Welsh Journals

Gwyddgrug Castle (Forden) and the Gorddwr Dispute in the Thirteenth Century by C. J. SPURGEON. B.A. Acknowledgements Grateful thanks are due for assistance and encouragement given by Mr. L. Alcock, Mr. P. A. Barker, Miss L. Chitty, Miss J. Jeffrey, Mr. D. Cathcart King, Mr. J. D. K. Lloyd, Dr. Melville Richards and especially to Mr. W. G. Putnam who kindly undertook the laborious task of translating many Latin texts, and my pupil, Peter Davies, who drew my attention to the chance discovery of masonry on the site. I. THE SITE OF GWYDDGRUG CASTLE For long the site of Gwyddgrug, the castle of Thomas Corbet of Caus, des- troyed by Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn in 1263, has puzzled historians. The unfortunate identity of name with Yr Wyddgrug (Mold, Flints) led many to assume automatically that Mold was the site referred to.1 Later the improbability of Gruffydd venturing to Flintshire, where neither he nor Thomas Corbet had connections, led to the suggestion that the castle must have been Simon's Castle (Churchstoke).2 It was J. E. Lloyd, however, who first seems to have seen the probability of Gwyddgrug being located at Nantcribba in Forden3 (Grid Ref. S.J.237014), and recent observations there seem to have confirmed this. The historical references to Gwyddgrug, which are detailed in the next section, indicate a site in Corbet's territory of the Gorddwr and also suggest a spot between the Camlad and the Severn. In the angle between these rivers there are two castle sites, at Munlyn, Forden, (Grid Ref. S.J.211009) and Nant- cribba.4 Munlyn is a motte and bailey betraying no traces of masonry which might be expected in a castle of 1263. Nantcribba, also in Forden, is placed (1) E.g. M.C., vol. 1, p.30; M.C., vol. 12, p.219. For List of Abbreviations used in Footnotes, see p.136. (2) M.C. vol 6, p.65; M.C. vol. 13, p.172; M.C. vol. 37, p.XVII; W. Rees, "Map of South Wales and the Border in the 14th Century," N. E. Sheet. (3) B.N. p.50. (4) R.C.A.M. nos. 176 and 175 respectively.