The Norman invasion of Wales began shortly after the Norman conquest of England under William the Conqueror , who believed England to be his birthright. Initially (1067–1081), the invasion of Wales was not undertaken with the fervour and purpose of the invasion of England. However, a much stronger Norman invasion began in 1081 and by 1094 most of Wales was under the control of William's son and heir, the later King William II . The Welsh greatly disliked the "gratuitously cruel" Normans, and by 1101, had regained control of the greater part of their country under the long reign of King Gruffudd ap Cynan , who had been imprisoned by the Normans for twelve years before his escape.
90-540: Hay-on-Wye , or simply Hay ( Welsh : Y Gelli Gandryll ; Welsh pronunciation: [ə ˈɡɛɬi ˈgandrɪɬ] or simply Y Gelli ), is a market town and community in Powys , Wales , in the historic county of Brecknockshire . With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a "town of books" ; it is both the National Book Town of Wales and the site of the annual Hay Festival . The community had
180-493: A "fenced area" and a noun used in late Saxon and Norman times for an enclosure in a forest. The Welsh word celli ( lenited to Gelli ) has a range of meanings, including wooded areas of various extents. The legal name of the community is Hay rather than Hay-on-Wye. In 1947 the General Post Office changed the name of the postal locality from Hay to Hay-on-Wye. The change of postal address did not change
270-490: A 3-arch masonry bridge. The train fell into Digeddi Brook at Little Ffordd Fawr, near Llanigon. The driver George Parker died, and his stoker John Williams had life changing injuries. The line closed in 1962, due to the line's commercial underperformance. Hay St. Mary's Football Club is based on Hay Sports Field, off Brecon Road, and they compete in the Mid-Wales Football League. Hay-on-Wye Cricket Club
360-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under
450-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified
540-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had
630-405: A fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase the number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered
720-536: A great deal of power into each earldom, allowing them control of the surrounding towns and land, rather than retaining it within the kingship. The inspiration for such an action seems to have been the overextended nature of the Norman troops, thus preventing William from exercising his own power in the area. It very well may have been implicit in the power granted the earldoms that they were to attack Wales, and, indeed, they did, beginning with south-east Wales, where many of
810-399: A new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of the language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded,
900-737: A population of 1,675 at the 2021 census . The town is twinned with Redu , a village in the Belgian municipality of Libin , and with Timbuktu , Mali , West Africa. Hay-on-Wye was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017. The town lies on the south-east bank of the River Wye and is within the north-easternmost tip of the Brecon Beacons National Park , just north of the Black Mountains . The town
990-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into
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#17327756746721080-569: A vacuum of power in Wales in which princes and kings were free to squabble over their lands, without the unifying presence of Gruffudd to ward off Norman attacks. It took some time for the Normans to concentrate any level of might against the Welsh, as they were more concerned, in the aftermath of Hastings , with England and Normandy. In addition, it was not William's goal to conquer Wales; he had come to inherit what he believed to be his birthright,
1170-515: Is a ward called Hay which covers the same area as the community of Hay. The parish of Hay was created around 1135 from the north-eastern parts of the older parish of Llanigon. Until 1536 Hay was a marcher lordship . In 1536 the Hay lordship was included in the new county of Brecknockshire. The area of the fortified town was sometimes described as a borough , but it was never given a charter and it appears that no borough council ever operated; instead
1260-487: Is a destination for bibliophiles in the United Kingdom, with two dozen bookshops , many selling specialist and second-hand books , although the number has declined sharply in recent years, many becoming general antique shops and similar. Hay-on-Wye was already well known for its many bookshops before the festival was launched. Richard Booth opened his first shop there, called The Old Fire Station, in 1962, and by
1350-734: Is also located on Hay Sports Field. The 1st team compete in The Marches Cricket League. Hay-on-Wye bowling club is affiliated to the Mid Wales Bowling Association and the Women's Mid Wales Bowling Association. Hay Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1903. The club continued on its nine-hole course until the onset of World War II . Hay hosts a philosophy and music festival, HowTheLightGetsIn , which occurs annually in May. It aims "to get philosophy out of
1440-667: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. Norman invasion of Wales In one incident, Gruffudd had some indirect help from King Magnus III of Norway (Magnus Barefoot) who attacked
1530-420: Is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for the creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as
1620-431: Is first referred to between 1135 and 1147 as Haya ; in 1299 the name of La Haye is used. By the 16th century it was simply called Hay , and the use of the river as a suffix is a later addition. In 1215, a Welsh name, Gelli was recorded, and Gelli gandrell in 1614; the two names may have been used concurrently in 1625. The English language name, Hay , is derived from Old English hæg , possibly meaning
