A Rose by any other name...

Over its 100 years the building has been known by several names, which has often lead to confusion.

Originally in 1904 the building was opened as the new Institute.   It was often referred to as the Workmens’ Hall, then later as the Workmen’s Institute.    In the sixties it became a licensed Social Club and so was known as the Llanhilleth Working Men’s Club.

Over the years it has also been known as the Llanhilleth Colliers’ Institute, Llanhilleth Miners’ Institute, and now Llanhilleth Institute Ltd.     But for local people it is affectionately referred to as ‘the ‘Stute.’  

Whatever the name, it appears an imposing building set well in the landscape for immediate impact.

Institute frontage with later addition of porch

Room Names

Rooms within the Institute building have names which reflect the history of the surrounding area.

The Red Ash Cafe commemorated the Red Ash mine located in Llanhilleth, just down the valley from the building, now the site of an industrial estate.  The red vein or coal seam was mined at several collieries in the area. The cafe is in the process of having a change of use.

The Ebbw Fach and Ebbw Fawr rooms, on the upper ground floor, are named after the two converging river valleys local to the Institute.   Older members use the earlier name, of  “the Lesser room.”  This term can also be found in other Institutes to refer to the room of secondary importance in the building.

The Ballroom, or “Ithel Suite” is named after St. Ithel who, according to legend, is the source of the name Brynithel and the derivation of Llanhilleth, (Llanhithel – the Church/Land of Ithel).

Exposed roof, covered over in the 1960s by a false ceiling

The Institute’s green and gold trefoil logo was created after the 2009 renovation. Terracotta floor tiles in the entrance porch proved too costly to restore or reproduce, but their attractive design formed the inspiration for the Institute’s green and gold trefoil logo.

Name of Llanhilleth

The original Parish of Llanhilleth was located on the mountain top above the present Brynithel .   It was located around the parish church of St Illtyds, which was in turn part of Llantarnam Abbey near Newport .   

Illtyd is believed to be a derivation from Ithel, the Welsh ‘ll’ and ‘th’ causing pronunciation problems and hence confusion with spelling in later times.     Older generations can still remember as children hearing the Llanhilleth pronounced “Llanilltyd.”

According to an extract from Bradney’s History of Monmouthshire, in the Hundreds of Abergavenny, Llanhilleth derives from the form Llanithel or Llaniddel after a man named Ithel.   Although there are several Ithels in early history, Bradney claims the name most probably derives from one of two:

1.     Ithel, born in 575, the son of Athrwys, King of Gwent, and his wife Morganwg.  

2.     Ithel ap Howel, the King of Gwent, slain on the spot in 846 by men of Brecheiniog  (Brecon).

Llaniddel was a name used by older inhabitants during the 1940’s and both Llaniddel and Llanhilleth appear on an Ordnance Survey Map of the time.   Instances on older maps are given below:

Rees’ 14 century map                                                 Killithell    (feudal lands of Ithel)

Morden’s Map of Monmouthshire              )    
Kitchen’s Map of 1752                                )all show   Llanhithel
Laurie & Whittle’s Map of 1806                 )    

Pigott’s Map of 1830                                                    Llanhyddel

Another version of the name can be seen in the records of Newport Castle dating back to the Account of William Kemeys, Receiver of the Lordship of Newport, from Michaelmas, 1447 to Michaelmas, 1448.

‘William Kemeys, Receiver of the Lordship of Newport, purchased “One hundred   small oaks ... from Kirkelleyth,”   (now known as Llanhilleth.)’   

Newport castle's river elevation

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Youtube

Yet another explanation of the name can be seen on Youtube.   Here Frank Olding, Blaenau Gwent’s Heritage Officer, explains that towards the end of the twelfth century, ‘Llan’ in old Welsh meant ‘Church’ and previously ‘fence.’     The 18^th century St. Illtyd’s church was named after the 9^th or 10^th century Heledd, the daughter of a Montgomeryshire prince.   

Hence, the fence, or church of Heledd,  ‘Llan Heledd,’ became Llanhithel, and then Llanhilleth.

Likewise ‘Bryn’ in Welsh is ‘hill,’ so, the Hill of Heledd, became ‘Bryn Heledd.’   The pronounciation later changed to ‘Ithel,’ and so Brynithel.

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Others claim the Parish name was “Llan–hyleth” meaning the Church of St. Hyleth the Virgin.     

Also Llanhylted has been quoted.   Presumably, from “the Church of St Hylted,” now St. Illtyd.

You may like to choose your favourite version of the story. I draw no conclusions, just report the findings.

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The Welsh

Robert Lacey in his Great Tales from English History, explains an interesting fact.   The Anglo-Saxons used “Waelise” or “welsh,” to describe the Celts. This word meant “foreigners and slaves.”  This may go some way to explaining some of the attitudes of and towards the welsh today. 

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