Welsh Journals

CEFNLLYS CASTLE. T HIS Castle stood on a commanding hill overlooking a narrow valley and surrounded on three sides by the River Ithon. Only the mounds and moat remain to tell the story of its past importance. The stones have disappeared, probably carted away to build some of the neighbouring farm-houses. We know very little about its history, but the following references will help us to realise the importance of the Castle in the middle ages. Sir John E. Lloyd in his History of Wales gives the following items Hugh Mortimer son of Ralph Mortimer (of Wigmore) gained hold of the Valleys of Eithon and Edw in 1140, when Madog ab Idnerth (prince of Maelienydd) died, but soon lost them for he had to reconquer them in 1144. Though Cefnllys is not actually mentioned by name, he may have made use of such an excellent position for a stronghold." "In 1246 on the death of Ralph Mortimer, who married Gwladys, dau. of Llewelyn ab Iorwerth, Cefnllys came into the hands of the King, so the position must have been strengthened before that date. Roger the son of Ralph inherited it. At the end of the year 1262 (Nov. 29th) the men of Maelienydd took Roger Mortimer's new Castle at Cefnllys by stratagem and proceeded to dismantle it, then Roger and young Humphrey de Bohun came with an army to repair the Castle, Prince Llewelyn hearing of it, swooped down upon them, but strange to say he gave the men a free passage to clear out." Here it is called a New Castle,' we can quite understand that Roger Mortimer would wish to build a stronger house of stone, and he had time to do so in those 16 years and so it would be described a New Castle.' From the Cal: Patent Rolls 1st July, 1297 we learn that Edmund de Mortimer grants certain concessions to the men of Maelienydd on