Creuddyn was a medieval commote (cwmwd) and, later, a lordship in Ceredigion, Wales. It was located between the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol,[1] and was one of the three commotes of Cantref Penweddig.[2] The name, of Old Welsh origin, probably refers to the Pen Dinas hill fort, anciently known as Dinas Maelor.[3][4] The natural centre of the commote was Llanfihangel y Creuddyn where five roads meet at the village. The name survives in the name of a rural community and church of the same name; however the modern community is much smaller than the medieval commote.

Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn viewed from the north.

History

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Several princes of Deheubarth ruled in medieval Kingdom of Ceredigion, including Creuddyn. Rhys ap Gruffydd's grandson Maelgwn Fychan (died 1257) battled for control of the area; Gwenllian (died 1254) died at Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn. Either Maelgwn or his grandsons Llywelyn or Rhys may have been responsible for building the large 13th-century church which still stands today.[4][5]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ The Vaughans of Trawsgoed, p. 22
  2. ^ Archaeologia Cambrensis
  3. ^ A History of Wales from the Earliest Times
  4. ^ a b Ceredigion, A Wealth of History
  5. ^ Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Dyfed

References

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  • Morgan, Gerald, "A Welsh House & Its Family, The Vaughans of Trawsgoed," Gomer Press, Ceredigion 1997
  • Morgan, Gerald, "Ceredigion, A Wealth of History" Gomer Press, Ceredigion, 2005
  • "Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Dyfed - Dyfed Archaeological Trust". Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
  • Lloyd, John Edward, "A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest" Volume 1, Longmans, Green, and co., 1912
  • Pickering, W., Archaeologia Cambrensis, Series 4, Volume 6, 1875

52°22′19″N 3°57′44″W / 52.37203°N 3.96231°W / 52.37203; -3.96231