long uk place names

[mash101]

what are the longest place names in the UK?

[Quizmonster]

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, a village in Anglesey, is certainly the longest.

[Quizmonster]

As an afterthought, it means: St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool of LLantysilio of the red cave. (Both spelling and translation from Welsh are from "The Encyclopedia of Britain.)

[Obo]

I am sure I read somewhere that a couple of years a go a train station in North Wales (somewhere near Penrhyndeudreath sticks in my mind) changed it's name to be longer than Llanfair PG but can't remember any more will go and have a look and report back!

[Obo]

Rats, can't find anything, I must of imagined it! To add to your excellent answers Quizmonster in your translation you leave the Welsh word Llantysiliog, this translated into English is Church of Tysiliog as the the prefix Llan in Welsh place names means Church of, or dedicated to the following name, which is why it is so prevalent in Welsh place names

[Quizmonster]

Thanks for that additional information, Obo. I'll pencil it into the encyclopedia for future reference. Are you Welsh, by any chance? I ask because it may be that Tysilio - though it's presumably a personal/place name - possibly means something, too. I'm also puzzled as to how that all ties in with the already-mentioned 'St Mary's Church'. Presumably the whole name could be, in a way, reversed to say it's Church B near church A rather than Church A near Church B?

[honkytonkman]

Mile End?

[Obo]

I am indeed Welsh, the full and proper translation which I didn't post since you have already done so Quizmonster is: The church of St. Mary, in the valley of the white hazel, near the rapid whirlpool, nearby the red cave of the church of St. Tysilio. Tysilio was a 6th/7th Century Prince who ran off to become a monk, he set up a monestry on an island in the Menai straits (which separate Anglesey from mainland Wales) which I guess the place name refers to, but later moved to Brittany where he set up a second monestry. (I seem to remember he ran off to France because his sister in law wanted to marry him and remain Queen of Powys following his brother's death!... and they say soap operas are a moderned thing!)

[Obo]

didn't answer your question fully, the name Llanfair PG refers to the church of St Mary not the church of St Tysilio which is/was infact nearby, I guess the name could be turned aroung the other way but then would refer to a different place!