Rhwng Gwy a Hafren
Encyclopedia
Rhwng Gwy a Hafren was a region of medieval Wales
, located in the Welsh Marches
between Powys to the north and Brycheiniog
to the south. It was bounded by the rivers Wye
(Gwy) and Severn
(Hafren), hence its name. It covered approximately the same territory as Radnorshire
, now part of the county of Powys
. The region first came into its own in the 9th or 10th centuries, when it was ruled by leaders who operated independently of the surrounding kingdoms. After the Norman invasion
, it made up the central part of the Welsh Marches
and was a frequent site of struggle between the Welsh
and Normans
.
s, and is rendered in Latin
in the works of Gerald of Wales. The name literally means "Between the Wye
and Severn
", and those two rivers were its most important boundaries. However, the territories associated with it are not always consistent. Generally, the lists include the cantrefs of Elfael
and Maelienydd
and the commote of Gwrtheyrnion
. The cantref of Buellt is often associated with the region, despite being located across the Wye, and there is some conjecture that may tie in Arwystli
as well. The small commotes of Deuddwr and Ceri
were sometimes not included in the lists.
and Roman era
, Rhwng Gwy a Hafren made up part of the territory of the Ordovices
. During the Early Middle Ages the region was evidently associated with the Kingdom of Powys, although in later centuries the monarchs of Powys exercised no control over it. After the 9th or 10th centuries, the region was ruled by families tracing their descent to the shadowy figures Iorwerth Hirflawdd
and his descendant Elystan Glodrydd
. Although these families had lineal ties to Powys, they operated independently of the Powys monarchy. In the early 9th century another dynasty arose which formed Buellt and Gwerthrynion into an independent minor kingdom. The rulers of this kingdom did not trace their descent to the royal line of Powys, but to Pascent or Pasgen, a reputed son of the early king Vortigern
. However, the Powys connection was never totally forgotten. Welsh topographical lore remembered the traditional borders of Powys as extending to the Wye, while in 1176, Bishop Adam Parvipontanus
tried to claim Ceri
as part of his Diocese of St Asaph
, apparently based on the old territorial claims of Powys over Rhwng Gwy a Hafren.
In 1093 much of the territory was divided up between the Marcher Lords including Roger de Montgomerie
, Ralph de Mortimer
, Philip de Braose
and others. Norman authority suffered a serious reverse within fifty years with the emergence of Cadwallon ap Madog
and his younger brother Einion Clud as Princes of Elfael
and Maelienydd
. In 1165 Cadwallon and Einion Clud combined forces and marched with the rest of independent Wales to join the massed Welsh army under the leadership of Owain Gwynedd
at Corwen
, which humbled the army of Henry II of England
. In 1175 these two brothers had journeyed to Gloucester
with many of their compatriots of south Wales, as allies of the Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd of Deheubarth.
Throughout the 13th century the territory as described was gradually re-occupied by the English Marcher Lords with castle after castle being lost. Descendants of Cadwallon and Einion Clud are recorded as holdings client fortresses in the area up until the 1240s when they changed allegiance to support Llywelyn the Great
and later his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. The territory was annexed by the latter in 1267 as part of the terms of the Treaty of Montgomery
. However, Following the defeat of the last native Prince of Wales
at the hands of Edward I of England
in 1282, most remaining native landowners in the area were dispossessed. The county of Radnorshire
was formed out of the area under the various Tudor
Laws in Wales Acts in the 16th century. Welsh language
speakers formed the majority of the population until the end of the 19th century.
(or some variation) during the Early Middle Ages
. The Red Book of the Exchequer
, a mainly 13th-century English compilation of landholdings, mentions a region of seven cantrefs "between Severn and Wye" that had been known as Kenthlebiac during the time of Rhys ab Owain
of Deheubarth. This name is evidently attested in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, which describes a marvelous spring in the regione of Cinlipiuc brimming with fish despite not being fed by a stream. The Domesday Book
refers to a place called Calcebuef, which rendered ten shilling
s; one editor suggests this is a corruption of Cynllibiwg and that it derives ultimately from the name of Saint Cynllo
.
The extent of Cynllibiwg is unknown. Hubert Hall suggests that the number of cantrefs given in the Red Book of the Exchequer be amended from seven to three, perhaps Arwystli
, Maelienydd
, and Elfael
. These are mentioned earlier in the list as part of Powys in the time of "Meic Menbis", but no longer such. Cynllibiwg has been postulated as an early kingdom, but is not accepted as such by the great majority of historians.
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...
, located in the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
between Powys to the north and Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was a small independent petty kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans between 1088 and 1095, though it...
to the south. It was bounded by the rivers Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
(Gwy) and Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
(Hafren), hence its name. It covered approximately the same territory as 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 the county 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...
