LLANGENEY (LLAN-GENEU), a parish, in the union and hundred of CRICKHOWEL, county of BRECKNOCK, SOUTH WALES, 1 mile (E. by
S.) from Crickhowel; containing 427 inhabitants. This place derives its name from the dedication of its church to St.
Ceneu, one of the daughters of Brychan, Prince of Brycheiniog, who, devoting herself to a life of religious retirement,
had an oratory here, and was canonized after her death. The parish, which comprises about 1000 acres, is bounded on the
south by the river Usk, and is intersected by the stream Grwyney, which, after flowing in a southerly direction for two
miles through it, falls into the Usk at this place. The surrounding country is agreeably diversified; and the prevailing
scenery is characterized by features of beautiful simplicity: the vale of the Grwyney, in which the village is embosomed,
is inclosed by lofty hills clothed with the richest groves, and the stream is bordered on each side by meadows of fine
verdure. In the neighbourhood are several good mansions and handsome villas; and within the parish are situated Court-y-
Gollen, a spacious mansion, built by the Rev. Richard Davies, at a convenient distance from the turnpike-road to
Crickhowel; and Sunny Bank, a handsome modern house, erected by its late proprietor, Robert Williams, Esq., and since
considerably enlarged and improved. At Grwyney is a small carding and spinning establishment, in which not more than six
persons are engaged; and on the river from which this small village derives its name are two paper-mills, for the
manufacture of the coarser kinds of paper, affording occupation conjointly to about sixteen persons. Near the village is
an iron forge, which formerly save employment to a considerable number of men, in converting into bars the pig iron made
at the Sirhowy works, but which, from some litigation, has been suspended. The rateable annual value of Llangeney has been
returned at £2220. The turnpike-road from London to Milford traverses the southern part of the parish. The living is a
perpetual curacy, united with that of Llanelly, to the rectory of Llangattock; the tithes have been commuted for a rent-
charge of £320; and there is a glebe of about 8} acres, valued at £14 per annum: a certain portion of the tithes is paid
to the sexton, who claims it by a prescriptive right, recognized in a terrier dated 1720. The church, situated on the
western bank of the river Grwyney, over which is a stone bridge of one arch, is a neat and substantial edifice, in good
repair, consisting of a nave, chancel, and south aisle, which last appears to have been built or repaired about the
commencement of the seventeenth century; the nave is separated from the aisle by a series of five pointed arches, resting
upon octangular pillars. There is a place of worship for Calvinistic Methodists; and a day school, in which are 30
children, and a Sunday school, attended by from 40 to 50, both commenced in 1826, are supported by the curate. John Howel,
in the year 1620, bequeathed two fields, called Dwygae Llangeney, in trust to the wardens, to appropriate the rents to the
repairs of the church and the two neighbouring bridges, in equal portions, after deducting a part to be distributed among
the poor at Christmas; the fields contain about five acres, two of which are woodland held by the parish, and whence
timber was cut in 1836 for the repairs of the church of the value of £42; the other portion of the land, which lies on the
north-west side of the river Grwyney, is let at £1. 12. per annum. In a field on the confines of this parish and those of
Crickhowel and Llanbedr is a stone inscribed, in Roman characters, to the memory of one " Turpilius;" and in the grounds
of Court-y-Gollen, near the turnpike-road, is a large Maen Hir, a rude erect stone, thirteen feet high, three feet three
inches broad, and eighteen inches thick. Some vestiges of an encampment may be traced on an eminence in the parish, called
Pen-y-Prisc, which is supposed to be of Roman origin, but no satisfactory account of it has been recorded. On the farm of
Pen-y-Darren is Fynnon Geneu, or " Ceneu's Well," to the water of which was formerly attributed great efficacy in the cure
of diseases of the eye; and another well near Sunny Bank is said to possess petrifying qualities. Near Fynnon Geneu a
farmer, some years since, in removing the remains of an old building, which was thought to have been the oratory of St.
Ceneu, discovered a very ancient bell of singular form and construction, conjectured to have been used by that saint in
calling the people to prayers; this curious piece of antiquity was in the possession of the late Venerable Archdeacon
Payne, by whose permission it was exhibited before the Society of Antiquaries in Landon, in the year 1809.