1710-582: Is just on the Welsh side of the border with Herefordshire , England , here defined by the Dulas Brook. Where the brook joins the River Wye just north of the town, the border continues northwards along the river. The Wye was the boundary between the former counties and districts of Radnorshire and Brecknockshire . The adjacent parish of Cusop lies on the English side of the Dulas Brook, with parts of
1800-586: Is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of
1890-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in
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#17327756746721980-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in
2070-683: The Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in the history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by
2160-568: The Battle of Ewloe at Coleshill / Coed Eulo, where Henry was almost killed in the fighting, but managed to return to friendly lines. He moved against his Adversaries again in 1163, and gained homage from the two most powerful princes of Wales, Rhys ap Gruffydd and Owain Gwynedd , along with the king of Scotland. By the mid-11th century, Wales had been united by the King of Gwynedd , Gruffudd ap Llywelyn . Gruffudd pushed into Saxon England, burning
2250-458: The Borough of Brecknock in the new county of Powys . The former urban district council's functions therefore passed to Brecknock Borough Council, which was in turn abolished in 1996 and its functions passed to Powys County Council. The Hay Rural parish also became a community in 1974, but was abolished in 1986 and its area absorbed into the neighbouring parish of Llanigon. The B4350 runs through
2340-630: The English throne , which entailed taking on the responsibilities of Edward and the Anglo-Saxon kings , including their relationships with Wales and Scotland . However, Wales had begun to force the matter, supporting English rebellions against the Normans. In response to Welsh advances, William established a series of earldoms in the borderlands , specifically at Chester , under Hugh d'Avranches ; Shrewsbury , under Roger de Montgomerie ; and Hereford , under William FitzOsbern . He instilled
2430-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol
2520-497: The Local Government Act 1894 . The 1894 Act also directed that parishes were no longer allowed to straddle district boundaries, and so the parish of Hay was split into a Hay Urban parish covering the same area as the urban district, and a Hay Rural parish covering the part of the old parish outside the urban district. Hay Urban District was abolished in 1974, with its area instead becoming a community called Hay within
2610-519: The Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of
2700-686: The Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to the people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into
2790-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has
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2880-542: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for
2970-473: The 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain
3060-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in
3150-542: The 1970s Hay had gained the nickname "The Town of Books". Since 1988, the Hay Festival based in Hay-on-Wye has been the venue for an annual literary festival , now sponsored by The Daily Telegraph newspaper, which draws a claimed 80,000 visitors over ten days at the end of May or beginning of June to see and hear big literary names from all over the world. Devised by Norman, Rhoda and Peter Florence in 1988,
3240-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,
3330-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for
3420-517: The Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol ) is the label attached to the Welsh of
3510-737: The Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and
3600-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published
3690-483: The Normans briefly off the Isle of Anglesey in northwest Wales near Ynys Seiriol , killing Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury . Under William's fourth son, King Henry I , the Normans, now well established in England, responded by pushing west into Wales. This time, both the Welsh and the Normans were more interested in making peace than fighting bloody battles, and a relatively stable situation developed, although
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3780-482: The Normans fared worse in southeast Wales than in the west of the country. The standoff continued from 1135 to 1154 under Stephen , nephew of Henry and a maternal grandson of William, who became locked in a power struggle and civil war with Empress Matilda , Henry's daughter and only surviving legitimate child. By the 1150s, Matilda's son King Henry II of England had set upon fighting back, leading his first expedition into Wales in 1157. He met defeat, particularly in
3870-496: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,
3960-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither
4050-831: The Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of the population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak
4140-526: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer
4230-487: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to
4320-630: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of
