THE LAND in LLANSANTFFRAED/LLANON

Llanon and Llansantffraed sit on an SSSI designated for its geomorphological importance. Coastal erosion constantly exposes gravels which give clues to processes that occurred during glacial and de-glacial phases. The soils (Rheidol series), on loamy, well-drained gravels are the best for growing cereals in the west Wales climate.

Early records show that the land was divided between four authorities.

1. Knights Templar's Lands between Llanon and Llanrhystud to the north.   

The church of Llansantffraed and 5 carucates of land along with the church of Llanrhystud and land at Ystrad Meurig had been granted to the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem in the twelfth century. This was confirmed by Roger de Clare, Earl of Hertford, when he occupied Ceredigion 1158-1164. It was confirmed by Rhys ap Gruffudd after 1165 as a grant of the church and all that belonged to the land of Llansantffraed. This property was mostly owned by one individual in 1841.

 2. The Vicars hamlet a small plot of land near the church

 3.Morfa Esgob owned by the Bishop of St David's

There is a tradition that the slangs of Llanon were given to fishermen by St David himself: others have suggested that Non originally owned the land and passed it on to David. (Willis-Bund, 1905, AC,33).
Rhys ap Gruffydd gave lands in Llanddewi Aber-arth and Rhandir Llanon to Bishop Iorwerth (1215-1229). That portion of the land became known as Morfa Esgob.

The Black Book of St David (1326) refers to a small piece of land owned by the Bishop which had been forfeited from a felon. The reference also mentions three freemen occupying a gwely, each freeman occupying a hamlet which may correspond to three parts of Llanon/Llansantffraed. These would be the distinct hamlets on the edge of the open field -one by Llansantffraed church, one by the old Chapel Non and one around Cwrt by the Peris river.
The Black Book of St David's also lists the duties of the occupants including:
    payment of 6s 8d per annum
    commorth of one cow every third year
    transport and building services of the Bishop's hall,chamber, kitchen, stable and grange at Llandygwydd
    transport and building services of Bishop's mill
    make enclosures at the customary places at Llanddewibrefi.
There was also a fair under the control of the Bishop at Llanon on the eve, feast and morrow of St Magdalene for which the Bishop received 6d. He also had 12d a year for the Saturday market. (David Lewis Jones in Aberaeron before the Harbour Act of 1870 in Ceredigion IX. 369)
In 1326 the land of Bishop Martin was rented to one group of kinsmen for half a mark.
Morfa Esgob has retained its strips or slangs. In 1841 there were 270 strips occupying 108.45 acres, owned by 59  people with 76 tenants. There were 33 owner occupiers.

4. Morfa Mawr was a grange owned by the Cistercians of Strata Florida

It was granted to Sir Richard Devereux after the dissolution of the monasteries and was enclosed at an early date.
In his description of the state of Agriculture in the County of Cardigan in 1794, Thomas Lloyd noted that 'The greater part of the lowlands is pretty well enclosed but hilly and exposed situations are mostly open.  The only tract like a common field is an extent of very productive barley land reaching on the coast from Aberairon to Llanrhystud.  This quarter is much intermixed and chiefly in small holdings'. (Lloyd, T., 1794,29)