LLANGROVE - What's in the name?
The earliest records of Llangrove show that there may have been a settlement here in the 14th century, when we find the first mention of a name resembling that of the present village.
Today Llangrove is within the parish of Llangarron and the ancient place names of the older houses, streams and farms are reminders that for many centuries the language of the people of this area was Welsh. The prefix 'tre' (meaning homestead) is used for at least nine house names in the village, for example Trefassey Bank, Tretawdy and Treduchan.
Over the years, there has been much controversy regarding the name of the village. The term 'Llan' can suggest a church but there is no evidence that this is the case in Llangrove. Up to the middle of the 19th century, the village was known variously as Long(e) Grove, Longgrove and other combinations based on these words. It has even been suggested that me 'The Grove' has a Druidic association, but this could be fanciful even though groves, particulary of oak, may have had religious significance in the distant past.
What we do know is that by the latter half of the 19th century the spelling had changed to Llangrove but by the mid 20th century the name varied in local usage. Some of the prayer books in the village church still have one of the original names printed inside.
The value of keeping records can be seen to be vital to future generations who may wish to explore local history and it is therefore important that information can be stored for easy access.
Tim Pridgeon