. The region first came into its own in the 9th or 10th centuries, when it was ruled by leaders who operated independently of the surrounding kingdoms. After the Norman invasion
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, it made up the central part of the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
and was a frequent site of struggle between the Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
and Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
.
Name and area
The name Rhwng Gwy a Hafren appears in various medieval lists of cantrefs and commoteCommote
A commote , sometimes spelt in older documents as cymwd, was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales. The word derives from the prefix cym- and the noun bod...
s, and is rendered in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
in the works of Gerald of Wales. The name literally means "Between the Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
and Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
", and those two rivers were its most important boundaries. However, the territories associated with it are not always consistent. Generally, the lists include the cantrefs of Elfael
Elfael
Elfael was one of a number of Welsh kingdoms occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. Later in the Middle Ages it became a cantref. After the Laws in Wales Act of 1535, it became part of the new county of Radnorshire. ...
and 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...
and the commote of Gwrtheyrnion
Gwrtheyrnion
Gwrtheyrnion or Gwerthrynion was a commote in medieval Wales, located in Mid Wales on the north side of the River Wye. For most of the Middle Ages its rulers operated independently of other powers, but it was sometimes associated with the cantref of Maelienydd and the Kingdom of Powys, and, in the...
. The cantref of Buellt is often associated with the region, despite being located across the Wye, and there is some conjecture that may tie in Arwystli
Arwystli
Arwystli was a cantref in medieval Wales, located in the headland of the River Severn in what is now the county of Powys. It was chiefly associated with the Kingdom of Powys, but was heavily disputed between Powys, Gwynedd, and the Norman Marcher Lords for hundreds of years, and was the scene of...
as well. The small commotes of Deuddwr and Ceri
Kerry, Powys
Kerry is a small village in Powys, Mid Wales. The area around the village was the Welsh Commote and Lordship of Ceri, part of the region of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, and it was originally ruled by the Princes of Maelienydd and their descendants....
were sometimes not included in the lists.
History
In the Iron AgeBritish Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
and Roman era
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
, Rhwng Gwy a Hafren made up part of the territory of the Ordovices
Ordovices
The Ordovices were one of the Celtic tribes living in Great Britain, before the Roman invasion of Britain. Its tribal lands were located in present day Wales and England between the Silures to the south and the Deceangli to the north-east...
. During the Early Middle Ages the region was evidently associated with the Kingdom of Powys, although in later centuries the monarchs of Powys exercised no control over it. After the 9th or 10th centuries, the region was ruled by families tracing their descent to the shadowy figures Iorwerth Hirflawdd
Iorwerth Hirflawdd
Iorwerth Hirflawdd was an ancestor of various medieval rulers in mid Wales. His epithet means 'long trouble', but nothing is known of how he acquired it, nor otherwise of his life....
and his descendant Elystan Glodrydd
Elystan Glodrydd
Elystan Glodrydd was, according to Welsh genealogical tracts, the founder of the fifth Royal Tribe of Wales....
. Although these families had lineal ties to Powys, they operated independently of the Powys monarchy. In the early 9th century another dynasty arose which formed Buellt and Gwerthrynion into an independent minor kingdom. The rulers of this kingdom did not trace their descent to the royal line of Powys, but to Pascent or Pasgen, a reputed son of the early king Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
. However, the Powys connection was never totally forgotten. Welsh topographical lore remembered the traditional borders of Powys as extending to the Wye, while in 1176, Bishop Adam Parvipontanus
Adam Parvipontanus
Adam Parvipontanus was an Anglo-Norman scholastic and churchman. He served as Bishop of St Asaph from 1175 until his death....
tried to claim Ceri
Kerry, Powys
Kerry is a small village in Powys, Mid Wales. The area around the village was the Welsh Commote and Lordship of Ceri, part of the region of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, and it was originally ruled by the Princes of Maelienydd and their descendants....
as part of his Diocese of St Asaph
Diocese of St Asaph
The Diocese of Saint Asaph is a diocese in north-east Wales, named after Saint Asaph, its second bishop.-Geography:The Anglican Diocese of St Asaph in the north-east corner of Wales stretches from the borders of Chester in the east, to the Conwy valley in the west, to Bala in the south-west, and...
, apparently based on the old territorial claims of Powys over Rhwng Gwy a Hafren.
In 1093 much of the territory was divided up between the Marcher Lords including Roger de Montgomerie
Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
Roger de Montgomerie , also known as Roger the Great de Montgomery, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury. His father was also Roger de Montgomerie, and was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess Gunnor, wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy...
, Ralph de Mortimer
Ralph de Mortimer
Ranulph or Ralph de Mortimer was the second son of Roger de Mortimer and Isabel de Ferrers of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire...
