Ewyas

Ewyas (Welsh: "Ewias") was a possible early Welsh kingdom which may have been formed around the time of the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century. The name was later used for a much smaller commote or administrative sub-division, which covered the area of the modern Vale of Ewyas (now within Monmouthshire, Wales) and a larger area to the east including the villages of Ewyas Harold and Ewyas Lacy (now within Herefordshire, England).

A legendary kingdom

According to some sources, early Ewyas may have encompassed much of south-east Wales, including the later kingdoms of Gwent and Ergyng. However, these early sources are otherwise uncorroborated and their interpretation is disputed. They suggest that Eudaf Hen of Ewyas, supposedly a descendant of Caratacus who had led the Silures in battle against the Romans, took up a postulated "British High Kingship" after defeating Trahern, the brother of King Coel Godhebog, in the late third or early fourth century. [http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsBritain/CymruGwent.htm Post-Roman Celtic Kingdoms at The History Files] ] An 8th century charter relating to the church at Clodock includes an account of its origin at a time when Clydawg, "king in Ewyas" was murdered while on a hunting expedition, and an oratory was built to commemorate his martyrdom. [http://ewyaslacy.org.uk/doc.php?d=nw_ewy_9001 The History of Ewyas Lacy] ]

Cantref

It has been suggested that by about 430 AD Ewyas may have become dominated by the Kingdom of Powys to the north, under Vortigern, and the wider kingdom as a whole eventually took the name of Gwent, and later Glamorgan. In Ewyas, north of the present site of Longtown, a religious centre dedicated to St. Beuno was founded at Llanveynoe, where what is probably the oldest stone cross in the modern county of Herefordshire stands, from around 600 AD. At around the same time, a religious centre may have been founded at Llanthony, on the site of the later Priory. [http://www.archenfield.com/Longtown.htm Archenfield Archaeology - Longtown and Clodock ] ] In the mid 10th century there were seven cantrefs in Glamorgan, including "Ystradyw and Ewyas".

Lordship

In about 1046 Osbern Pentecost, a Norman follower of Edward the Confessor, built a motte and bailey castle at Ewyas Harold, believed to be one of the first built in Britain. Following the Norman Conquest, Ewyas remained in Welsh hands briefly under Rydderch ap Caradog, apparently a client ruler of Ewyas obeisant to William the Conqueror. It was then granted to the Norman retainer Walter de Lacy

By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Ewyas or Ewias was an autonomous area bounded by the Black Mountains in the west, Graig Syfyrddin in the south, the line of the Golden Valley in the east, and Yager Hill and Cefn Hill to the north, just below the village of Clifford Castle near Hay-on-Wye. [http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesBritain/CymruGwent.htm The History Files] ] Domesday records that Alfred of Marlborough held the castle of Ewyas of the king; this was presumably the re-built Pentecost Castle. [http://www.archenfield.com/Longtown.htm Archenfield Archaeology - Longtown and Clodock ] ] Land around Ewyas Harold Castle was held by Walter's son Roger de Lacy.

Ewyas became a Marcher lordship, largely independent of the English crown. Further motte and bailey castles were built at Walterstone, Llancillo, Rowlestone and Clodock, followed after 1216 by Longtown Castle, presiding over the newly founded borough of Longtown. The line of de Lacys ended in 1241, when the Lordship of Ewyas Lacy was divided.

Into Herefordshire and Monmouthshire

In 1536 the administration of Wales was re-organised, and the border between Herefordshire and Wales took more or less its present form, with the county of Herefordshire assimilating the Welsh territory of Ewyas Lacy. The Llanthony valley, or Vale of Ewyas, became part of the hundred of Abergavenny, within Monmouthshire. In 1852 the Parishes of Clodock with Longtown, Michaelchurch Escley, Craswall, St Margarets, Ewyas Harold, Rowlestone, Llancillo, Walterstone, Dulas and Llanveynoe were transferred from the diocese of St David's to that of Hereford. To the west of Hatterall Ridge, the other old parishes of Ewyas – Llanthony, Cwmyoy and Oldcastle - were transferred from St David's to the diocese of Llandaff. [ [http://www.hereford.uk.com/history/thetudors.asp Hereford.uk.com - Herefordshire History ] ]

References