vale of Clwyd

The community is named for a small ridge of the same name (cefn in Welsh means "ridge"). It is said that the place was named for St Meiriadog, a 4th or 5th century Breton saint. Cefn Caves are nearby, where human and early Neanderthal remains dating back 250,000 years have been discovered. Visitors to the site have included Charles Darwin, in 1831.[3] The site is known as Bontnewydd Palaeolithic site.

There is a local spring, Ffynnon Fair ("St Mary's spring"), and it was once believed to have healing properties. The poet Siôn Tudur (1522 – 1602) lived at Plas Wigfair (GR028712) nearby.

St Mary's Church, Cefn

About 300 metres SE of the fort Bryn y Cawr ("Giant's Hill", at the SE end of the ridge) stands the small St Mary's church (Grade II listed).[4] The stone was quarried at the site of the church; the church was opened and consecrated on 3.9.1864 by Bishop Short of St Asaph, and the new ecclesiastical parish of "Cefn" was created on 7. 2. 1865, made up of two "townships": Wigfair and Meiriadog (both in Denbighshire), previously part of St Asaph parish.

Population

In 2011 the population of Cefnmeiriadog was 389, with 30.4% able to speak Welsh.

References

1. Welsh Government website; 2011 Census Returns and stats; accessed 9 May 2014
2. Cefn Meiriadog Historic Society; accessed 16 April 2014.
3. National Museum of Wales Archived 17 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine; accessed 16 April 2014
4. Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust; accessed 16.9.2014