Powys County Council has now officially adopted a new 'proper' spelling of the village's name, removing the 't' from Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain to correct a mistake dating back to the mid 19th Century, when a translation had described Celtic Saint Brigit as a man, rather than a woman.

In 'Llansanffraid' this week, residents were unaware of the change and said they were shocked to think they could have been spelling the name incorrectly.

"I'm gobsmacked," admitted Kim Langley at the Sun Hotel, "I've lived here for 12 years and I've never heard of it before. We have the old spelling on all our business cards and forms, so I hope it doesn't cause any confusion, but after hundreds of years spelling it one way I can't see people changing overnight."

A Powys County Council spokesman explained: "Llansanffraid-ym-Mechain has been acknowledged as the correct spelling for the community since c1600 according to historian and expert Richard Morgan, author of A Study of Montgomeryshire Place-Names. The different spellings are attributed to the language used, as Llansantffraid is the English spelling of Llansanffraid."

But the council has reassured people they will not be spending large amounts of public money replacing signs: "On our highway signs, where the English and Welsh names for the same location are similar, the Welsh version only will be shown. When the local road signs come to the end of their working life, they will be replaced and the correct spelling will then be used."

With the first signs already starting to appear in the surrounding villages, Peter Conliffe at the Station Grill in Llansanffraid, said he thinks it may have a positive effect: "There are a number of other Llansantffraid's in the UK and before now I have been waiting for people to arrive, only to find they are at a Llansantffraid in Brecon. It might help identify us from the others."(