Kingdom of Gwent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingdom of Gwent Teyrnas Gwent
5th century–c. 1075 (intermittently in union with Glywysing/in Morgannwg)
Coat of arms
Medieval kingdoms of Wales, showing Gwent in the south-east
Capital	Caerwent Porth-is-Coed
Common languages	Old Welsh
Religion	Celtic Christianity
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Formed after Roman withdrawal from Britain	5th century
• Various unions with Glywysing	6th century-c. 745
• Union in Morgannwg (under Morgan Hen ab Owain)	942–974
• Union as part of Wales (under Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, King of Wales)	c. 1055-1063
• Union in Morgannwg	1063-1074
• Norman conquest	1070-1090
Preceded by Succeeded by Roman Britain Kingdom of Morgannwg Kingdom of Morgannwg Welsh Marches
Today part of	United Kingdom  ∟Wales

Gwent (Old Welsh: Guent) was an important Welsh kingdom during the Middle Ages. It was located in what is now south-east Wales, between the Wye and Usk rivers. Gwent existed from around the 5th century, after the Romans left Britain, until the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century.

Gwent and its nearby kingdom, Glywysing, kept many of their old traditions. They had their own courts and church leaders, separate from the rest of Wales. This changed when Gruffydd ap Llywelyn conquered them. Even though Gwent became independent again after his death in 1063, it was one of the first Welsh kingdoms to be taken over by the Normans.

History of Gwent

How Gwent Began

People have lived in the Gwent area for a very long time, even since the Paleolithic (Stone Age). There is also proof of activity during the Bronze Age and Iron Age.

The Kingdom of Gwent started after the Romans left Britain. It was built on the culture of the Silures tribe, who lived there before the Romans. The name "Gwent" comes from the Roman town of Venta Silurum, which likely meant "Market of the Silures". Over time, Venta changed into "Gwent" in the Brythonic languages. The town itself became known as Caerwent, meaning "Fort Venta".

Early Rulers of Gwent

According to old Welsh stories, a person named Caradoc Freichfras founded the kingdom. The first main center of Gwent might have been Caerwent, the old Roman town, or Caerleon, a major Roman army base.

Welsh saints like Dubricius, Tatheus, and Cadoc helped spread Christianity in the area starting in the 5th century. It is said that Caradoc moved his court from Caerwent to Portskewett around the 6th century. Another idea is that Gwent was founded by Erb, who might have been a ruler from a nearby area who gained control of Gwent.

One famous king was Tewdrig, a Christian ruler. He was badly hurt while fighting off an invasion by Saxon invaders. From the 6th century onwards, kings often joined Gwent with the neighboring kingdom of Glywysing. Tewdrig's son, Meurig, did this through marriage. Some people even think Meurig's son, Athrwys, might be the inspiration for the legend of King Arthur, though this is not certain.

Gwent and Morgannwg

In 931, Morgan ab Owain of Gwent, also known as Morgan the Old, was one of the Welsh rulers who accepted the English King Athelstan as their overlord. He even attended Athelstan's court in Hereford. However, Gwent still remained a separate Welsh kingdom.

Around 942, Gwent and Glywysing were joined together again under the name of Morgannŵg by Morgan Hen. But after he died, they separated once more. In 1034, Gwent was invaded by Canute, a powerful Viking king.

The End of Gwent's Independence

Gwent stopped being a separate kingdom when Gruffydd ap Llywelyn took control of the area in 1055. This meant Gruffydd ruled all of Wales. In 1056, Gruffydd and his army, made up of Welsh, Saxons, and Danes, defeated Ralph, the Earl of Hereford. They caused a lot of damage to the countryside around Monmouth.

However, after Gruffydd died in 1063, Caradog ap Gruffudd brought back an independent kingdom in Gwent. In 1065, Earl Harold of Hereford invaded the area. He tried to build a base at Portskewett, but Caradog destroyed it. Harold later became King of England but was killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

After the Norman invasion of Britain, they attacked south-east Wales and parts of Gwent. This was in response to a rebellion in Herefordshire. King Maredudd of Deheubarth decided not to fight the Normans in Gwent. He was rewarded with land in England in 1070. By 1074, Caradog took control of what was left of the war-torn kingdom.

Norman Control

By the time Caradog died in 1081, most of Gwent was firmly under Norman control. The Normans divided the area into several Marcher Lordships. These were areas ruled by powerful Norman lords, almost like small kingdoms. Some of these lordships included Abergavenny, Caerleon, Monmouth, Striguil (Chepstow), and Usk.

The Norman lords built many strong stone castles. Many of these started as simpler motte and bailey castles. There are at least 25 castle sites remaining in Monmouthshire today, showing how many were built.

Fighting with the Welsh continued from time to time. However, a Welsh lord of Caerleon, Morgan ab Owain, was recognized by King Henry II around 1155. Caerleon remained in Welsh hands, despite some struggles, until William Marshal took the castle in 1217.

Where Was Gwent?

The Kingdom of Gwent's northern and southern borders stayed the same. The southern border was the Severn Sea, and the northern border was the Brecon Beacons. The eastern border was either the Wye or the Severn, and the western border was the Rhymney or the Usk.

At its largest, the Kingdom of Gwent included four main areas called Cantrefi:

• Gwent Uch-coed (or Uwchcoed)
• Gwent Is-coed
• Gwynllŵg, which was the westernmost area between the Rhymney and Usk. This area was usually part of the kingdom of Glywysing.
• Cantref Coch, the easternmost area between the Wye and Severn. Today, this is the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

In the early period after the Romans left, Ergyng and Ewyas were also small kingdoms. But they eventually became part of Gwent.

According to a writer named William of Malmesbury, King Æthelstan met with Welsh kings in Hereford in 926. They agreed that the River Wye would be the border between Gwent and England. This meant Cantref Coch was no longer part of Gwent.

The later county of Monmouthshire was made up of Gwent's two remaining areas: Gwent Uch-coed and Gwent Is-coed. In 1542, these were divided into six smaller areas called hundreds.

Gwent's Legacy Today

Even though the kingdom ended by 1091, the name Gwent continued to be used for the area by Welsh people for many centuries. It was traditionally divided by the forested hills of Wentwood (Welsh: Coed Gwent) into Gwent Uwch-coed ("beyond the wood") and Gwent Is-coed ("below the wood"). These names were translated into English as Overwent and Netherwent. Sometimes the whole area was called "Wentland" or "Gwentland".

The Marcher Lordships were the main way the area was governed for about 450 years. This changed when Henry VIII passed the Laws in Wales Act 1535. This law got rid of the Marcher Lordships. It created the County of Monmouth. This new county combined the lordships east of the Usk with Newport and Caerleon to the west.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, writers started using the name 'Gwent' again in a romantic way to describe Monmouthshire. In 1974/75, when local government areas in Wales were reorganized, several new areas were named after old medieval kingdoms. These included Gwent, Dyfed, Powys, and Gwynedd.

Gwent as a local government area stopped existing in 1996. It was replaced by smaller local authorities like Newport, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly, and Monmouthshire. However, the name still lives on. It is used for ceremonial purposes as one of the preserved counties of Wales. You can also find the name in titles like Gwent Police, Royal Gwent Hospital, and Coleg Gwent.