The Parish of Llanwynno (extracts)

CHAPTER XIII A little higher up on the same hill, a mile or two from the farmhouse at Troedrhiwtrwyn, stands another called Nythbran. There is nothing extraordinary about it, it is an old white- washed house with a roof of grey stones, standing a few fields from the river. Why did they called it Nythbran? Nobody seems to know. But it is more than likely that it is named after its position among the trees, where rooks nest very year, or from a man called Bran who used to live there, and so it was called Nythbran. There is only speculation in all this, without a Nythbran Farm where Griffith Morgan was brought up and from where he got his name - Guto Nythbran single shred of real history. But I do have the history of one man who lived there, and who made the name Nythbran well-known everywhere, even in North Wales. There is nothing about the position of the house, or the quality of its land to distinguish it from any other farmhouse in the parish, but this old house has become legendary by its association with the name of the greatest runner in the country, or perhaps in the world, ever - Guto Nythbran. The traditional stories about him are known all over the parish. I spoke to the old people whose fathers knew him, and one in particular, David Rhys, LLwynperdid, whose father often ran with Guto and trained with him on Mount Gwyngul.4 Griffith was born in Llwyncelyn5 but moved with his mother and father when he was a child to Nythbran, 6 where he was raised. He was born in the year 1700. He grew up as a fleet-footed boy and no-one could keep up with him on the flat parts of the valleys, on the steep hillsides, or on the top of the wild mountains. He was so light-of-foot he could catch a young sheep whenever he wanted to. Others have achieved similar things, but Guto did things that that have not been heard of since the days of King David. His mother sent him on errands for yeast, sometimes to Llantrisant, and at other times to Aberdare. It is said that she would put the kettle on to boil