4410-570: The academy and into people's lives." In 2013, Hay-on-Wye had 145 Listed Building entries, all are Grade II listed apart from Hay Castle which is Grade 1 listed. Other listed building include St Mary's parish church , Dulas Bridge (Newport St), St John's chapel, Ebenezer United Reformed Church(now the Globe), the Swan Hotel(Church St),, Harley’s Almshouses (4 Brecon Rd), Post Office (3 High Town), Ashbrook House (1 Brecon Rd) and part of
4500-579: The ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to the Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of
4590-408: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of
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#17327756746724680-515: The city of Hereford , overwhelming border patrols, and proving the English defences there entirely inadequate to respond to Welsh invasions. During this time, Harold Godwinson led a campaign of retaliatory raids into Wales. In the wake of this campaign, Gruffudd was turned upon by his own men, who killed him in 1063 and shipped his head off to Edward the Confessor in exchange for the redivision of Wales into its traditional kingdoms. This left
4770-468: The country in 1157. He experienced costly ambushes and therefore defeat, particularly in the Battle of Ewloe at Coleshill / Coed Eulo, where Henry was almost killed in the fighting, but managed to return to friendly lines. He moved against his Adversaries again in 1163, and, with Welsh resistance exhausted, gained homage from the two most powerful princes of Wales, Rhys ap Gruffydd and Owain Gwynedd, along with
4860-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within
4950-479: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over
5040-585: The earl of Hereford ’s] son [ Roger de Breteuil ]... forfeited his estates for treason in 1075 and involved some of his vassals on the Welsh frontier in his downfall" . Nonetheless, the Normans pressed on. These movements continued well into the 12th century, into the reign of Henry I . There was relative peace in the early 12th century, however, with the Anglo-Normans working to diplomatically manifest influence over Wales; leading to relatively little conflict. The only real expedition into Wales made by Henry
5130-472: The festival was described by Bill Clinton in 2001 as "The Woodstock of the mind". Tony Benn said: "In my mind it's replaced Christmas". In late July 2021, co-founder and director Peter Florence resigned as Festival Director. There are two tiers of local government covering Hay, at community (town) and county level: Hay Town Council and Powys County Council . The town council is based at offices on Brecon Road. For elections to Powys County Council, there
5220-491: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of
5310-567: The form of an earth ringwork with a stone gate-tower . It was re-enforced in stone around 1200 with a curtain wall . The castle was damaged during the Welsh rebellion led by Owain Glyndŵr around 1401 and again in 1460 during the Wars of the Roses . It was then substantially expanded in the 17th century, creating a Jacobean mansion. Hay Castle has recently been restored to its former glory. Hay-on-Wye
5400-411: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval
5490-413: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to
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#17327756746725580-621: The home of Henry Allen Junior. Hay-on-Wye has a Victorian clock tower which was completed in 1884. On 1 April 1977, bibliophile Richard Booth conceived a publicity stunt in which he declared Hay-on-Wye to be an 'independent kingdom' with himself as its monarch and a National Anthem written by Les Penning . The tongue-in-cheek micronation of Hay-on-Wye has subsequently developed a healthy tourism industry based on literary interests for which some credit Booth. In 2005, Booth announced plans to sell his bookshop and move to Germany ; on this occasion, local Member of Parliament , Roger Williams ,
5670-431: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to
5760-420: The later town walls. A chapel dedicated to St John was subsequently built inside the town walls around 1254. In post- conquest times, Hay-on-Wye was divided between two manors , known as an Englishry (i.e. English Hay or Haya Anglicana) and a Welshery (i.e. Welsh Hay or Haya Wallensis). The Englishry was within the fortified town of Hay. The Welshery was outside the fortified town, including some rural land,
5850-402: The least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead, the shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson ,
5940-495: The material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows the language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This
6030-468: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in
6120-433: The name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi , the Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic ,
6210-412: The name of the urban district which then covered the town, which retained the name Hay and was subsequently converted into a community called Hay in 1974. The village of Llanigon is about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west of the town of Hay-on-Wye. Before the Norman conquest Hay-on-Wye was part of the parish of Llanigon. The church of St. Eigon in Llanigon was the principal church for the area. This
6300-503: The other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been
6390-402: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to
6480-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over
6570-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by
6660-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in
6750-420: The previous generation" . A notable example was the Battle of Crug Mawr , near Cardigan , in which the Normans suffered a heavy defeat. The period saw a role reversal of sorts, as well, with infighting amongst the Normans, the same sort which had enabled the relative fall of Wales in the previous century. By the 1150s, Matilda's son King Henry II of England had set upon Wales, leading his first expedition into
