The medieval village of Tal-y-llyn on Anglesey was abandoned after the plague struck in 1349, killing an estimated third of the Welsh population
Andrew Forgrave Countryside and tourism editor and Philip Dewey Court Correspondent
11:26, 04 Jan 2026
The area around St Mary’s remains sparsely populated even to this day(Image: SteveCymro/Wiki)
In the early 1300s, the small Anglesey community of Tal-y-llyn was home to approximately 110 people, all farming on lands owned by the Bishop of Bangor. Life was challenging, but food was relatively abundant: their caloric intake wasn’t surpassed until the 20th century.
However, this was all set to change in a matter of months in the spring of 1349. In April that year, the first documented case of the Black Death was reported in Wales, brought to Carmarthenshire by sailors from southern England.
The plague spread rapidly. By the end of June, it was wreaking havoc across Wales: 77 deaths were reported in Ruthin, with similar numbers in nearby Llanerch and Llangollen. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
In these desperate times, crime thrived: the Ruthin court rolls of August 1349 record the case of two brothers who stole money, goods and cattle from plague-stricken families under the cover of night.
By the close of the year, it’s estimated that nearly 100,000 people had died, equating to around a third of the Welsh population. In some communities, the death rate was estimated at 80%: the tight-knit lead miners of Holywell were almost entirely wiped out, reports North Wales Live.
Skull of a Black Death victim (Image: After the Plague/PA Wire)
Anglesey was not spared either. Farming and construction work came to a standstill as people succumbed to the disease in the fields.
Many priests on the island lost their lives, including the one from Llechgynfarwy. Parish organisation was crippled by the loss of local leaders.
It was within this context that the tranquil settlement of Tal-y-llyn, situated three miles east of Rhosneigr, vanished from existence. The village was among numerous medieval communities completely obliterated, whether by the plague itself or the economic chaos that ensued.
Similar to Cosmeston, another deserted medieval settlement in South Wales, acute labour shortages may have prompted Tal-y-llyn’s remaining inhabitants to seek employment elsewhere. Suddenly, healthy, able-bodied peasants became highly sought after.
Due to the scarcity of written records from this era, it remains unclear whether this decline happened swiftly or slowly. Throughout the following 60 years, the plague periodically resurged, most notably during the 1361 “Pestilence of the Children”.
This particular outbreak claimed a disproportionate number of young lives, as they lacked the natural immunity possessed by those who had endured the 1349 catastrophe.
What endured through it all was a medieval church that remains standing today, a lone monument in countryside once dotted with wattle and daub dwellings.
The church’s oldest sections trace back to the 12th century. It was constructed as a chapel of ease for the Llanbeulan parish, serving local residents who couldn’t make the journey to the main parish church, St Peulan’s, near Gwalchmai.
Aerial view of St Mary’s Church in Tal-y-llyn. Tal-y-llyn means ‘lake end’ – the church overlooks Llyn Padrig(Image: Google)
Despite the parish losing an estimated 60% of its population to the Black Death, St Mary’s was not abandoned: it continued to be cared for and in the 16th century, the church was expanded. The interior underwent a refurbishment in the 18th century, which included the installation of its signature plank benches – simple backless seating devoid of any pretension, designed to keep people alert during sermons.
It wasn’t until 1992 that the Grade I-listed church finally shut its doors. However, the subsequent vandalism was halted when, seven years later, it was taken under the protection of the Friends of Friendless Churches (FFS).
Upon discovering that all but one of St Mary’s plank benches had been stolen, the charity used the remaining one to create replicas.
The church is open daily, hosting occasional services, and FFS has described it as an ideal spot for quiet contemplation. “The site is incredibly picturesque and yet its remoteness provides deep peace and tranquility,” they stated.
Regarding its modest seating and plain limewashed walls, FFS commented: “It is a space in which there is no differentiation by wealth, status, age or sex. Everyone sits together.”
Therefore, it was fitting that Noel Thomas, the Gaerwen postmaster who was falsely convicted and imprisoned during the Post Office Horizon scandal, sought refuge at St Mary’s to find respite from life’s hardships.
Before his conviction was overturned in 2021, he had emerged as a leading voice in the fight for justice, courageously telling his story and highlighting the plight of thousands of fellow victims.
Writing online, Phil Hen noted: “It was here that my friend Noel Thomas… would spend hours within its ancient walls, grappling with the injustices life had thrown at him.”
St Mary’s wasn’t the sole Anglesey church that lost its congregation due to the Black Death. St Llibio’s in Llanllibio was another subsidiary chapel that witnessed a dramatic drop in its worshipping community.
In contrast to St Mary’s, this church fell into decay. It shut its doors during the 17th century and, apart from a commemorative stone, only minor remnants remain visible today.