Roberts John, Dolgorth lime works
Savin Mary, lime works
Williams John, lime works
Williams John, jun., lime works
LLANYMYNECH
is a parish which contains the townships of Llanymynech-Llanytidman and Treprenal, partly situated in this county, and partly in the counties of Denbigh and Montgomery, in Wales. The entire parish in 1801 had 596 inhabitants; in 1831, 887; and in 1841, 954. Rateable value, £3,987. The village of Llanymynech is pleasantly situated, six miles south from Oswestry, and ten miles N.W. by S.S. from Shrewsbury. It has attained its present importance from the extensive quarries of limestone with which the vicinity abounds. Considerable quantities of the stone are sent to the Staffordshire iron works, for fluxing the metals. It is also burnt into lime. The Chester, Ellesmere, and Newtown canal affords facilities for carrying the material to distant parts. Copper ore was formerly found in considerable quantities, but the mines have not been worked for some time. There are 1,281 acres of land, the principal owners of which are the Earl of Bradford; Earl Powis; John Lloyd, Esq.; Richard Nightingale Broughton, Esq.; Rev. William Evans; Rev. John Luxmoore; Robert Wall, Esq.; Mr. Parker; Philip Jennings, Esq.; R. W. Kynaston, Esq.; T. W. Thomas, Esq.; Robert Wall, Esq.; Rev. William Thomas; Mrs. Evans; Hon. Francis West; Thomas West, Esq.; and Robert West, Esq. Earl Powis is lord of the manor. The soil is various in this parish. The meadow lands on the banks of the Vernieu are enriched by that river frequently overflowing its banks. The river is here crossed by a substantial stone bridge of three arches; and about a mile and a half from the village a branch of the Ellesmere canal is conducted over the river by an aqueduct of five arches, near which it is joined by the Montgomeryshire canal.
The Church, dedicated to St. Agatha, consists of nave, chancel, side aisles, and a square tower with one bell. It was rebuilt in 1845, in the decorative style of English architecture, and exhibits some fine chiselling and ornamental workmanship. The interior is neatly pewed, and has a very chaste appearance. The living is a rectory, valued in the King’s book at £12. 13s. 4d., now returned at £394, in the patronage of the Bishop of St. Asaph, and enjoyed by the Rev. John Luxmore, M.A. The rectory, a neat stuccoed residence a short distance from the church, has been much improved by the present incumbent. The tithes are commuted for £380. The National School stands near the churchyard, and is supported by subscriptions and a small charge from the scholars: about sixty children are educated. There is a school for girls in the village. Fairs are held on April 1st, May 29th, and September 23rd, and are generally well attended. A coach leaves the Red Lion Inn for Shrewsbury and Welshpool daily.
On Llanymynech hill is an artificial cave of considerable length, called Ogo (from the Welsh word Ogof, signifying a cave), supposed to have been worked by the Romans as a copper mine. It contains many sinuosities, and is generally about three yards wide, having many turnings and passages connected with each other. Some years ago, all the passages of this subterraneous labyrinth were explored by J. F. M. Dovaston, Esq., when none of the paths were found to extend more than two hundred yards from the entrance. The passages are cut through the rock, which is of limestone, whereon frequently appear the marks of chisels, and the various ramifications have no doubt been made in quest of the rich veins of ore. Subsequent to the Romans, it probably became either a place of refuge after battle, or a depository for the dead, for human skeletons, culinary vessels, hatchets, and Roman coins have been found in this cavern. A finger-bone was picked up with a ring on it. One of the skeletons had a curious battle-axe beneath his arm, and not far from it were the bones of a man, woman, a child, a dog, and a cat. Some time ago several Roman coins, mostly of Constantine, were found in the earth which was washed down the side of the hill. The water which drops in some parts of the cave is of a petrifying quality, and forms stalactites; the drops of water hanging on the points of each, catch the light of the candle, and give the surrounding space a glittering illumination extremely beautiful. It is probable that a battle has been fought here in disputing for this mine, or that the large entrenchments, that run parallel with the Clawdd Offa eastwardly, were made to defend it. Not far from this cave is a Cromlech, called the Giant’s Grave. At the north-east end are four large stones, which formerly supported a fifth flat stone on their points, in form of a Brandart, called in Welsh Trwbad; but these are now thrown down. Towards the south-west proceed two rows of flat stones, six feet asunder, and thirty-six in length. On digging here a Druid’s celt was found, and several other things, with human bones, the teeth very perfect.
There is a sum of £26 in the hands of the churchwardens, the origin of which is not known. It was received from the executors of the late incumbent, who died in 1829. The interest is distributed among poor women of the parish at Christmas.