The Township of Cyngreawdr.

Led by Wendy Ferneyhough.

6th August 2026

Last night we had a wander around the early Medieval township of Cyngreawdr. Wendy explained that the early Medieval township name had been created from Court history of the poetic bard by Gwalchmai ap Meilyr in around 1169. The early times of the Great Orme were likely quite a tribal settlement with communities gathering here around the central area of the church of St Tudno at Pant Yr Eglwys. Enclosures on the common are much wider and have clearly made long hut platforms, one specifically with a drainage hood. The more irregular enclosures nearer to the church (some likely to have been overridden by the building of the newer Municipal cemetery, opened in 1903) have much more multi-period ownership in hut levels identified on the Lidar and aerial mapping. The Hwylfa'r Ceirw at the Western part of this settlement was discussed but we did not have time to walk there, more another time! It is likely that change of ownership and reasons for re-use of the land happened over many centuries here - maybe more than 400 years of habitable settlement, likely longer.

More church history was given by Christine Jones where we learnt more of the wooden dragon and pelican carvings, reminiscent of the evocative heritage of this Celtic church of Wales within its llan.

The extent of this township along with the important story of Madoc Gloddaeth brought a new light to some of the meanings and imagination behind these early times on the Great Orme.

Many thanks to Wendy for leading this walk and thanks to Christine for the fantastic pictures.