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Appendix Eight

Place Names in the upper Usk Valley

      Most of the place names in the Upper Usk Valley are Welsh, naturally enough. Many of them go back a considerable time, and quite a few of them have changed through the years due to such factors as mutation (a feature of Welsh grammar), Anglicisation, and a lack of standardisation of spelling in years gone by. This appendix provides a key to the translations of the usually-accepted names. It is worth including because many of the names are of ancient origin and they can provide an insight into topography which may have changed over the years.

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  • Aberhenwen
    Mouth of the Henwen Brook (= 'fair old' brook)
  • Allt-y-Fan
    Wood or slopes of the peak
  • Blaenwysg
    Head of the Usk River
  • Brynmaendy
    Hill of black stones
  • Castell Du
    Black or dark castle
  • Cwmwysg
    Valley of the Usk
  • Dorallt
    Break of mountain slopes
  • Ffôs Ddu
    Black or dark ditch
  • Ffosyhywaid
    Ditch of the ducks
  • Gelligam
    Crooked wood
  • Gwernwyddog
    Alder trees or wooded marsh
  • Llwyn-celyn
    Holly bush
  • Llwyn-Cor
    Grove of song
  • Llwynmeurig
    Meurig's grove
  • Llwyn-On
    Grove of the ash trees
  • Llywel
    Church of (St.) Llywel
  • Nant-y-Pistyll
    Brook of the spring
  • Penrhiw
    Top of the slope
  • Pentrebach
    Small village
  • Pentwyn
    Top of the hill
  • Pen-y-Cae
    End of the field
  • Pwll Isaf
    Lower pool
  • Pwll Uchaf
    Upper pool
  • Tai-Newydd
    New houses
  • Traen-Glas
    Green land
  • Traen-Mawr
    Great land
  • Trawslywn-Du
    Black cross hedge
  • Tre-castell
    Town of the castle
  • Tyle-Mawr
    Big hillside
  • Ynysclydach
    Meadow of Clydach (stream)
  • Ynysfain
    Narrow meadow
  • Ynysmarchog
    Knight's meadow
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