There is evidence of an Iron Age Hill Fort in the immediate area and Roman Castrum.

In the 6th century an unknown Monk from Llanfor was reputedly responsible for converting Llywarch Hen,^[1] prince of Rheged, to Christianity. It was also the site of a church built by Saint Tyneio, the 6th century Patron Saint of the village.

There is a legend that the Devil used to frequently visit Llanfor Church in the shape of a pig.^[2]

• Saint Tyneio a 6th C. pre-congregational Saint of Wales.
• William Price (1619–1691), a Welsh politician, MP between 1640 and 1679 and fought as a Royalist colonel in the English Civil War.
• Humphrey Foulkes (1673–1737) a Welsh priest and antiquarian.
• William Price (1690–1774) a Welsh High Sheriff and antiquarian, from Rhiwlas.
• Richard Thelwall Price, British Member of Parliament for Beaumaris, 1754–1768
• John Williams (1811–1862), antiquary, bardic name Ab Ithel, the Anglican curate of Llanfor from 1835
• Richard Williams Morgan (1815–1889), bardic name Môr Meirion, author, priest and Welsh nationalist campaigner
• David Roberts (1831–1884), poet known as ‘Dewi Havhesp’, spent his early years at 'Pensingrug', Llanfor.