Understanding Place the History and Character of Newborough
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Understanding Place The History and Character of Newborough Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Gwynedd Gwynedd Archaeological Trust UNDERSTANDING PLACE: THE HISTORY AND CHARACTER OF NEWBOROUGH 1. INTRODUCTION Newborough is a large Anglesey village, and a former medieval borough. This report summarises the evidence collected through a project which collated the history and archaeology of Newborough, and recorded the character RIWKHEXLOGLQJVDQGVWUHHWVZKLFKGH¿QHWKHVHWWOHPHQW&KDUDFWHULVDWLRQLVDXVHIXOWHFKQLTXHIRUXQGHUVWDQGLQJ the history and character of a settlement, and this clearer understanding of the past helps manage the future of the settlement. The work was largely carried out by volunteers, supervised by archaeologists from Gwynedd Archaeological Trust. The recording took place between July 2017 and February 2018. 2. PHYSICAL SETTING 1HZERURXJKLVVLWXDWHGLQWKHVRXWKZHVWHUQFRUQHURI$QJOHVH\ ¿JXUH 7KHVHDOLHVNPVRXWKZHVWRIWKH village centre and the Malltraeth Estuary is 2km to the north-west. The coast is bounded by a broad swathe of dunes, which forms Newborough Warren. The southern part of these dunes is still an active dune system, now a 1DWLRQDO1DWXUH5HVHUYHDQGVXSSRUWLQJDULFKÀRUD%HWZHHQDQGWKHQRUWKHUQSDUWRIWKHGXQHVZDV SODQWHGZLWK&RUVLFDQSLQHIRUWLPEHUDQGWRSURWHFWWKHYLOODJHIURPZLQGEORZQVDQG 1DWXUDO5HVRXUFHV:DOHV ZHEVLWH The plantation formed Newborough Forest, and the dunes here have been stabilised by the trees, though dune plants do still survive under the trees in places. The long beach is very popular with visitors, tourists and locals alike, and Newborough Forest is now extensively used for recreation; including walking, cycling and horse riding. 7KHYLOODJHLVORFDWHGRQWKHWRSRIDORZULGJHZKLFKULVHVIURPDERXW2'WRDKLJKSRLQWRIP2'7KLV gives the village a southern aspect and good views of the mountains of Snowdonia across the Menai Strait. The underlying bedrock is schist, a metamorphic rock, with glacial deposits overlying it and large areas of windblown VDQGQHDUWKHFRDVW *HRORJ\RI%ULWDLQ9LHZHU 7KHIDUPODQGVXUURXQGLQJWKHYLOODJHLVFXUUHQWO\XQGHULPSURYHG pasture and used largely for sheep, but was previously extensively used for arable cultivation. 3. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT General History %\WKHth century the main unit for administration in the Kingdom of Gwynedd was the commote (cwmwd Anglesey was divided into six commotes. Each had a royal court (llys WKDWZDVWKHDGPLQLVWUDWLYHFHQWUHDQG where the Prince of Gwynedd stayed as he travelled around his kingdom. Rhosyr was the royal centre for the commote of Menai, with a llys and a township, the maerdref UHHYH¶VWRZQVKLS ZKHUHWKHERQGVPHQZKRIDUPHG WKH3ULQFH¶VHVWDWHOLYHG /RQJOH\ 7KHVLWHRIWKHllys, to the west of Newborough village, was excavated LQWKHVUHYHDOLQJDKDOOFKDPEHUDQGDQRWKHUODUJHEXLOGLQJDVZHOODVRWKHUVWUXFWXUHVLQFOXGLQJDEDNHKRXVH -RKQVWRQH SODWH 7KHVHWWOHPHQWDVVRFLDWHGZLWKWKHmaerdref has not been located with certainty. Royal courts usually had a royal chapel and it is assumed that St Peter’s church originated as the royal chapel, explaining its position next to the llys. The present church GDWHV IURP WKH WK FHQWXU\ when the borough was established, but an 11th/12th century font indicates an Plate 1. Site of Llys Rhosyr presented for the public earlier building once stood here associated with the court. 