Llancynfelin forms a triangle of settlement with the larger villages of Tre Taliesin to the south west and Tre'r-Ddol to the north west. These villages are situated halfway between Aberystwyth, eight miles to the south west, and Machynlleth, eight miles to the north east. Llancynfelin is a very scattered community centred around St. Cynfelyn's church (NPRN 400469). Employment in the area would have come primarily from agriculture and the nearby Neuadd-yr-Ynys lead mine (NPRN 33883) which operated for a decade in the mid nineteenth century. Many of the farms marked on the first edition of the OS map, published in 1888, are still marked on the modern OS maps. These include Tan-y-Llan, Ty-mawr-llan and the country house Gwynfrn Hall (NPRN 86794).
Sources: modern and historic OS maps; Coflein database
M. Ryder, RCAHMW, 8th November 2018.