Llan ~ church or church land
ynwas ~ of the one servant

Llanunwas is currently closed for renovations. Please visit www.solvasituations.co.uk for other holiday lets.

ancient history

The promontory fort at Porth-y-Rhaw was densely occupied from at least the later Iron Age (circa 400 BC) and into the mid Roman period and remained in use until at least the second century AD. The banks of this old fort were used for target practice during the Second World War and was used by the Home Guard. The Neolithic site at Nine Wells dates to 3000 BC.

recent history

The recent history of the Llanunwas estate is a long and convoluted passage that has involved five principal families: Crunn (1597-), Laugharne (1670-), James (1786-), Harries (1800-) and Gibson-Davies (1926-). The first written record of the place is from over 400 years ago, but the Crunn lineage were known in Pembrokeshire two hundred years before this.According to Francis Jones "Historic Pembrokeshire Homes and their Families" (extended version) page 150 'The earliest known family at Llanunwas was that of Crunn, a name found in western Dewsland from 1326 onwards.

In 1597 Thomas William Crunn, yeoman, granted (in consideration of the marriage of his son John to Elizabeth daughter of John Bowen Cadigan of Henry's Moat) to Thams Symmons of Martel, gent. and William James Harry of St Davids parish, yeoman, three messuages and lands in the village and fields in Llanunwas-Ucha and -Isha, and Lethgell, and it Witchurch parish, to be held to grantos for life, and then to the said John and Elizabeth. The said John Crunn has succeeded by 1613 when he held Llanunwas as the manor of Llanddinog, the lord being John Barlow of Slebech.

The property afterwards passed to Elizabeth Crunn, widow. Her daughter and heiress, Anne Crunn, whose marriage to Francis Laugharne of Llanreithan 'Latelie had been solemnized' when their post-nuptial settlement was executed on 1 March 1670, the lands settled 'uppon the Bloved of the said Francis and Anne' were the two messuages of 'Llanywas-Ucha' and -Issa, and Hendre-Ycha and Yssa, in Llandeloy parish. John Wogan of Eweston, Brawdy parish, and Harry Thomas of St Davids parish, gentry, were trustees. In 1716 the estate consisted of two messuages of Llanunwas, the mill called Felin Porth-y-rhaw, in Witchurch, Carnhedryn-Fawr alias -ucha, in St Davids, and Hendre-Ucha and Isha, in Llandeloy parish.

Francis Laugharne was followed by his son the Rev. Arthur Laugharne, rector of Dinas and Prebendary of Caerfai. He married Jane Lloyd of Cards. He died in 1753, Jane in 1757. The Rev. Arthur left one son and five daughters, the son, the Rev. William Laugharne was rector of Dinas, Manordeifi and Llanllawer, and died unmarried in February 1784/5, and was buried at Witchurch. The inventory attached to his will, names the following rooms at Llanunwas - hall, parlow, closet, study, buffet, room over the parlour, Yellow room, middle room, green room, upper room, kitchen, loft over the kitchen, while the outbuildings indcluded carthouse, poultry house, calves house, little stable, stoneloft, barn, malthouse, little loft, brewhouse, and the garden little house.

Llanunwas was sold shortly afterwards. In 1786 the owner-occupier was Gilbert James (1716-1806), an attorney-at-law who was a younger son of John James of Lochmeyler and Dorothy Harries of Priskilly. His sole grandchild Jane James, who subsequently inherited the property, married Joseph Harries (1768-1824), third son of John Harries of Priskilly, in 1799. They lived at Llanunwas, and Joseph served as High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire in 1821. Their son Gilbert James Harries (1799-1857) inherited Llanunwas. A J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant for county Pembrokeshire, in 1826 he had married Cecilia Anne Eliza Allen-Philips, eldest daughter of Charles Allen-Philipps of St Bride's Hill. They appear to have resided at Llanunwas from about 1830. They had twelve children. He died in 1857 and she continued in residence at Llanunwas until her death in 1881.

The eldest son of Gilbert James Harries and his wife Cecilia Anne Eliza was Cecil Anson Harries (1827-1908), who married Bridget Jane Phillips of Aberglasney in 1853, and served as a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant for Pembrokeshire and a J.P. for Carmarthenshire. There were no children to this marriage and he subsequently migrated to Canada. As heir to Gilbert James Harries, Cecil Anson Harries sold Llanunwas to his brother Gilbert Charles Frederick Harries(1828-1879) who had inherited St Bride's Hill from a maternal uncle.

Gilbert Charles Frederick Harries was a minister of the Church of England, serving in Glamorgan shire and as an honorary Canon of Llandaff Cathedral. His eldest son Gilbert David Harries (1858-1916) thus inherited both Llanunwas and St Bride's Hill. He subsequently sold the latter to the Edwardes family, Lords Kensington, and took up residence at Llanunwas following the death of his grandmother Cecilia Anne Eliza Harries in 1881. He served as High Sheriff for Pembrokeshire in 1892. His marriage to Louisa Rose Cox produced four children. Their only son was Gilbert Henry James Harries had migrated to South Africa before his father's death, and subsequently sold the Llanunwas estate in 1926.

A description of Llanunwas is given in 'A Historical Tour through Pembrokeshire' by Richard Fenton, pages 76-77: "Proceed to Llanunwas a little to the right, where I stop to partake of the hospitality of my friend Joseph Harries, Esq...." Des Harries, a direct descendant of Joseph now lives in Maleny Queensland.

In 1935 the estate was purchased by Ewan Gibson-Davies. A state of the art Alfa-laval dairy building, the redbrick building, was constructed on the farm at that time. Ewan's eldest son William farmed Llanunwas throughout the war.

Thanks especially to Bill Griffiths for the research and to Pete Crane (Porth y Rhaw) and Des Harries.