- Vale of Ewyas
The Vale of
Ewyas ( _cy. Dyffryn Ewias) is the steeply-sided and secluded valley of the Afon Honddu, in the Black Mountains ofsouth Wales and within theBrecon Beacons National Park . As well as its outstanding beauty, it is known for the ruins ofLlanthony Priory , and for several noteworthychurch es such as those atCapel-y-ffin andCwmyoy . It is sometimes referred to as the "Llanthony Valley" asLlanthony is the village situated at the valley centre.The Vale is named after the
cantref ofEwias , which may have originally been a small Welsh kingdom following theRoman withdrawal from Britain and which, after theNorman conquest of England andNorman invasion of Wales , became an autonomous lordship within the March of Wales. In 1536, the Vale became part of the new county of Monmouthshire, while other parts of Ewyas to the east became incorporated intoHerefordshire .At the head of the Vale is the Gospel Pass, which is reputed to have been named after the time in the 12th century when the
Third Crusade passed through the area preaching and fund raising. Nearby, atCapel-y-ffin , is an 18th century church orchapel , one of the smallest in the country, and close to the former home of designerEric Gill . Further south near the valley entrance, atCwmyoy , the church there has suffered gradualsubsidence over the centuries, and is best known for the disorienting tilts and twists of the building which add to its character. A few miles away, further into the Black Mountains, isPartrishow or Patricio, which has an outstanding 11th century church.Bruce Chatwin 's book 'On the Black Hill ' depicts the upland livestock farming community over the past 100 years or so in the area. A locally born writer and academicRaymond Williams may well have set to restore the balance with his two books on thePeople of the Black Mountains , written a few years afterwards.The Vale of Ewyas is accessed by a single track road between
Llanfihangel Crucorney , nearAbergavenny , andHay-on-Wye . The northern part of the valley, above Capel-y-Ffin, is within the county ofPowys (historicallyBrecknockshire ), and the southern part withinMonmouthshire .External links
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1977575,00.html Article] by journalist
Simon Jenkins
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