Llanddewi Brefi, Cardiganshire

Description
Llanddewi Brefi, a village and a parish in Cardiganshire. The village stands on the N slope of Craig Twrch, near the river Teifi and the Sam Helen Way, 3 miles S by W of Tregaron, and has a post office under Llanio Road (R.S.O.); money order and telegraph office, Tregaron. It is an ancient place, once important, though now small; it was the scene of a synod in 519, held for checking Pelagianism, and here St Dubricius resigned his episcopal or archiepiscopal charge to St David. There are near the church remains of a collegiateestablishment, founded in the 13th century by Bishop Bee. The parish contains the ecclesiastical parishes of Garthcli, Bettws Leiki, and Blaenpenal, and the townships of Gwynfil, Llanio, Gogoyan, Garth and Ystrad, Prysk and Carvan,Gorwydd, Dothie Camddwr, and Dothie Piscottwr. Acreage, 36,395 ; population, 2266. Much of the land is hill and mountain. The Roman station Loventium, on the Sarn Helen Way, was at the site of Llanio farmhouse; three stones with Roman inscriptions were found here, and one of them is used as a seat at the farm door; coins, pottery, and other Roman relics have also been found, and the foundations of an ancient building were discovered in a neighbouring field. A battlewas fought in the parish in 1073, when the princes of Powys vanquished Rhys ap Owen and Rhyddarch ap Caradog. The living is a vicarage, united with the perpetual curacy of LIanbadam Odwyn, in the diocese of St David's; gross value, £303. The church was founded in 1187, and has been restored. Near the W end is an old stone pillar 7 feet high, called St David's Staff. The vicarages of Gartheli, Bettws Leiki, and Blaenpenal are separate benefices.