Welcome to the Clynnog Fawr page. I have collated all the information I can find about this area on here. Often simply called "Clynnog", is a village on the north coast of the Llŷn peninsula in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.

DIRECTIONS:
Train:
It is Bangor that you will have to travel to if you are planning to get to Clynnog Fawr by train. I have got the train from Liverpool to Bangor, changing at Chester, on one occasion. You're not left waiting very long for your connecting train.

Coach:
You can also get the coach to Bangor or Caernarfon. It does not stop in Clynnog Fawr, although it does pass extremely near by on it's way to Pwllheli. For this reason it's pretty hard to get to Clynnog Fawr unless you or a friend/relative have a car.

Car:
If you're driving, Clynnog Fawr is located on the A499 coast road between Caernarfon and Pwllheli.

The Village

Clynnog Fawr lies on the A499 road between Caernarfon and Pwllheli, at grid reference SH415500. It had a population of 130 in 1991. The main feature of the village is the church, dedicated to Saint Beuno, which is much larger than would be expected in a village of Clynnog's size.

St. Beuno's Well
This is located on the left side of the road leading south just out of Clynnog. The Well has a reputation for healing and patients were brought there to be dipped and then laid overnight on the tomb of St. Beuno in the church.

St. Beuno's Church

St Beuno's Church, Clynnog Fawr.

The Church was founded in about 630 AD by Saint Beuno who founded a "clas" (a cross between a Monastery and a College) an institution peculiar to the Celtic Church, and it became the most important ecclesiastical centre for Western Caernarfonshire. Clynnog Church became an assembly point for pilgrims bound for Bardsey Island.

St. Beuno was from a royal background in Wales. Born in the 6th century and was schooled at Bangor. Beuno founded and was the Abbot of Clynnog Fawr. Died around 640 AD and his Feast Day is April 21st. He was also the teacher and guardian of St Winifred. Saint Beuno, the greatest of North Wales Celtic saints, was a descendant of the Prince of Powys. He founded Clynnog Fawr monastery in 616 A.D. and many more Christian establishments. Legends associate him with miraculous healing powers.

The church is recorded in the Norwich Taxation of 1254, and the Lincoln Taxation of 1291 refers to 'Ecclesia de Aberyw' at a value of œ20 6s 8d. It was one of the churches appropriated to Strata Marcella, and on the basis of a sketch of 1798 in 'The Gentleman's Magazine', appears to have been a single chambered structure with a north aisle and traditional Montgomeryshire timber belfry.

 The site is said to be that of a Celtic monastery founded by Beuno in the early 7th century. It developed into an important foundation and some Welsh law manuscripts specify that the Abbot of Clynnog was entitled to a seat at the court of the king of Gwynedd. The church is recorded as being burnt in 978 by the Vikings and later burnt again by the Normans. By the end of the 15th century it was a collegiate church, one of only six in Wales. The church was an important stopping place for pilgrims heading for Bardsey Island and contains Cyff Beuno, an ancient wooden chest hollowed out of a single piece of ash and used to keep alms donated by the pilgrims. "Maen Beuno" or Beuno's Stone has markings reputed to be those of Beuno's fingers. Outside in the churchyard there is a sundial dated between the late 10th century and the early 12th century.

Clynnog is strategically sited at the northern end of a pass connecting the northern and southern coasts of the Lleyn peninsula, and the area has been the site of a number of battles, including the Battle of Bron yr Erw in 1075 when Gruffudd ap Cynan's first bid to become king of Gwynedd was defeated by Trahaearn ap Caradog and the Battle of Bryn Derwin in 1255 when Llywelyn the Last defeated his brothers Owain and Dafydd to become sole ruler of Gwynedd.