Penmachno is a village in the isolated upland Machno valley, south of Betws-y-Coed in the county of Conwy, North Wales. The B4406 road runs through part of the village. The village is at the confluence of the Glasgwm and Machno rivers. It has a five-arched, stone bridge dating from 1785. The village has been referred to as Pennant Machno, Llandudclyd and Llan dutchyd in historical sources.
According to the 2011 census, the population of the Bro Machno parish (which also includes the village of Cwm Penmachno, about 5 km south west) was 617, of whom 342 (55%) were able to speak Welsh and 214 (34%) had no skills in Welsh.
Toponymy
The village has been referred to as Pennant Machno, Llandudclyd and Llan dutchyd in historical sources. The name derives from the Welsh pen, meaning head, end or promontory and Machno, the name of the valley.
Notable residents
The village was the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan (probably 1545 – 1604), who was born at Tŷ Mawr, Y Wybrnant, near the village. The precise year of his birth is uncertain: it is generally accepted to be 1545, but his memorial in St John's College Chapel, Cambridge suggests 1541.Memorial Cambridge He was one of the leading scholars of his day, having mastered Hebrew in addition to Latin and Greek. He was the first to translate the Bible in its entirety into Welsh. Tŷ Mawr is now a National Trust property open to the public and contains a Bible museum.
Poet, local historian, building contractor and quarry owner Owen Gethin Jones (1816 - 1883) was born, lived and died in Penmachno.
Huw Owen alias Huw Machno (1585 - 1637), poet, is recorded by Owen Gethin Jones as living at Coed-y-Ffynnon in Penmachno (). Gethin Jones writes in his essay ("Gweithiau Gethin" (The Works of Gethin)):
A gravestone inscribed 'H. M. Obiit 1637' exists. It is claimed that Huw Machno was descended from Dafydd Goch of Penmachno, an illegitimate son of Dafydd III (1238 - 1283, the last independent ruler of Wales as the Prince of Wales) and therefore a grandson of Llywelyn the Great.
Richard Edgar Thomas (known as Richie Thomas) (1906 - 1988), the tenor, was born at Eirianfa, Llewelyn Street, Penmachno and lived his whole life in the village. He worked at the Machno Woollen Mill (Richie Thomas working at Woollen Mill) and led the singing in his chapel for over 50 years. He first came to prominence when he won the Blue Riband at the Rhyl National Eisteddfod in 1953. He gave many concerts and numerous recordings were made, and a double album of his best work was released in 2008 under the title ′Richie Thomas - Goreuon Richie Thomas (Tenor)′ (The Best of Richie Thomas). There is a plaque to commemorate him at his birthplace.
Howel Harris Hughes (1873–1956), Principal of the United Theological College in Aberystwyth ministered here from 1901 to 1903.
Parish Church
The parish church of Saint Tudclud (alternatively Tyddyd, Tudclyd, Tudglud or Tudglyd), was built in the mid-19th century, but contains five important early Christian inscribed stone slabs dating from the 5th or 6th century. The Carausius Stone, which bears the Chi Rho symbol, was found in 1856 with two of the others when the site of the church was being cleared. It has been suggested that it is the gravestone of Carausius, a Roman military commander who usurped power in 286 and was assassinated in 293 (see Carausian Revolt), who is possibly the same person as St Caron to whom the church in Tregaron is dedicated. Another commemorates Cantiorix as a citizen of Gwynedd and cousin of the magistrate (the local ruler under the Romans, suggesting that the Roman political structure was retained locally into the 5th century after the departure of the legions). The inscription reads: Cantiorix hic iacit / Venedotis cives fuit / consobrinos Magli magistrati ("Here lies Cantiorix / He was a citizen of Gwynedd / and cousin of the magistrate Maglos".) The third of these slabs reads "ORIA [H]IC IACIT" or "Oria lies here".