THE OWAIN GLYNDWR SOCIETY
Dyffryn Teifi Trip - September 16th, 2023

       Owain Glyndŵr’s story is often associated with the north-east of the country - he inherited his father’s lands in Glyndyfrdwy and Cynllaith in Powys Fadog.

       His mother’s family was based in the south-west, however, and held lands in Is Coed and Gwynionydd in the Deheubarth.

       Today’s trip will visit sites associated with Owain in the Teifi valley, and afterwards we will hold our Society AGM in the Porth Hotel in Llandysul.

 

 

CASTELLNEWYDD EMLYN

       The castle was probably founded by Maredudd ap Rhys around 1240, which would make it one of the few castles in Dyfed built in stone by the Welsh.

Castellnewydd Emlyn

       Siencyn ap Llywelyn surrendered Newcastle Emlyn ‘with free will’ to Glyndŵr’s forces at the beginning of July 1403 but it was then retaken by Thomas, lord Carew.

       In recent years, human remains were revealed during the construction of a nearby car park, and further work   revealed the south wall of a chapel and five burial sites.

 

 

CILGERRAN

       The castle is located at the tidal reach of the river Teifi and has a rich history.

       It is associated with the story of Nest ferch Rhys ap Tewdwr and her abduction by Owain ap Cadwgan from ‘Cenarth Bychan’.

Castell Cilgerran

       It was captured by Yr Arglwydd Rhys in 1164, and later by Llywelyn Fawr in 1215.

       Glyndŵr’s forces attacked and damaged the castle in 1405, and they may also have captured and held it for a short time.

ABERTEIFI

              A wooden castle was built in 1110 by Gilbert de Clare - the Welsh and Normans then battled over the town of Cardigan for many years.

       Yr Arglwydd Rhys first won the castle for the Welsh in 1165, which he then rebuilt in stone five years later.

Castell Aberteifi

       He hosted the first Eisteddfod in Wales there in 1176, and invited bards and musicians to perform and compete as a celebration of the Welsh language and its culture.

       The castle was probably taken by Glyndŵr and his French allies after the ‘battle’ of Woodbury Hill in August 1405. The last of the French soldiers did not leave the area until the end of March 1406.

ISCOED & GWYNIONYDD MAP

 

TIR GLYNDŴR

       Owain was the lord of Is Coed Uwch Hirwern and Gwynionydd Is Cerdin - his parents had owned these lands since around 1360.

       

       The border of these lands followed Afon Teifi from Pontbren Pwll-crŵyn almost to Castell Gwynionydd.

       It then followed Afon Cerdin and Afon Ceri to the coast, where the family owned the ports of Llangrannog and Tresaith.

       The border then followed Afon Saith and Afon Hirwern south to Pontbren Pwll-crŵyn - Afon Ceri formed the border between Is Coed and Gwynionydd.

Pont Ceri

 

TEULU ELEN

       Glyndŵr’s mother, Elen, had a sister Marged, a brother Owain, as well as a half-brother Maredudd.

       They were the last independent landowning members of the royal family of Deheubarth and could trace their ancestry back through Yr Arglwydd Rhys to Hywel Dda.

       When Yr Arglwydd Rhys ruled over Deheubarth, his lands stretched from the English border to Pembroke, and from the south coast to Afon Dyfi near Machynlleth.

       By the 14^th century these lands had been greatly reduced by conquest and confiscation by the English kings, however.

 

 

TREFGARN OWAIN

       The death of Elen’s uncle, Owain ap Llywelyn, and then her brother, Owain ap Tomas, brought the male line of Deheubarth to an end.

       Her uncle was lord of Trefgarn Owain in north Pembrokeshire and, after he had died childless around 1360, his lands were inherited by Elen’s sister, Marged. It was Marged’s sons, Rhys and Gwilym ap Tudur, that captured Castell Conwy in April 1401.

       There is a theory that this was Glyndŵr’s birthplace, and that Elen may have gone into labour when visiting her dying uncle.

 

LLANDYSUL

       Llandysul is in Gwynionydd Is Cerdin, and is less than a mile from its boundary with Gwynionydd Uwch Cerdin. Castell Gwynionydd is just the other side of the boundary:

       Glyndŵr and his ancestors would have held Court in Llandysul - and it could quite possibly have been on the site of the Porth Hotel.

 

 

       Owain’s lands - including those in Deheubarth - were confiscated by Henry IV in November 1400, and given to Henry’s half-brother, John Beaufort, the earl of Somerset.

 

CYMDEITHAS OWAIN GLYNDŴR SOCIETY

DYFFRYN TEIFI 2023

 

 

KEY:

1 Llandysul - Gwesty’r Porth (Hotel)

2 Castellnewydd Emlyn

3 Castell Cilgerran

4 Castell Aberteifi (Cardigan)

5 Pont Ceri

6 Murlun Calon Tysul (Mural)