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What were the Llanina Ruins?
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| There has been much speculation as to the former
use of the ruins at Llanina. They are in a wood called 'Coed Llanina'
just opposite the gates to the Llanina Mansion and St Ina's Church. The
main section of buildings surrounds part of what is now the car park
for the various walks through the woods provided by Welsh Water which
now owns the property and uses parts of it for wastewater treatment.
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The buildings stand
on a level area on the bank of the pretty river Llethi. They are
surrounded by mature trees, mostly Sycamore, Beech, Horse Chestnut and
Ash, many of which must be a hundred years or more old.
The land
now owned by the
water company was once part of the extensive Llanina estate owned when
the farm was newly built in 1770 by the Jones family. Later, the estate
was to pass into the hands of Charles Longcroft and his
descendants who lived there for more than a hundred years.
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The only clue
(presently known) as to the date of the buildings are the initials LL,
and the date 1770 carved into one of the rocks at the corner of the
boiler house. Between the initials and the date is a mason's mark -
four dots in a diamond shape.
In 1840,
the buildings are described as 'Llanina Mill and premises' when they
were occupied by Benjamin Jones. At this time they were owned by
Charles Longcroft and Lloyd Thomas.
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The
layout of the buildings is not typical of local farms of this
period and supports the view that they were merely an adjunct to the
Llanina Mansion.
Left: Plan of the
Buildings - I have omitted the Mill house which is some distance from
the buildings shown. They are not drawn precisely to scale.
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The map on
the left - dated about 1840 shows the buildings, the millpond above the
mill, the mill leat and the runoff channel from the mill back into the
river. There is however, little evidence remaining today of the pond or
the leat. |
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The
Mill is the building on the right of the car park as you enter it.
Behind the mill there is a high bank, in the depression above which
would have been the millpond.
As
to the use of the other buildings, some are obvious, others less so.
One room contains the remains of a boiler with a chimney passing
through the wall above. The boiler consisted of a large round copper or
iron pan with a space below for a fire. (photo on left)
A
very similar, but wholly complete boiler of this type is in one of the
barns at Ffynnongloch in Llanarth. there must be other surviving
examples locally.
The
function of the boiler would have been the preparation of animal food -
particularly for pigs. Another clue to the buildings former use lies in
the names of two of the adjacent fields which include the word 'Moch'
(mochyn) or pig / swine.
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Several parts of the
building have the general pattern of pig sties, this allied with the
field names suggests that the original use of the buildings was as a
mill and to raise pigs.
One
section of the buildings is open to the front and has been cobbled with
small beach stones on end in the local style ( see the pavements around
Alban Square in Aberaeron and at Llanerchaeron). This was probably the
cart house (photo on right).
Finally,
to the right of the cart house is a room with larger windows that is
most likely to have been the habitation for the miller or the pig man
or farm labourer.
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There are a number of theories as to what the
buildings have been. These include accommodation for estate workers,
the place where the hounds for the local hunt were kept and a 'lost
village'.
I would be grateful for any other information that
is not included here and for any comments or other theories.
© Rod Attrill
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