THE HISTORY OF CARDIFF'S SUBURBS

LISVANE
Incorporating Thornhill

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Ancient Court

MAGNIFY — Map of Lisvane in 1940
Source: OS

mapoflisvane_1940 — Map of Lisvane in 1940
Source: OS

Llysfaen, the Welsh name for Lisvane, translates into English as 'the stone court’ (llys = court and faen/maen = stone), suggesting that there was once a court house in the district which may have been used for collecting taxes.

Near the Traveller’s Rest (a 350 year old building) at the top of Caerphilly Mountain, the ruins of Castell Morgraig are a reminder of one man’s rebellion against the King.

Castell Morgraig and Llewellyn Bren

It is uncertain whether the partially completed castle was the work of the English or the Welsh, but this was where Llywelyn Bren (a.k.a Llywelyn ap Gruffydd) made a defiant stand in 1316.

Bren was unhappy with the heavy taxes and hardship imposed by the King, who had taken over the lordship of Glamorgan. Bren was a powerful man, and many people followed his cause to overthrow the King's injustice.

Bren and his army of rebels caused much damage and destruction throughout South Wales, until on 12 March 1316, a powerful royal army set out from Cardiff Castle to stop the rebellion.

Although Llywelyn fought bravely at Castell Morgraig, he was outnumbered. Bren surrendered, went to prison for two years and was then brought back to Cardiff to be executed as a traitor (even though he had been recently pardoned).

Llywelyn Bren's sons were given the lands of their Father, and became the forefathers of the Lewis family, who were to play an important part in the affairs of Llanishen and Lisvane.

Church of St. Denys

For centuries the fields of Lisvane were used for growing grain, which was processed in the local mills. By 1841, the slowly developing hamlet had a blacksmith, an inn (the Griffin Pub) and a few cottages grouped around Church of St. Denys.

The Church had been left to deteriorate over the years, and by now only had a congregation of a few people. Eventually, repairs and restoration of the church were carried out in 1878, but little remains of its Norman origins apart from the walls of the tower and the south doorway.

Lisvane Reservoir

In 1869, to meet the increasing demand for water in Cardiff, land in Lisvane was used to build a privately owned reservoir.

The reservoir attracted a plethora of wildlife, and just nine years later it was purchased by the Cardiff Corporation. It attained SSSI status in recent years, giving it some protection from being re-developed.

In 1944, the Council bought a huge tract of well-maintained land near the railway line to create Cefn Onn park.

Cefn Onn Park

Cefn Onn is an extensive mixed species arboretum, with lakes and woodland walks. The park was laid out around ninety years ago and planted by the railway manager who lived in a large estate near the park.

Cefn Onn and Lisvane used to be served by the Great Western Railway, and trains had been stopping (request only) at Cefn Onn Halt since 1871.

In 1986, the Halt was closed down due to underuse. A new station at Thornhill (less than a mile south down the line) was opened to cater for the village, and the new housing estates which were springing up in the boom years of the late 1990's and early 2000's.

Cefn Onn has seen a lot of remodelling in recent decades which has seen its original entrance changed to accomodate the

Late Development

The population of Lisvane grew slowly, and even by the 1940's only a handful of houses were built, mainly along Ty-Llwyd road (now Lisvane Road).

The private housing developments meant that the properties were grand in design and accompanied by spacious gardens.

Lisvane became a suburb of the city in 1974 and in the 35 years since, the small population has doubled in size.

Despite the building of the M4 motorway nearby, the village has retained its rural atmosphere and St. Denys Church, now a listed structure, still remains an important focal point for the community.