Llandeloy is approximately 7 miles (11 km) east of the city of St Davids, comprising a few dwellings in a rural setting.[2]
Name
There is no firm evidence for the origin of the name of the religious site from which stemmed the present parish. B. G. Charles, in his Place-names of Pembrokeshire says:
The present dedication of this LLAN to St. Teilo is a mistake dating from the time of Browne Willis. It has been suggested that the founder's name may have been TYLWYF, a compound of the honorific TY and Llwyf 'elm trees', but no such name is on record.
Melville Richards in Enwau Tir a Gwlad opts for "...Ty + Llwyf giving Llandylwyf and a contracted Llan-lwy". Some toponymists agree, but Tylwyf is not a recognised saint.[3]
History
Recorded history begins in 1307, but signs of occupation from the Bronze Age and Iron Age indicate a much longer history.[4] The Royal Commission recorded the place name existing as early as 1291.[5]
The parish's population in the early 1800s was 217,[3] in a few scattered settlements.[6] In the 1870s, the area of the parish was 1,843 acres (746 ha), and fairs were held on 1 May (for pigs and stock),[7] 25 June and 1 November. The parish population was around 200 until the 1950s, when it increased by 10 per cent.[8] At least until the end of the 19th century, the village had a pub, the Llandeloy Arms.[5]
In the 20th century, the village expanded with the proximity of RAF Brawdy.[9]
^Lloyd, Thomas; Orbach, Julian; Scourfield, Robert (2004). Pembrokeshire: The Buildings of Wales (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales). Vol. 5 (First ed.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. p. 248. ISBN978-0-300-10178-2.