Cantref facts for kids

Cantrefi of Medieval Wales

A cantref (say "KAN-trev") was an old way of dividing land in Wales during the Middle Ages. These land areas were very important for how Welsh law was managed and followed.

What is a Cantref?

In medieval Wales, land was split into these areas called cantrefi. Each cantref was then divided into even smaller parts called cymydau (say "kuh-MY-dye"), which are also known as commotes.

The word cantref comes from two old Welsh words: cant, meaning "a hundred," and tref, which used to mean a small settlement or homestead, but now means "town." People think the cantref was the first main land unit. The smaller commotes were likely added later.

Cantrefi could be quite different in size. Most were divided into two or three commotes. However, the largest one, called the Cantref Mawr (which means "Great Cantref") in an area called Ystrad Tywi, was huge! It was divided into seven commotes.

History of Cantrefi

List of hundreds (left) and cantrefi (right) from the Red Book of Hergest pre-1285

We know that cantrefi are very old because they often marked the borders between different Welsh dialects. Some cantrefi might have even been small kingdoms on their own a long time ago. Others might have been created later for easier management.

Cantrefi were super important for how Welsh law worked. Each cantref had its own court. This court was a meeting of the uchelwyr, who were the main landowners in that cantref.

The king would lead the court if he was there. If not, his representative would be in charge. Besides the judges, there was a clerk to write things down, an usher to keep order, and sometimes two professional speakers. The cantref court handled crimes, decided where land borders were, and dealt with who inherited property.

Over time, the smaller commote courts started to take over many of these jobs. Because of this, in some areas, people remember the names of the commotes much better than the names of the cantrefi they were part of.

The Cantrefi of Wales

Here is a list of some of the cantrefi that existed in different parts of Wales:

Other Interesting Cantrefi

There are a couple of other cantrefi that are worth knowing about:

Cantref Coch

Cantref Coch is linked to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. It was the land between the River Severn and the River Wye. This area was traditionally part of the kingdom of Ergyng. Later on, it was sometimes listed as part of the kingdoms of Gwent and Morgannwg. In the year 926, King Æthelstan took control of this cantref for the Kingdom of England.

Cantre'r Gwaelod

Cantre'r Gwaelod is a famous ancient kingdom that is said to be sunken under the sea in Cardigan Bay. It was first mentioned in a very old book called the Black Book of Carmarthen. This mythical cantref is a popular story in Welsh literature and Welsh mythology.

See also

• Cantref Coch
• Cantre'r Gwaelod
• Hundred (county division)

Further study