The History Of Moylegrove


Moylegrove 1903

It is intended to expand this section of the website and in due course present a comprehensive history of Moylegrove and the surrounding area. We would welcome any old photographs or factual historic information that you think will be of value.

In the mean time we are using the very interesting work of Jonathan Guest which he originally created for the school website


Mallt's Grove - Tref Gwyddel

The origin of how Moylegrove is named is not very clear.

The most substantiated origin stems from a reference in 1291 to Moylegrove Church being called"Ecclesia de Grana Matildis" which translates to "The Church of Matilda's Grove".  Matilda, who married Robert Fitzmartin, gave Moylegrove as part of her dowry to St Dogmaels Abbey. This name was subsequently worn down to "Moldegrove", and by the time of Henry 8th it had become "Moilegrove".
Matilda was the daughter of William Peveral of Tregammon, and she enjoyed walking in the grove.


The Welsh for Matilda is Mallt and
from this has sprung a number of rather eerie legends!

Apparently Mallt was an "evil genius" who was also known as "Y Mwnci Mallt" or "Mallt of the mist".
Mortals seeing her washing her hands in a woodland stream, would die.
Sometimes she would be seen at the end of the lane to Penrallt Ceibwr, by men walking home from the pub on foggy nights, 

The origin of Trewyddel seems to be. Tre-Gwyddel which translates to Irishmans Town. There is evidence of Irish people living in Cemaes from Roman times, as inscriptions on some of the Ogham stones in the area are written in Irish 

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