Cefnllys was a mediaeval town in Radnorshire

Radnorshire

Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...

 (now part of Powys

Powys

Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...

) in central Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. Only St Michael's Church remains standing, with mounds indicating the remains of other buildings existing before the decline of the town in the 19th century. Close by on the hill known as Castle Rock are the remains of what is known as Cefnllys Castle. Almost encircling the hill, church and remains of the town is the River Ithon

River Ithon

The River Ithon is a major left-bank tributary of the River Wye in Powys, mid Wales. It rises in the broad saddle between the western end of Kerry Hill and the hill of Glog to its west and flows initially southwards to Llanbadarn Fynydd...

 which continues to Llandrindod Wells

Llandrindod Wells

Llandrindod Wells , colloquially known locally as "Llandod", is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, mid Wales, United Kingdom. It was developed as a spa town in the 19th century, with a boom in the late 20th century as a centre of local government. Before...

 a little over a mile away.

The 'castle' was actually two, built one after the other at opposite ends of the hill by the English lord Roger Mortimer of Wigmore

Roger Mortimer of Wigmore

Roger de Mortimer was a medieval marcher lord, residing at Wigmore Castle in the English county of Herefordshire.He was the son of Hugh de Mortimer and Matilda Le Meschin. He was born before 1153.-Early life:...

 during his battles with Llywelyn ap Gruffudd

Llywelyn the Last

Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf , sometimes rendered as Llywelyn II, was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England....

, Prince of Wales

Prince of Wales

Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...

, for the cantref of Maelienydd

Maelienydd

Maelienydd, sometimes spelt Maeliennydd, was a cantref and lordship in east central Wales covering the area from the River Teme to Radnor Forest and the area around Llandrindod Wells. The area, which is mainly upland, is now in Powys...

. The first, at the north end, was built in 1242 and ruined in 1262 by Llywelyn. The second, at the south end, was built in 1268 and survived Llywelyn's death, but was sacked by Cynan ap Maredudd

Cynan ap Maredudd

Cynan ap Maredudd was a Welsh nobleman who assumed leadership of the Welsh revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn in the mid-Wales area in 1294 and 1295....

 during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn

Madog ap Llywelyn

Madog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...

in 1294-5. It was ruined by 1588.

External links

• Cefnllys Castle
• History & Architecture of Church of St Michael, Cefnllys from Radnorshire Churches Survey Project of the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust
• "Romance in an old church" from powys.org.uk