7KHFKXUFKZDVH[WHQGHGLQWKHODWHthRUHDUO\thFHQWXU\ 5&$+0: SODWH ,QWKHthFHQWXU\/ODQIDHVLQWKHVRXWKHDVWRI$QJOHVH\ZDVWKHPDLQWUDGLQJFHQWUHRQWKHLVODQGEXWIURP (GZDUG,EXLOWKLVFDVWOHDQGWKHDGMDFHQWERURXJKDW%HDXPDULV/ODQIDHVPLJKWKDYHSURYHGDWKUHDWWRWKHVH so its population was moved across the island and a new borough was established for them on the royal lands of 5KRV\U -RKQVWRQH 7KHERURXJKRI1HZERURXJKZKLFKUHFHLYHGLWVFKDUWHULQ 6RXOVE\ ZDVODLGRXWWRJLYHHDFK burgess the same amount of property as they held in Llanfaes and it was carefully planned around a crossroads. 2 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 © Crown Copyright and database right 2018. Ordnance Survey 100021874. Welsh Government. Llangaffo 68 68 B4421 67 67 Malltraeth Estuary Bryn Felin 66 66 Newborough Dwyran A4080 Llys Rhosyr 65 65 Newborough Forest 64 64 Newborough Warren 63 Caernarfon Ynys Llanddwyn Llanddwyn Bay Menai Straits 62 62 Figure 1. Location and environment of Newborough Abermenai Point SH 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 Each property had a house on the street front and a long narrow piece of land behind. These plots, known DVµEXUJDJH¶SORWVVWLOOGH¿QH many of the properties in 1HZERURXJK &DUU 6RXOVE\ The town was almost entirely Welsh, and welcomed Welsh poets including Dafydd ap Gwilym, who praised the town, its wine and its people Plate 2. St Peter’s Church &DUU $ZHHNO\ market was held on Tuesdays, and there were also several fairs each year. These served the tenantry of Menai, though the market became famous RYHUDPXFKZLGHUDUHDIRULWVFDWWOHDQGR[HQ 6RXOVE\ ,QWKHODWHUth century it was a thriving ERURXJKDQGHFRQRPLFDOO\VXFFHVVIXO7KLVZDVGHVSLWHWKHKDUGVKLSFDXVHGE\WKH*UHDW6WRUPRIth December ZKLFKFRYHUHGDODUJHDUHDRIDJULFXOWXUDOODQGZLWKVDQG$QRWKHUVWRUPLQGHVWUR\HGPRUHODQG ZKLOVWLQWKHPLGIRXUWHHQWKFHQWXU\WKH%ODFN'HDWKFDXVHGDVHYHUHGHFOLQHLQWKHSRSXODWLRQRI$QJOHVH\ &DUU 'XULQJWKHXSULVLQJRI2ZDLQ*O\QGǒULQWKHHDUO\th century both the town of Newborough and the WRZQVKLSRI5KRV\UZHUHEDGO\GDPDJHGE\DWWDFNVIURPERWKVLGHV &DUU ,Q+HQU\9,,WUDQVIHUUHGWKHFRXQW\FRXUWVIURP%HDXPDULVWR1HZERURXJKUDLVLQJLWVSURVSHULW\DJDLQEXW WKLVZDVUHYHUVHGLQDQGWKHWRZQEHJDQWRGHFOLQH 6RXOVE\ %\WKHHQGRIWKHth century 1HZERURXJKKDGORVWPXFKRILWVXUEDQFKDUDFWHUWKHZHHNO\PDUNHWZDVGLVFRQWLQXHGE\WKHHDUO\th century 6RXOVE\ EXWDQQXDOIDLUVVWLOOFRQWLQXHG /HZLV 7UDYHOHUVZKRSDVVHGWKURXJKZHUHQRW complementary. In the late 18th century Thomas Pennant describes Newborough as “a place greatly fallen away IURPLWVDQWLHQWVSOHQGRU>VLF@´ 3HQQDQW DQGLQWKHHDUO\th century Richard Fenton thought it ZDV³DZUHWFKHGSODFH´ )HQWRQ 6LQFHWKHth century, at least, marram grass (môrhesg ZDVXVHGLQ1HZERURXJKWRPDNHPDWVURSHVEDVNHWV DQGIDQF\JRRGV +XJKHV DQGWKLVZDVWKHPDLQLQGXVWU\RIWKHDUHDRWKHUWKDQDJULFXOWXUH7KHHQFORVXUH RIWKHFRPPRQODQGLQWKHHDUO\th century led to the loss of rights to collect marram grass, hindering the LQGXVWU\ /HZLV ,QWKHLQGXVWU\ZDVUHYLYHGZLWKWKHHVWDEOLVKPHQWRIWKH0DW0DNHUV¶$VVRFLDWLRQ and marram grass was woven in Newborough until Newborough Warren, the source of the marram grass, was