Field names are much more attractive and memorable then Welsh Government identifying numbers.
One of the benefits of learning Welsh is a better understanding of the meaning of these names, as well as a better chance of pronouncing them correctly!
Mae’r enwau caeau mwy tlws a llawer mwy cofiadwy na rhifau caeau o’r Llywodraeth Cymru
Ers dwi wedi dysgu Cymraeg, dwi wedi mwynhau yn deall yr ystyr yr enwau. Mae dysgu wedi bod help mawr gyda ynganu hefyd!
What’s in a name?
Names that describe the position of the fields in a farm are common eg Cae Gwaelod (bottom field), Cae Uchaf (Upper Field). Others allude to a special quality of the field – Cae Cnwc (hillock field), Waun o flaen ty (Wet field in front of the house.)
Field names are not static. On the tithe map from c1840 one of our hay fields is called Parc Gwair (hay field). It is now called Cae Mari Jones, after a resident of the now ruined cottage in the corner of the field.
Beth sydd mewn enw?
Mae llawer o enwau yn disgrifio’r sefyllfa o’r cae yn y fferm ee Cae Gwaelod a Chae Uchaf. Rhai arall sôn am ansawdd arbennig y cae ee Cae Cnwc (hillock field) a Waun o flaen tŷ (Wet field in front of the house) .
Mae enwau yn gallu newid dros amser. “Parc Gwair” yw’r enw un o ein caeau gwair ni ar y map y degwm c1840. Cae Mari Jones mae hi’n galw nawr, ar ôl menyw sy’n arfer byw yn y hen fwthyn (adfeiliedig nawr) yn gornel y cae.
Chwilio am hen enwau
Dyn ni newydd wedi dechrau edrych ar ol dau caeau arall. Cae Herc (lopsided field) yw enw un, ar ôl eu siâp od. Cae Gwaelod yw’r un arall, ond y disgrifio hwn ddim yn cyd-fynd â’i safle mewn perthynas â gweddill y fferm ni.
Ers chwilio am enwau gwreiddiol eraill ar gyfer y cae, daeth i o hyd gwaith Cynefin. . Rhwng 2013 a 2017, mae’r prosiect hwn wedi glanhau, trwsio a digido 1,224 o fapiau degwm o’r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru. Mae prosiect wedi creu map digido o Gymru i gyd am y cyfnod tua 1840.
Finding old names
We have recently taken on the management of two more fields. One is called Cae Herc (lopsided field), referring to it’s odd shape. The other is called Cae Gwaelod (bottom field), which really doesn’t fit with it’s position in relation to the rest of our land.
Whilst searching for other original names for the field I came across the work of Cynefin . Between 2013 and 2017, this project surface-cleaned, repaired and digitized 1,224 tithe maps held in the National Library. The result is a digitized continuous map of Wales for the period around 1840.
The Tithe Maps of Wales
Be prepared to lose hours studying this fascinating map, especially if you have a holding in Wales. When clicked on, markers on the map give information about a fields number, name, occupier and land owner in c1840. From here there are links to the original tithe map and it’s entry in the register.
Markers can be overlaid on a modern satellite map, NLS map from 1888 – 1913 or the c1840 tithe maps. Switching between the maps clearly shows changes in field boundaries, footpaths and tracks over time.
The results can be filtered by occupier, showing which parcels of land were managed as a unit. They can also be filtered by owner. Large tracts of land around us belonged to the Cawdor Estate, including most of the fields we now manage. There was an auction of farms belonging to Estate of Cawdor, including those in our parish, in Carmarthen, Wednesday 19th September 1923.
Mapiau’r Degwm o Gymru
Mae map yn ddiddorol iawn. Byddwch yn barod i golli oriau yn astudio’r map, yn enwedig os oes tyddyn neu fferm gyda chi yng Nghymru. Mae sawl “markers” ar y map. Pan glicio arno, maen nhw’n rhoi gwybodaeth am rifau’r cae, enw, tirfeddiannwr a pherchennog y tir yn c1840. Mae links o yma i fap degwm gwreiddiol a’r rhestr pennu
Dych chi’n gallu gweld y “markers” ar fap modern, map NLS o 1888 – 1913 neu’r mapiau degwm c1840. Gan newid rhwng y mapiau, dych chi’n gallu gweld yn glir y newidiadau mewn ffiniau caeau, llwybrau a thraciau dros amser.
Gall y canlyniadau gael eu hidlo gan dirfeddiannwr, yn dangos pa ddarnau o dir roedd reolwyd fel uned. Hefyd, gall y canlyniadau gael eu hidlo gan berchennog. Roedd llawer o dir yn ein hardal ni yn perthyn i Ystâd Cawdor, yn gynnwys y rhan fwyaf o ein fferm ni. Roedd arwerthiant o ffermydd yn perthyn i Ystâd Cawdor, yn gynnwys ffermydd yn ein plwyf ni, yng Nghaerfyrddin, mis Medi 1923.
Historical Maps across the UK
The full 1888 – 1913 maps can be found on the National Library of Scotland website, as well as other historical maps covering the whole of the UK.
Mapiau Hanesyddol o’r Deyrnas Unedig i gyd
Mae mapiau 1888-1913 llawn ar gael ar wefan Lyfrgell Genedlaethol o’r Alban. Mae mapiau hanesyddol arall, o’r Deyrnas Unedig i gyd, ar gael yno hefyd.
Update 2019 – the field is now called Cae Novella, after the wife of the couple who owned it before it came into our management.
Diweddariad 2019 – Rydym wedi galw’r cae yn Cae Novella, ar ôl y merched oedd yn berchen arno cyn iddo ddod i’n rheolaeth.