England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Llanbadarn Vawr St Padarn

The Parish

The parish of Llanbadarn Vawr (usually rendered Llanbadarn Fawr today) is situated in northern Cardiganshire, it is a vast swathe of the north of the county stretching from the Irish Sea in the west to form part of the border with neighbouring Montgomeryshire in the east. The parish of Llanbadarn Vawr encompasses the port and resort that is Aberystwyth, the home of the Library of Wales and a prestigious university (Aberystwyth was not separated for marriages until after this transcript's period of coverage). The village of Llanbadarn Vawr sits about a mile inland from Aberystwyth adjacent to the A44 road which connects Aberystwyth eastwards towards the heart of mid-Wales and indeed England. Llanbadarn Vawr sits in the valley of the Afon Rheidol, one of two rivers which meet and form an estuary, the other, coming from the southeast being the Afon Ystwyth. The settlement of this coastal town began as early as the 6th century when founded as a preeminent Celtic monastic centre by St Padarn. The early Christian church was sacked and destroyed by Danes in 987 and the settlement suffered repeatedly from military action over the centuries. As both a port and also market for surrounding hill farms the town eventually flourished to become the major population centre for a vast swathe of mid-Wales. Other than coastal activities sheep farming formed the major economic backbone of the region with little else suited to the hill country which surrounds whilst mineral mining provided a further mainstay. Llanbadarn Vawr sits at just 10 metres above the sea but local hills rise around it to over 200 metres. Llanbadarn Vawr parish covered a vast area, it being probably the largest by acreage of any Cardiganshire parish, it covered almost 45,000 acres and supported (mainly within Aberystwyth) a population of over 11,000 parishioners. Like most of Wales, Llanbadarn Vawr is not mentioned in Domesday Book which did not cover this area.

The Church

St Padarn's church sits just to the north of the A44 and sits on the corner of Heol Y Llan and Pen Y Fron. As described the early monastic church was destroyed in the 10th century, the present building is almost entirely of the 13th century, it is a cruciform church with a central tower. As Pevsner states the tower is impressive in its plainness. The grey stone gives the church a pallor which is accentuated in the frequent Welsh rain. A trio of Perpendicular windows varies the 13th century design but the church's main splendour is its southern doorway where the arch mouldings are described as the richest in Cardiganshire. The restorations of the 19th century spanned a considerable period, running from 1869 to 1884, and were finally curtailed by economy which, thankfully, prevented a spire being added to the existing tower. As you approach the church up Heol Y Llan the building and its tall grey surrounding wall rather glower over you, a parking area is available outside the church hall opposite. An arched gateway grants access to the churchyard and there are few obstructions to photography.