The Lost Places

There are many local placenames which have been forgotten or lost over the many centuries. The old records list a few, and one could almost make a guess of where they might have been

But where was Plwca-Halog and what about Heol-Rhiw’r-Cyrph? An innocent question for two rather sinister place names in the village

Plwca-Halog means ‘an ancient place of execution’, and Heol-Rhiw’r-Cyrph translates as ‘the lane at the slope of the corpses’

British History Online and Cardiff Records (volume 5) suggests that both of these places were in our village, and date from around 1605; a long time ago and in a very turbulent age. A time when catholic and protestant kings and queens fought for their religions, and 1605, a year when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators failed in their attempt to blow up Parliament! It was in 1555, Rawlins White was burned at the stake in the centre of Cardiff for his protestant views, and it wasn’t many years later when puritan soldiers were fighting royalists in the fields around our village

But where were these ancient local places? Were there really executions in Whitchurch at Plwca-Halog? And who were they, the poor souls buried in the un-consecrated ground of Heol-Rhiw’r-Cyrph?

Often these places of execution were either quite prominent in a town (where locals might watch), or at a landmark at the entrance, to warn others of the consequences. So where? Near to old St Mary’s Church and the castle mound? Or perhaps on Waun-tre-Oda Common to the south?

Wherever they were, the whole macabre vision is horrible and best forgotten; perhaps remembered as part of our local history. Or do you know something about these places?

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