Llanfechain is a village and community in Powys, Wales, on the B4393 road between Llanfyllin and Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. Historically it belonged to Montgomeryshire. The River Cain runs through. The population of 465 at the 2011 Census was estimated at 476 in 2019. The Battle of Mechain may have been fought near Llanfechain in 1070.

Name

Llanfechain could mean "parish or church (llan) of the Cain valley" (from Llan ym Mach Cain meaning "church in the field or plain of the Cain" to Llan ym Mechain and then Llan-mechain, which becomes Llanfechain as a result of the common mutation of 'm' to 'f' in Welsh). However, it might also mean "small (fechan) church or parish (llan)". Spellings of place names vary over time, so that small variations such as chain/cain and fechain/fechan are plausible. The name in the form Llanveccheyn is first encountered in 1254. It has also been known as Llanarmon-ym-Mechain, ym-Mechain referring to its location in the medieval cantref of Mechain, thus "Church of St Garmon in Mechain".

Places of worship

The parish church, St Garmon's, was begun in Norman times and retains many original features. It is a Grade II* listed building. Consisting of a single chamber, it has Romanesque windows in the east wall and two doorways in the south wall. There were some Victorian alterations, including the addition of a western bell turret. Inside, the roof dates from the 15th century, the font dates from about 1500, the pulpit bears a date of 1636, and at the western end its gallery remains. Little is known of St Garmon. Tradition has him living in the 9th century and preaching from a mound in Llanfechain churchyard. The remains of the mound, Twmpath Garmon, are still evident north of the church, although graves have been dug into it. According to the recollections of 19th-century villagers recorded in Volume 5 of the Montgomeryshire Collections, cockpits were dug near to the mound for cockfighting. Fynnon Garmon, the holy well associated with Garmon, lies to the south-east of the village. St Garmon is likely to have been derived from St Germanus (410–474), the first Bishop of Man. The village once had two chapels: the Peniel Wesleyan Methodist Chapel (erected 1834, rebuilt 1875, Sunday School added 1901, closed about 1990, now residential), and Zoar Calvinistic Methodist Chapel (erected 1827, rebuilt 1914, closed 2008).

Notable sites and buildings

Notable residents

In order of birth date:

Railway

Llanfechain was served by a station on the Llanfyllin branch of the Cambrian Railways from 1863. The line closed in 1965 and has since been dismantled. The station building remains as a private residence. The track bed to Llanfyllin has been built over by an industrial estate.

Education and amenities

The village has a small Church in Wales primary school. It was rated Good in a May 2016 Estyn report. The village has a village hall. A traditional village show had been held on the August Bank Holiday weekend every year since 1966, but had to be cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.