Pont Sling, Llanfaglan
This area has long been known as ‘Sling’ by residents of Bontnewydd and Llanfaglan. The small bridge here is called Pont Sling, and takes its name from the field in which the southern foundation of the bridge stands.
The name is written on a map of the Glynllifon estate dating from 1799. By the time the area’s tithe map was made in 1843, the field known as ‘sling’ had been joined with the neighbouring field. Sling is a Welsh name for a strip of land.
The stream which flows under the bridge is known as ‘afon Sling’ in this vicinity, but it has no name for its entire length.
Llanfaglan denotes the church or enclosure of St Baglan (the ‘b’ mutates to ‘f’ after llan). Click here for our web page about the medieval church, which stands in a coastal field west of here.
Bontnewydd means ‘new bridge’. The name was recorded in the 1530s and later, and refers to the bridge over the Gwyrfai on the main road through the village. The full name is Y Bontnewydd but the definite article ‘y’ is commonly omitted.