FRPPDQGHHUHGE\WKH:DU0LQLVWU\LQDQGXVHGDVDERPELQJUDQJHEHIRUHEHLQJWDNHQRYHUE\WKH)RUHVWU\ &RPPLVVLRQLQ +XJKHV The Borough and the Town The borough of Newborough included not just the town but extensive lands around it as far as Abermenai Point, DVWKHERURXJKUDQWKHIHUU\DFURVVWKH6WUDLW3ODFHVPDUNLQJWKHERXQGDU\ZHUHUHFRUGHGE\+HQU\5RZODQGVLQ the early 18thFHQWXU\ 5RZODQGV DQGPRVWFDQVWLOOEHLGHQWL¿HGWKRXJKLQPDQ\SODFHVWKHH[DFW line of the boundary is unclear. Some of the boundary was followed by the parish boundary and some is marked by boundary stones. 7KHOLPLWRIWKHPHGLHYDOWRZQLVLQGLFDWHGE\WKHSUHVHQFHRIEXUJDJHSORWV ¿JXUH WKHRULJLQDOSORWVRIODQG allocated to the burgesses of the borough. These are seen as narrow strips of land and usually still have a house on WKHVWUHHWIURQWDJHDVWKH\ZRXOGKDYHGRQHLQWKHPHGLHYDOSHULRG2Q&KXUFK6WUHHWWKHWRZQSUREDEO\H[WHQGHG as far as Tyn’rallt on the northern side but no further than Tan Rofft on the southern side. There are burgage plots DORQJWKHQRUWKHDVWHUQVLGHRI&KDSHO6WUHHW7KHVRXWKZHVWHUQVLGHRI&KDSHO6WUHHWLVOHVVFOHDUEXWDOOWKH property boundaries resemble groups of two or three plots that have been merged, and the town probably extended down to Tyn y Goeden. Pendref Street has traces of burgage plots as far as Tyddyn Abercyn on the northern side, and Pendref must have been the limit of the town on the southern side. Malltraeth Street clearly had burgage plots RQERWKVLGHVRIWKHVWUHHWXSWRWKHFURVVURDGVZKHUHWKH% NQRZQKHUHDV/{Q7ZQWL FRPHVRIIWKHPDLQ street. Rowlands describes Y Plas or Plas Ucha as a house in the town and a marker on the boundary. The house ZDVRULJLQDOO\WRWKHQRUWKZHVWRI3HQ\%RQFWKRXJKGHPROLVKHGLQWKHV,WZRXOGKDYHPDUNHGWKHHGJH 420 425 Bryn-sinc Site of Ysgol Bro Aberffraw 660 660 Bryn Awel Newborough Primary School Tyn y Cae Erw Goch Ucheldre Stad Hen Ysgol Y Plas Tyddyn Abercyn Pen y Bonc MinfforddBoston TerraceLlain Cleddyf Tre Rhosyr Pengamfa Prichard Jones Lôn Twnti Hen Capel Pendref Institute Eglwys Bach Malltraeth Street Tithe barn Pendref Street Llanerch Rhouse Rhianfa Tyn’y Lôn White Lion Tyn y Coed Sign KEY Coed Anna shed Cottage Cae Crwn Tyn yr Ardd Projected limit of the medieval town Bryn Goleu/ Sunny Cliffe Carrog House Bron Rallt/Awelon Tŷ Nant Chapel Street Rhenc Newydd Church StreetYsgubor Ddu Môr a Mynydd Figure 2. The village with house and street names Moranedd Tyn’rallt mentioned in the text Tŷ Capel and Sunday school Tan Rofft Bod Iorwerth Capel Ebeneser Llain Capel 655 Tyn y Goeden 655 St Peter’s Church Crud yr Awel Tal y Braich Hendref SH © Crown Copyright and database right 2018. Ordnance Survey 100021874. Welsh Government. 420 425 of the medieval town. 4. ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE Despite the medieval origin of the village being well known there has been little archaeological work done, with PDQ\TXLWHUHFHQWGHYHORSPHQWVEHLQJFDUULHGRXWZLWKOLWWOHRUQRSULRUDUFKDHRORJLFDOLQYHVWLJDWLRQ+RZHYHU where archaeological work has been done it suggests that considerable deposits and important features may survive. 7KHDUHDWRWKHQRUWKRI&KXUFK6WUHHWKDVUHFHLYHGVRPHDWWHQWLRQPDLQO\WHVWSLWVDQGWULDOWUHQFKHVDQGWKLV provides us with information about the underlying archaeological deposits. One notable feature is the wide- VSUHDGH[WHQWRIZLQGEORZQVDQGIRUPLQJDOD\HUXSWRPWKLFN7KHODFNRIVRLOGHYHORSPHQWZLWKLQWKLVVDQG