Sarn

Sarn is a Welsh word meaning 'paved causeway'. It was never a village until in the C19th the 'Established Church' (ie national religion) - the 'Church of England' - created a parish, built a parish church and opened a school. The Sarn was a point where two routes crossed at a watershed point. The one route connected the ancient hill trackway with the valley of the River Severn which is is approximately 4 kms and 150 mtrs below Y Sarn. The other route followed the valley, being one of the routes linking Mid Wales and England. This route is presently followed by the A489 road.

Along this valley route are a number of small settlements, all separate but collectively they form the Ecclesiastical parish. Sarn is in the Civil Community of Kerry.  Ceri (or 'Kerry' in English) is the local administrative area. That district, which has survived as a unit since its existence as an almost independent district (in the C10th) had a small centre at Llanfihangel yng Ceri - 'The Church of St Michael in Kerry'. This settlement has grown considerably in the C20th.

Here is a view showing the 'centre'. It is marked by the small collection of houses slightly to the mid-left the picture, other houses can be seen (just!) scattered along the main road towards the mid-right.

As the picture shows, like the neighbouring community of Bettws y Crwyn, there is very little in Sarn!

From another angle: