In this video we are visiting Trellyffaint, a fascinating site that features ancient rock art and has yielded important finds relating to earliest dairy production in wales. Situated on private land a couple of miles North of Nevern, and just round the corner from Llech-y-drybedd that we covered in our last video, this partially collapsed monument is in the midst of Pembrokeshire’s rich Neolithic history dating back at least 6,000 years.
Unlike most of the ancient sites that we've visited recently, this one is on private land with no public right of way leading to it or running closely by and being a third of kilometre off the road and slightly in a dip, the only way to view this monument is with permission from the landowner.
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Like many of our favourite ancient sites, this one has a strange tale associated with it’s name and the land on which it lies. Trellyffaint is said to mean "home of the toads" or even ‘toad hall’ which stems from an old story documented by medieval priest and historian Geraldus Cambrenis.
"In our time, a young man, native of this country, during a severe illness, suffered as violent a persecution from toads, as if the reptiles of the whole province had come to him by agreement; and though destroyed by his nurses and friends, they increased again on all sides in infinite numbers, like hydras’ heads."
"It is conceivable though that llyffan/llyffaint is a corruption of a personal name, and that Esgairhir/Longshanks and Gawr/giant refer to the same tall person or family based in the Nevern area before the end of the twelfth century; this would fit with the later links between Dinas Island and landowners from the Pentre Ifan/Nevern area."
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Books & Videos referenced in this video:
Trellyffaint: art and feasting - Dr George Nash - • Trellyffaint: art and ...
The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales - Giraldus Cambrensis - www.gutenberg.org/files/1148/...
A Historical Tour Through Pembrokeshire - Mr. Fenton (Richard) - books.google.co.uk/books/abou...
The Archaeological Landscape of the Parish of Dinas: A Summary and Overview of the Evidence - Rhiannon Comeau - coflein.gov.uk/media/77/126/d...
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Great map resource - www.oldmapsonline.org/
Great book resources -
archive.org/
www.gutenberg.org/
books.google.co.uk/
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