Gwynedd Archaeological Trust

Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Gwynedd

01248 352535

The Menai Straits 2000 years of history

The most likely location for the original ferry is along the shore below Llanidan church. The main crossing would have been directly across the Straits to Llanfairisgaer church where a corresponding trackway reaches the water adjacent to Llanfair church.

The early history of the Llanidan Ferry is obscure. It is likely to have been an ancient ferry and is accounted for in the Sheriff’s Account of 1296 at a value to the Crown of 20s. This, however, cannot have reflected its real value as, in 1303, the 20s. accounts for the half part and not the whole. The implication is that there is another interest in the ferry and this is borne out by the absence of any Crown expenditure on the ferryboat. Neither is there any evidence for any tied bond tenants of the late Prince or the King in any township on this stretch of the river. At Llanidan, the King’s half share is worth 20s. with the implication that someone else was also taking 20s.

The original owner of the ferry remains unknown, one possibility, suggested by HR Davies, without much conviction, could be the Augustinian canons of Beddgelert Priory. Beddgelert held land in Tre’r Beirdd, granted by Owain ap Gruffydd between 1246 and 1255. They also held a small portion of land on the adjacent mainland in Llanfair-Is-Gaer, and controlled the churches of Llanidan and Llanfair (Dunn 2005, 89-90).

If Llanidan demesne, as mapped in the 1770s, reflects the temporal interests of the Priory’s association with the church, sequestrated in 1535 and subsequently re-granted by the Crown, then the case for Beddgelert’s involvement becomes stronger. On the other hand the major secular power in this part of the commote of Menai was the great dynastic and territorial lordship of Porthamel. The Porthamel dynasty traced its lineage back to Llywarch ap Bran, ‘Lord of Menai’ in the twelfth century. Its tenurial associations were extensive, reaching across the parishes of Llanidan and Llanedwen on the Straits to Llanfihangel Ysceifiog on the northern fringe of Malltraeth.

It is possible to identify farmers of the ferry, Deicws ap Cynwrig ap Meredudd, in 1419, probably one of the members of the Porthamel dynasty. After the ferry lapsed to the Crown during the later fifteenth century, the ferry was let to another Porthamel man, Meredudd ap Thomas ap Meredudd, on favourable terms and a long fifty year lease from 1507.

Porthamel had a long and continuing interest in the ferry, reflected in the name of the estate itself and associated locational names such as Porthmawr and Pant Yscraffia, both part of Porthamel demesne.

During the late fifteenth century the ferry seems to have been in decay. By the early sixteenth century the ferry, in Crown hands, is seen to be operating from a new location at Moel y Don.

Above: Llanfair-is-gaer; below: Llanidan-Moelydon reach