, Philip de Braose
Philip de Braose
Philip de Braose, 2nd Lord of Bramber was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and Marcher Lord.-Early career:His father, William de Braose had participated in the victory at the Battle of Hastings in support of William the Conqueror. He had been rewarded with a barony and lands in Sussex and the Welsh Marches...
and others. Norman authority suffered a serious reverse within fifty years with the emergence of Cadwallon ap Madog
Cadwallon ap Madog
Cadwallon ap Madog was the son of Madog ab Idnerth who had died in 1140, while Idnerth was a grandson of Elystan Glodrydd who had died in around 1010 and had founded a dynasty in the Middle Marches of Wales, in the area known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren .-Prince of Maelienydd:After the death of Madog ab...
and his younger brother Einion Clud as Princes of Elfael
Elfael
Elfael was one of a number of Welsh kingdoms occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. Later in the Middle Ages it became a cantref. After the Laws in Wales Act of 1535, it became part of the new county of Radnorshire. ...
and 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...
. In 1165 Cadwallon and Einion Clud combined forces and marched with the rest of independent Wales to join the massed Welsh army under the leadership of Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
at Corwen
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
, which humbled the army of Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
. In 1175 these two brothers had journeyed to Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
with many of their compatriots of south Wales, as allies of the Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd of Deheubarth.
Throughout the 13th century the territory as described was gradually re-occupied by the English Marcher Lords with castle after castle being lost. Descendants of Cadwallon and Einion Clud are recorded as holdings client fortresses in the area up until the 1240s when they changed allegiance to support Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great , full name Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, was a Prince of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually de facto ruler over most of Wales...
and later his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. The territory was annexed by the latter in 1267 as part of the terms of the Treaty of Montgomery
Treaty of Montgomery
By means of the Treaty of Montgomery , Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was acknowledged as Prince of Wales by the English king Henry III, the only time in history that an English ruler would recognise the right of a ruler of Gwynedd over Wales...
. However, Following the defeat of the last native 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...
at the hands of Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1282, most remaining native landowners in the area were dispossessed. The county of 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...
was formed out of the area under the various Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
Laws in Wales Acts in the 16th century. Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speakers formed the majority of the population until the end of the 19th century.
Cynllibiwg
Some part of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren may have been known as CynllibiwgCynllibiwg
Cynllibiwg was evidently a place name in early medieval Wales.The earliest surviving reference to it is in the Historia Brittonum, which describes a marvelous spring in the regione of Cinlipiuc that has an abundance of fish despite not being fed by a stream...
(or some variation) during the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
. The Red Book of the Exchequer
Red Book of the Exchequer
The Red Book of the Exchequer is a 13th-century manuscript compilation of the records of the English Exchequer. Made of vellum, the book was compiled by a royal clerk who died in 1246...
, a mainly 13th-century English compilation of landholdings, mentions a region of seven cantrefs "between Severn and Wye" that had been known as Kenthlebiac during the time of Rhys ab Owain
Rhys ab Owain
Rhys ab Owain was a king of Deheubarth in southern Wales.Rhys was the son of Owain ab Edwin of the line of Hywel Dda, and member of the Dinefwr dynasty. He followed his brother Maredudd as king of Deheubarth in 1072...
of Deheubarth. This name is evidently attested in the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, which describes a marvelous spring in the regione of Cinlipiuc brimming with fish despite not being fed by a stream. The Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
refers to a place called Calcebuef, which rendered ten shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s; one editor suggests this is a corruption of Cynllibiwg and that it derives ultimately from the name of Saint Cynllo
Cynllo
Saint Cynllo is a British saint, who lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. His feast day is 17 July.He is variously described in the genealogical Bonedd y Saint as a brother of Saint Teilo or a grandson of Coel Hen...
.
The extent of Cynllibiwg is unknown. Hubert Hall suggests that the number of cantrefs given in the Red Book of the Exchequer be amended from seven to three, perhaps Arwystli
Arwystli
Arwystli was a cantref in medieval Wales, located in the headland of the River Severn in what is now the county of Powys. It was chiefly associated with the Kingdom of Powys, but was heavily disputed between Powys, Gwynedd, and the Norman Marcher Lords for hundreds of years, and was the scene 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...
, and Elfael
Elfael
Elfael was one of a number of Welsh kingdoms occupying the region between the River Wye and river Severn, known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, in the early Middle Ages. Later in the Middle Ages it became a cantref. After the Laws in Wales Act of 1535, it became part of the new county of Radnorshire. ...
. These are mentioned earlier in the list as part of Powys in the time of "Meic Menbis", but no longer such. Cynllibiwg has been postulated as an early kingdom, but is not accepted as such by the great majority of historians.