6840-558: The previous rebellions against England had begun. By the time of FitzOsbern's death in 1071, a castle had been established at a location known at the time as Striguil , near the mouth of the Wye . This served as a base from which the Normans continued to expand westward into Wales, establishing a castle at Caerleon by 1086 and extinguishing the Welsh Kingdom of Gwent . However, the attacks in south-east Wales "faltered badly when [
6930-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of
7020-579: The town and the B4351 links it with the main A438 from Brecon to Hereford , on the far side of the River Wye. The town has a road/pedestrian bridge spanning the River Wye linking Clyro with Hay-on-Wye. The town was formerly served by train services at Hay-on-Wye railway station on the Hereford, Hay and Brecon line. On a stormy night in 1880, a goods train on the way to Brecon was derailed and destroyed
7110-550: The town wall, as well as many of the town centre inns and shops. The Butter Market was commissioned by William Enoch and erected in the form of a Doric temple in 1833. the Cheese Market was commissioned by Sir Joseph Bailey, 1st Baronet and completed in 1835. The Butter Market and the Cheese Market had an arcaded ground floor to sell butter and cheese and dairy products, respectively. From 1925, Roman Catholic Mass
7200-539: The town was administered by officials appointed by the lord of the manor . Any residual claim Hay may have had to be called a borough was extinguished under the Municipal Corporations Act 1883 . In 1864 the north-eastern part of the parish of Hay, covering the built-up area as it then was and some adjacent areas, was made a local government district , administered by an elected local board. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts under
7290-537: The urban area of Hay now crossing the border into the parish of Cusop. The nearest city is Hereford , county town of Herefordshire, some 22 miles (35 km) to the east. Hereford serves as the post town for Hay, so that its official postal address is "Hay-on-Wye, Hereford", despite Hay being in Wales and Hereford in England. Hay-on-Wye is in the area known as " Kilvert country" which includes Clyro , Capel-y-ffin , Llowes , Glasbury , Llanigon , Painscastle , Clifford and Whitney-on-Wye . The settlement's name
7380-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from
7470-686: The village of Llanigon and the hamlet of Glynfach. In 1894, Hay Urban parish was created from part of the Hay Urban District, Hay Tump is within the Hay Urban parish . Hay Rural parish was created from the rural part of the parish of Hay, and includes another Norman castle called Llanthomas Castle Mound . It is on the same lane as the Hay Festival fields (Dairy Meadows). D. J. Cathcart King’s list of UK castles, names Hay Castle as Hay No. 1, Hay Tump as Hay No. 2 and Llanthomas Castle Mound as Hay No. 3. Hay Castle initially took
7560-543: Was because the settlement in Llanigon predated the settlement in Hay-on-Wye. Brycheiniog (now Wales) was conquered between 1088 and 1095 following the second Norman invasion of Wales . The Norman invaders were led by the marcher lord Bernard de Neufmarché . He divided Brycheiniog into smaller lordships which were gifted to the knights who contributed to the conquest. The Llanthomas lordship (in Llanigon)
7650-560: Was built in 1135 and took over the role of the principle church and parish for the area. St. Mary's is near Login Brook and the River Wye . The main part of the town was subsequently developed on a spur of land between the River Wye and Dulas Brook, about 200 metres east of Hay Tump. The town was fortified with walls and defended by Hay Castle , which appears to have been built from the late 12th century onwards. The earlier centre of settlement around Hay Tump and St Mary's Church lay outside
7740-461: Was celebrated in the hired assembly room over the Cheese Market . Since the 1960's, Mass has been celebrated in St. Joseph's RC Church . The first-floor assembly room has now been renovated to serve as holiday accommodation. On the end wall is a sculpture of Henry Tudor (Henry VII). Oakfield is a Grade II listed Regency house located south of the town centre: built in about 1820, it was recorded in 1842 as
7830-711: Was in 1114, when "he set in motion three separate armies intended to overware the ageing prince of Gwynedd" . The prince, Gruffudd ap Cynan , however, saw fit to make peace with the king rather than engage in open warfare or hostility. Throughout the period, Henry exerted a great deal of control over Wales, establishing a series of new castles and placing new Lords into positions of power. Following Henry's death in 1135, revolts once again broke out in parts of Wales. These revolts caused Norman retreat in many areas, most surprisingly in Deheubarth , where, according to R.R. Davies, "the Normans had made their most striking advances in
7920-412: Was part of the Hay lordship owned by William Revel, one of Bernard 's knights. Motte and bailey castle construction typically occurred soon after a lordship was allocated to a knight. Hay-on-Wye grew after the conquest . Around 1121, a motte and bailey castle was built near St. Mary's. It is thought to have been built by William Revel. The castle remains are known as Hay Tump. The church of St Mary's
8010-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through
8100-746: Was quoted as saying: "His legacy will be that Hay changed from a small market town into a mecca for second-hand book lovers and this transformed the local economy." Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It
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