Ewyas facts for kids

Ewyas (pronounced 'Yoo-ee-as') was an old name for a part of Wales and England. It might have been an early Welsh kingdom that started around the 400s, when the Romans left Britain. Later, the name Ewyas was used for a smaller area. This area included the beautiful Vale of Ewyas in modern Monmouthshire, Wales. It also covered a larger area to the east, with villages like Ewyas Harold and Ewyas Lacy in Herefordshire, England.

Ewyas: A Kingdom from Legends

Some old stories and writings, like the medieval Llandaff charters, suggest that Ewyas might have once been a very large kingdom. It could have covered much of south-east Wales, including areas that later became the kingdoms of Gwent and Ergyng. However, historians have different ideas about these old texts. So, this idea isn't fully accepted by everyone.

A famous writer named Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote about Ewyas in his book Historia Regum Britanniae. He told the legend of Octavius, who was called "earl of Ewyas and Ergyng". Octavius was said to be a descendant of Caratacus, a brave leader who fought the Romans. According to Geoffrey, Octavius became a "British High King" after winning a battle in the late 200s or early 300s. But there is no real historical proof for this story.

In Welsh versions of Geoffrey's book, Octavius is called Eudaf. This is the same legendary person who appears in Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig. In that story, Eudaf is the father of Elen, who married Macsen Wledig.

An old document from the 700s tells a story about the church at Clodock. It says that Clydawg, who was a "king in Ewyas," was killed while hunting. A special chapel was built to remember him.

Ewyas: A Smaller Region and Religious Sites

No matter how Ewyas started, it became an important area. Around the year 600 AD, a religious center was built north of Longtown. It was dedicated to St Beuno at a place called Llanveynoe. You can still see what is probably the oldest stone cross in Herefordshire there. Around the same time, another religious center might have been started at Llanthony. This later became the site of the famous Priory.

By the mid-900s, Ewyas was known as a "cantref." A cantref was a type of administrative area in medieval Wales, like a county. It was part of a larger region called Glamorgan.

Ewyas Under Norman Rule

Around 1046, a Norman knight named Osbern Pentecost built a castle at Ewyas Harold. This was a "motte and bailey" castle, which was a simple type of castle made of wood on a mound of earth. It's thought to be one of the first castles built in Britain.

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, Ewyas was briefly ruled by a Welsh leader named Rhydderch ap Caradog. He worked with William the Conqueror. Then, the land was given to a Norman lord named Walter de Lacy.

By 1086, when the Domesday Book was written, Ewyas was an independent area. It was surrounded by the Black Mountains to the west and other hills and valleys. The Domesday Book recorded that Alfred of Marlborough held the castle of Ewyas. This was likely the rebuilt Pentecost Castle. Walter de Lacy's son, Roger de Lacy, held the land around Ewyas Harold Castle.

Ewyas became a "Marcher lordship." This meant it was a special border area between England and Wales that had its own laws and was largely independent of the English king. More motte and bailey castles were built in places like Walterstone and Clodock. After 1216, Longtown Castle was built. It overlooked the new town of Longtown. The de Lacy family's rule ended in 1241, and the Lordship of Ewyas Lacy was divided.

Ewyas Becomes Part of Herefordshire and Monmouthshire

In 1536, the way Wales was governed changed. The border between Herefordshire and Wales became much like it is today. The English county of Herefordshire took over the Welsh territory of Ewyas Lacy. The Llanthony valley, also known as the Vale of Ewyas, became part of Monmouthshire.

Later, in 1852, many parishes (local church areas) from Ewyas were moved from the diocese of St David's (a church region in Wales) to the diocese of Hereford (a church region in England). These included Clodock, Longtown, Michaelchurch Escley, Craswall, St Margarets, Ewyas Harold, Rowlestone, Llancillo, Walterstone, Dulas, and Llanveynoe. The other old parishes of Ewyas, like Llanthony, Cwmyoy, and Oldcastle, were moved from St David's to the diocese of Llandaff.