Welsh Journals

CARDIGAN AND THE RIVER TEIFI (The substance of an address given to the Cambrian Archaeological Association at Cardigan, on Wednesday, 30th August. 1972). THE town of Cardigan, or Aberteifi, owes its existence to the River Teifi. When the Norman Roger Montgomery conquered Ceredigion in 1093, he needed to establish a fortress in this part of the country. He chose a strategic site near the estuary of the River Teifi, about half a mile downstream from Cardigan, where there had been an earlier fort known as Din Geraint (Geraint's fortress). The site is still known as Old Castle Farm. The river gave easy access to the sea, which was important for an invading army, and inland, access to the fertile valley of the Teifi. The river valley of the Teifi was a natural frontier, and this is still preserved in the former shire boundaries of Cardigan, Carmarthen and Pembroke. The later Norman fortress was built further upstream, and also overlooked the river from a commanding position. The walled settlement of Cardigan grew around this castle, and the early history of Cardigan is the history of its castle. Cardigan stood at the first bridging point across the river. This meant that it was important as a centre of communication, not only with the sea and along the river valley, but with the Pembrokeshire countryside beyond the river. The earlier' bridge, like the early castle, was further downstream. After the great and decisive battle at Banc-y-Warren just outside Cardigan, in 1136, when Gruffydd, the son of Prince Rhys, with a great host of footsoldiers and horsemen defeated the Normans, it is said that so many were drowned by the fall of the river bridge that another passage was made over the river by dead carcasses. Because of its strategic position on the river Teifi, Cardigan saw much violence and bloodshed in its early years.* The bard, Einiawn ag Gwgawn (1200 — 1260), writes to his patron Prince Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, "Yn Aberteifi tewoedd wrain uch ben Oni doed perchan parchus gywrain", which Meyrick translates "In Aberteifi thick were the ravens overhead, so as to cover the owner of the honourable conflict of spears". Cardigan castle was captured and recaptured about sixteen times in 150 years. In 1109, Cadwgan5 ap Bleddyn held a great banquet,