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20-774: Arwystli was a cantref in mid Wales in the Middle Ages, located in the headland of the River Severn . It was chiefly associated with the Kingdom of Powys , but was heavily disputed between Powys, Gwynedd , and the Norman Marcher Lords for hundreds of years, and was the scene of many skirmishes between those groups. Like many other cantrefs and subdivisions, it was divided up by the Laws in Wales Acts in

40-629: A prince of the kingdom, is a notorious drunk and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, flooding the land forever. Llanfair Caereinion Llanfair Caereinion ( [ɬanvair kaːɨrɛinɪɔn] Welsh pronunciation ) is a market town and community in Montgomeryshire , Powys , Wales upon the River Banwy (also known as the River Einion), around 8 miles west of Welshpool . In 2011

60-552: Is more a school service. 87 (Llanfair-Welshpool- Foel ) which operates Mondays to Saturdays with six services a day and three each way to Foel, Llanfair and Welshpool. 89 (Llanfair-Welshpool) offer additional service on Mondays only to Welshpool and back to Llanfair. The nearest mainline railway station is Welshpool and further away is Machynlleth . The town is also the terminus of the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway . This offers an additional method of travel to Welshpool from

80-599: Is some conjecture that Arwystli may have been associated with the region known as Rhwng Gwy a Hafren (English: Between Wye and Severn ). Hubert Hall suggests that it was one of the cantrefs of the obscure region once known as Cynllibiwg , located "between Severn and Wye", mentioned in the Red Book of the Exchequer . In earlier times Arwystli was evidently considered part of the Kingdom of Powys , but over time its local rulers established ties with Gwynedd . Significantly,

100-635: The "hundred of Arvester". Though the cantref mostly consisted of inarable moorland , it did contain some valuable farmland in the river valleys and offered strategic access between Mid Wales and the Welsh Marches . At some point the cantref was subdivided into the commotes of Arwystli Is Coed and Arwystli Uwch Coed (Arwystli Below the Wood and Arwystli Above the Wood). Important settlements included Talgarth , Llandinam , Llanidloes , and Caersws . There

120-563: The 16th century. During the Roman era Arwystli formed part of the territory of the Ordovices , the Celtic tribe that controlled much of northern Wales. It is unclear when it formed as a distinct unit, but the name itself derives from the personal name Arwystl , borne by a disciple of Dubricius . The first reference to Arwystli occurs in the 11th-century Domesday Book , where it appears as

140-602: The cantref became part of the Diocese of Bangor , which covered Gwynedd, rather than the Powys-centred Diocese of St Asaph . As such Arwystli was the scene of periodic bloody disputes between the two kingdoms. In the late 11th century it was taken by the Norman leader Roger de Montgomerie , though his claim to it was disputed by Robert of Rhuddlan , who controlled most of North Wales at the time. It remained in

160-457: The claim over Arwystli of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn , Marcher Lord of the part of Powys known as Powys Wenwynwyn . In 1274, however, Llywelyn reversed his earlier decision, and claimed the cantref as part of his own Principality of Wales . Gruffydd protested, and in 1277 Llywelyn plead his case to Edward, his suzerain, hoping for a quick resolution. The 1277 Treaty of Aberconwy guaranteed that Edward would provide full consideration to Llywelyn under

180-522: The functions of the cantref court, and in some areas the names of the commotes are much better known than the name of the cantref of which they formed parts. Cantref Coch is associated with the Forest of Dean , Gloucestershire, and defined as the land between the River Severn and the River Wye . It was traditionally part of the kingdom of Ergyng but would, in later times, be recorded as part of

200-497: The greatest capacity to accommodate additional development in its locality. There are also rural settlements within the community at Heniarth and Melin-y-ddol. The remainder of the population lives in scattered farms and dwellings. The town is served by the following bus routes: 73 (Llanfair-Welshpool- Oswestry ) which operates only two services each way on Wednesdays and Fridays between 8:58 and 14:57. 84 (Llanfair- Newtown ) which operates only two services each way Mondays-Fridays but

