Rhos (North Wales) facts for kids
Rhos (Welsh for 'moor' / 'moorland') is a special area in north Wales. It's located to the east of the River Conwy. Long ago, Rhos was a small kingdom. Later, it became a medieval cantref, which was a type of administrative region. For most of its history, Rhos was part of the powerful Kingdom of Gwynedd. Today, this area is part of the Conwy county borough.
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Rhos: A Kingdom in Ancient Wales
Imagine a time long, long ago, after the Romans left Britain. Rhos was a small kingdom during this period, known as the sub-Roman and early medieval times. We know about its history from an old Welsh document. This document lists thirteen kings who ruled Rhos. Two of these kings even ruled the larger region of Gwynedd!
Meet Cynlas Goch, a Famous King
One of the most well-known kings of Rhos was Cynlas Goch. He lived in the early 500s. A monk named Gildas wrote about him in Latin. Gildas called Cynlas the "guider of the chariot which is the receptacle of the bear." This might sound a bit strange! It could mean that Cynlas was connected to a place called "Fort of the Bear."
This "Fort of the Bear" might have been a hillfort on Bryn Euryn in Llandrillo-yn-Rhos. A hillfort is an ancient fort built on top of a hill for protection. Even today, a road near the hill is called Dinerth Road, and Dinarth Hall is close by.
Digging Up the Past: The Hillfort
The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust has explored this hillfort. They even put up information boards in Colwyn Bay Library so people can learn about their discoveries. Their work showed that the hillfort had a huge stone wall for defense. This wall was built very well using good-quality limestone blocks. It was originally about ten feet (three meters) high and eleven and a half feet (three and a half meters) thick!
These defenses are different from older Iron Age hillforts. Instead, they are more like fortifications from the medieval period. This suggests that the hillfort might have been a strong base for the Kings of Rhos.
Rhos as an Administrative Area
By the 1000s, Rhos was no longer a separate kingdom. It became an administrative unit called a cantref within Gwynedd Is Conwy. This name means Gwynedd "below" the River Conwy.
Rhos and three other nearby cantrefi were known together as Y Berfeddwlad. This means the 'Middle Country'. It was often caught between two powerful kingdoms, Gwynedd and Powys. So, control of Y Berfeddwlad often changed hands.
The End of the Cantref System
In 1283, Wales lost its independence. Rhos then became part of the lordship of Denbigh. This land was given to an English noble, the Earl of Lincoln.
The old cantref system was officially ended in 1536. This happened when Denbighshire was created. However, the name Rhos still lives on today! You can find it in place names like Llandrillo-yn-Rhos (which is also known as Rhos-on-Sea), Llanelian-yn-Rhos, and Penmaen Rhos.
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