Many centuries ago, a Royal house known as the House of Aberffraw stood near the south-west coast of Anglesey, within the old Kingdom of Gwynedd's borders. This dynasty was founded in the 9th century by the then King of Wales, whose descendants went on to establish the Welsh Royal houses. The early kings of Gwynedd set up their main family seat at the Royal court near the mouth of the River Ffraw, from which the village takes its name.
Once a prehistoric settlement occupied during the Roman period between c. 0-400 AD, the town served as a Welsh princely court and played a crucial role in the Gwynedd dynasty. It thrived until the 13th century when the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the Royal house itself ended with Edward I's conquest of Wales and the death of the last prince, Dafydd III, in 1283.
Today, the village is far removed from its past as the primary seat of the princes of Gwynedd during the Middle Ages. According to the 2021 Census, it now has around 597 residents. Despite being a peaceful and sleepy village, it exudes a quiet beauty, surrounded by stunning landscapes.
In 2023, Aberffraw was crowned the best place to live on Ynys Mon in a poll by North Wales Live, and even The Telegraph is taken with the pastoral village charm. They penned a descriptive homage, "Nowadays, the village is a huddle of pretty stone and pastel-painted cottages peeking above the tidal waters of the River Ffraw.