220-494: The hands of Roger's heirs until the earlier 12th century, when it was retaken by Welsh lords. Over the next centuries Powys and Gwynedd resumed their violent struggle, and the Arwystli dynasty changed allegiances several times. The contention over Arwystli played an important role in the buildup to the 1283 conquest of Wales by Edward I of England . In 1263 Llywelyn ap Gruffudd , who ruled Gwynedd as Prince of Wales , approved

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240-472: The king's major vassals. This insult contributed to the widespread anti-royal sentiment that led to the revolt of 1282. After the conquest the following year, Edward upheld Gruffydd's claim, solidifying Powys' claim over Arwystli. In the late 14th century Arwystli, along with the small lordships of Caereinion and Cyfeiliog, was taken from the Cherleton family by Edmund Mortimer . Edward Charleton retook

260-582: The kingdoms of Gwent and Morgannwg. The Cantref was annexed into the Kingdom of England in 926 by king Æthelstan . Cantre'r Gwaelod is an ancient sunken kingdom said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying in Cardigan Bay . First mentioned in the Black Book of Carmarthen , the cantref is a recurring topic in Welsh literature and Welsh mythology . In one version of the story, Seithenyn ,

280-651: The largest, the Cantref Mawr (or "Great Cantref") in Ystrad Tywi (now in Carmarthenshire ) was divided into seven commotes. The antiquity of the cantrefi is demonstrated by the fact that they often mark the boundary between dialects . Some were originally kingdoms in their own right; others may have been artificial units created later. Cantrefi were of particular importance in the administration of Welsh law . Each cantref had its own court, which

300-680: The law, and also that disputes be settled "according to the laws of Wales for cases arising in Wales". Llywelyn claimed that Arwystli was part of Wales, and as such the dispute must be settled by Welsh law , rather than the English common law of the Marches. Edward, however, used the case as a means to belittle the position of the Prince of Wales, insisting that Llywelyn must file his grievance as any other appellant, rather than receiving priority as one of

320-571: The lost territories in 1403, during the Glyndŵr Rising . His heirs eventually sold it to the Crown in the time of Henry VIII . Henry's Laws in Wales Acts divided Arwystli into smaller manors, and the former cantref was reorganized as Arwystli Hundred , later known as Llanidloes Hundred. It was part of the historic county of Montgomeryshire until 1974, when the area became part of the new county of Powys . Cantref Land in medieval Wales

340-522: The town was almost completely wiped out by a major fire. The town is close to Welshpool. It acts as a centre for many scattered hamlets and villages in the area. The electorate of the community places it fourteenth in size, out of the county's eighteen towns. Llanfair Caereinion is classified as an area centre in the Powys Unitary Development Plan, for the market town has the largest range of community services and facilities and

360-469: The ward had a population of 1,810; the town itself had a population of 1,055 according to Nomis . Its name is a combination of Welsh llan "church" + Mair " Mary " and caer "fort" + Einion , a personal name, meaning "the church of Mary [at] the fort of Einion". The town is built upon the site of an old Roman fort. The site of the Battle of Maes Moydog (1295) is nearby. In 1758

380-418: Was an assembly of the uchelwyr , the main landowners of the cantref . This would be presided over by the king if he happened to be present, or if he was not present, by his representative. Apart from the judges there would be a clerk, an usher and sometimes two professional pleaders. The cantref court dealt with crimes, the determination of boundaries, and inheritance. The commote court later took over many of

400-425: Was divided into cantrefi , which were themselves divided into smaller cymydau (commotes) . The word cantref is derived from cant ("a hundred") and tref ("town" in modern Welsh , but formerly used for much smaller settlements). The cantref is thought to be the original unit, with the commotes being a later division. Cantrefi could vary considerably in size: most were divided into two or three commotes, but

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