HERE in Wales we are used to bilingual services but a village near Haverfordwest has gone a step further with the launch of its trilingual website.

Eight-year-old Evelyn Thomas stuck to English when she helped to launch the Heritage Llangwm project’s website recently which can be read in English, Welsh and Flemish.

The site, which may be the only one of its type in Wales, was created in honour the Flemish incomers who arrived in Llangwm in the 12th century and whose history the project is uncovering.

Evelyn, the granddaughter of one of the committee members, wowed onlookers with her enthusiasm as she counted down to the launch.

But setting up the site provided a few headaches for designer Neil Martin.

“Quite apart from getting the translations done, the three languages produce different lengths of text so the English design didn’t work for Welsh and Flemish – so each page had to be separately designed,” he said.

The Flemish translations were done by Christine Vereeke in Flanders, who also recorded a film congratulating the Heritage Llangwm team on the project and wishing them well.

Christine, who’s spent time in Llangwm in the past, has promised to return for events next year.

Heritage Llangwm chairman Pam Hunt said the website was the first of many big challenges to be faced.

“I know how hard Neil and the translators worked to get such a complex website together.

“The Heritage Llangwm project is very fortunate to have such a fantastic team of people with the right skills we need to deliver it successfully,” she added.

Under the project, supported by grants from organisations including the Heritage Lottery Fund, seven local men whose family histories link them to Llangwm have been DNA tested for evidence of Flemish genes.

The results will be compared with samples held by geneticists in Flanders.

As well as the research, the grants will also pay for the much-needed renovation of Llangwm’s medieval church, St Jerome’s, which was built by Flemish craftsmen.

Heritage Llangwm’s website can be found at www.heritagellangwm.org.uk.