A notable feature of its churchyard is the "pulpit in a tree" built into an ancient yew, which traditionally was once used by John Wesley.

But previously there was a blacksmith's forge, a post office, a pub and a leather-craft shop that also sold candles (located in the old smithy).

Nantglyn has had several notable residents over the centuries, including David Samwell (1751–1798), the ship's surgeon aboard the Discovery during Captain Cook's final voyage of exploration.

Samwell kept a journal that provides a detailed record of the voyage, and he witnessed Cook's death at the hands of hostile natives in Hawaii in 1779.

Dr. William Owen Pughe (1759–1835), a well-known literary figure who compiled a Welsh-English dictionary and a Welsh grammar, among other works, lived in the village for the last 10 years of his life, although he was not born there.