Home of a royal Welsh dynasty.
Aberffraw stands at the mouth of the River Ffraw, on the south-west coast of Anglesey. It is a quiet, modest place today, and the casual visitor is unlikely to guess that it was once a principal seat of Welsh power. Yet by the 6th century, and quite possibly earlier, a royal court had been established here. In 1230 Llywelyn the Great adopted the official title ‘Prince of Aberffraw and Lord of Snowdonia’.
By singling out those two places Llywelyn was demonstrating the breadth of his kingdom. Snowdonia is a rugged, soaring, mountainous landscape on the mainland, on whose slopes and valleys the princes’ royal herds grew fat. Aberffraw, by contrast, is an island community, low lying, surrounded by gently swelling sand-dunes and arable fields. Anglesey has been referred to as “the granary of Wales”, and in the heyday of the princes of Gwynedd Aberffraw was its most important settlement.
Aberffraw was the site of a llys, or royal palace. During the 12th and 13th centuries Gwynedd was divided into administrative areas called commotes. Each commote contained a township known as the maerdref, and each maerdref had a llys – a court or palace, which was the centre of the royal estate. The princes and their retinue travelled between these llysoedd throughout the year, entertaining allies and dignitaries, dispensing justice and collecting taxes.
There are no material remains of the llys at Aberffraw today. The extensive royal buildings are thought to have stood near the Church of St Beuno, parts of which date back to the 12th century. After Edward I’s conquest of Gwynedd the llys was dismantled and used to provide material for Beaumaris Castle, while Aberffraw’s fortunes declined.
A peaceful village, and a good base to explore the west coast of Anglesey, on foot or by car.
Free Entry
Aberffraw lies on the A4080.
2½ miles from Bodorgan railway station.
Buses stop at the Post Office in Aberffraw. Call Traveline on 0871 200 2233 or go online at http://www.traveline-cymru.info for the latest public transport information.
Aberffraw lies on the A4080, near the west coast of Anglesey.
Aberffraw lies on the A4080, near the west coast of Anglesey.
Easy. Dogs allowed.
Full Figure Grid Reference: NGR SH38306900 Coordinates for Garmin satnav users: -4.464257, 53.191907 OS explorer map sheet: 262