LLANGONOYD, or LLANGONWD (LLAN-GYNWYD), a parish, partly in the union of NEATH, and partly in the union of BRIDGEND-AND- COWBRIDGE, hundred of NEWCASTLE, county of GLAMORGAN, SOUTH WALES, 10 miles from Boyden Neath; comprising the townships of Lower Llangonoyd, Cwaithi, Higher Llangonoyd; and Middle Llangonoyd; and containing 4153 inhabitants, of which number 339 are in Middle Llangonoyd. This .parish, which is situated near the source of the river Llynvi,, and in the heart of a wild and mountainous district abounding with mineral wealth, is said to have afforded a temporary asylum to Edward II., who, after his escape from the castle of Caerphilly, sought shelter here, in hope of effecting his passage to Ireland. Coal and iron-ore abound in the parish, and are both worked upon an extensive scale. At Maas Teg, about a, mile and a half from the church, are large iron-works afford, ing occupation to more than three hundred men; and about a mile from these, at Shelf, "The Cambrian Iron Works" have been, recently erected: the col- 46 lieries of one firm also employ about sixty men,. and many are engaged in other similar works upon smaller scale, and in the quarries of limestone and freestone that abound in the vicinity. For the per-pose of opening a communieation between these works and the neighbouring districts, and affording a. facility of conveyance for their produce, a railway has been constructed from the works, which are situ-abed. on the line of the Dyfryn-Llyikvi railway from the small harbour cif Porthcawl,. to. the market-town of Bridgend, passing within a short distance of: the coal..worles in the parish of St. Bride's Minor: The Dyfryn-Llynri railway, which is seventeen miles in length, was, commenced in 1825, and has been CODA pleted at an expense of about £60,000: it begins at Porthcawl, in the parish of Newton-Nonage, and proceeds by Pyle, where, taking an easterly &men don, it joins the Bridgend branch railway as Cerra Cribwr iron-works: from this junction it takes a northerly direction towards Llangonoyd, and, after crossing the river Llynvi, terminates . at DyfrynLlynvi. For fourteen miles from the sea it founts an inclined plane, rising four hundred feet in the whole of that distance; in the course of the neat two miles. it has a rise of a hundred and ten feet;.sod the remainder is a good level. A fair is held on May 3rd. The living is a discharged vicarage, rated in the king's books at £19. 5.; present net income, £135, with a glebe-house; patron and intproprietor, L. W. Dyllwyn, Esq. The church is dedicated to St. Cynwyd, a saint of the congregation: of Catwg. In the township of Boyden was formerly a chapel of ease, which is now in ruins. There are places. of worship for Baptists and Independents an. infants' school, commenced in 1831, contains 56 males and 30 females, and is supported from the workmen's funds, and by payments from the children.; and there are also a day school, in which are 12 children of both sexes, whose instruction is partly paid for by subscription and partly by those parents who can afford it; and another where 30 boys and 10 girls are taught wholly at the expense of their parents. Near the village was wee a cram-lea, called by the peasantry " the Old Church."