Priest holes and pints is a video about the clues that have been left in some of the oldest pubs in Wales about the attitudes of ordinary people to the reformation.
We visit the White Hart inn, in Llangybi which is built on the site of an ancient monastery so has its roots in the church. It was also owned by Henry VIII but also has a priest hole. What secrets does it hold to give away the loyalties of the people who lived there? How did the Robin Hood Inn, in Monmouth manage to act as a secret Catholic chapel for over 100 years?
This fascinating story will give you a peep behind the closed doors of Monmouthshire. Sight of an unintentionally clandestine life perused by its inhabitants as they tried to make sense of the changes that were happening in the church. History on your doorstep has never been so vivid, and best of all, you can have a pint afterwards. In this video you see an explanation of what the Reformation actually was and how it got its grip, two sixteenth century pubs which were in the thick of the action, a priest hole, a secret passage, the well of St Cybi – a fifth century holy relic, the remains of secret hidden religious paintings, the ancient town of Monmouth and its thirteenth century fortified bridge over the river Monnow
The pretty little church of St Curig’s in Porthkerry is peaceful now, but it bears the scars left by a secret cult that operated there. They were branded as ‘Heretics’ so led a clandestine life.
As much as the movement was once rife throughout post-reformation Britain, it fizzled out in most parts. But here in Porthkerry it may have prospered for over 200 years.
Who were these people? What put them at odds with the established church? And what is the significance of the emblems they carved into the tombs and the door?
This video is from the ‘History of the Vale of Glamorgan’ series. Written, presented and published by Welsh author and historian; Graham Loveluck-Edwards. Author of the book ‘Legends and Folklore of Bridgend and the Vale’ which is published by Candy Jar Books LTD (Cardiff). In this series of short videos, I examine some of hidden history on our doorsteps, talk about what went on, what it meant and how it sat in the context of the wider history of Wales. I hope you enjoy them. And if you do, please subscribe to this channel and share them on social media.
🏴🍺⛪️Is the Church Inn in Llanishen the oldest pub in Cardiff? And what was the scandal David Lloyd George witnessed there but kept under wraps? Did Oliver Cromwell stay at the Church? This 9-minute video has all the answers. A must watch for Cardiff history buffs.
The Church Inn, in Llanishen, in north Cardiff is an 18th Century coaching inn from the Georgian era. During our visit we look at the pub and it’s history, the ‘Welsh Sunday Closing Act’ of 1881 and how a visit by a future Prime Minister; David Lloyd George uncovered an uncomfortable truth.
This is one of a series of short videos in which I examine a moment in Welsh history, from the perspective of our ancestors. Specifically, when they were propping up the bar in a pub which was at the heart of the action. These are the stories I gather from visiting some of the oldest and most interesting pubs in Wales. I hope you enjoy them. And if you do, please subscribe to this channel and share them on social media.
A must watch for history buffs in Barry and surrounding areas in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
I gave this talk to the children of Romilly Primary School in Barry on 3rd February. They are learning about the Tudor period in history so I thought I would bring it home to Barry for them.
I cover:
▶️What Barry was like in the Tudor period
▶️What was so different back then
▶️What it was like being a child growing up in the sixteenth and seventeenth century
▶️What children did for fun,
▶️where they lived,
▶️what they ate
▶️I use John Speeds ‘Map of Glamorganshire’ and John Leland’s ‘Itinerary in Wales’ as sources
▶️I discuss the mystery of the disappearing castle at Porthkerry
And they asked lots of questions!
Great to share this video with your kids if they are local and learning about this era in history.
Sound quality isn’t the best as it was recorded in an echoy classroom. If you struggle with it, click the CC button for subtitles.
The county line between Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taff follows a bank of rather dramatic and beautiful mountains (when they are not veiled in cloud). Their ruggedness contrasts sharply with the lush, green pastures of the lowland, coastal areas to the south. Meandering across the top of the first peaks we see, is an ancient road, now little more than a footpath. It is known as ‘the Glamorgan Ridgeway’. It pre-dates any other recognisable thoroughfare in the area, even the ‘Via Julia Maritima’; the Roman road from the Antonine period which these days is loosely followed by the A48. We know this as the Romans themselves described the Ridgeway as ‘ancient’.
In its entirety it runs from the Preseli Mountains in Pembrokeshire to the Severn estuary. There is evidence to suggest that during the Roman era, it was still possible to ford the River Severn at low tide, so it could be argued that the road actually leads all the way to London.
The part which runs closest to us rises at Llangeinor, then winds its way across the peaks through Llantrisant to Mynydd-y-Garth. It is littered with barrows and cairns (ancient burial sites) dating from the Bronze Age and some possibly even older, as well as long abandoned Iron Age hillforts and deserted villages. It also rewards the intrepid walker with spectacular views across our counties and across the Bristol Channel to the north Somerset coast. On a clear day you can see as far as the Prince of Wales bridge to the east and the Gower peninsular to the west.
For much of history this was a drovers’ pass. Used by those hardy men who would risk life and limb driving their valuable charges of cattle from the farms of west Wales to the cattle markets of Smithfields in London. At the mercy of every bandit along the way. There is an account of a gang of ne’r-do-wells from the Llynfi valley who called themselves ‘The Red Goblins’ once mounting an ambush on the Carmarthenshire drovers on this path. They helped themselves to their entire herd.
This path has been trodden by some very famous people down the ages too, and it has a link to one of the most momentous events in British history.
Usurping a throne is a tricky business. Kings liked to perpetuate the notion that they were personally appointed by God to rule, therefore assuring themselves of a bit of security while on the throne. So, when William the Conqueror invaded in 1066 and took the English throne for himself, he had to find ways of demonstrating that he was acting under God’s will. He had to legitimise himself as King.
That was a tall order, so he had to grasp at anything he could. For example, in the Bayeux tapestry there is a scene that shows King Harold visiting William in Normandy before the Norman invasion. He is depicted swearing upon holy relics that he recognised William as the legitimate heir to the English crown. Another tale he spun which is not quite so well known, was that soldiers in his army saw visions in Hastings that they were supported in battle by some of our ancient, Welsh saints. If these saints were on his side, it meant a more ancient precedent was being called up on as they were contemporary with the ancient Britons, and King Harold, after all, was of Saxon decent.
One of the first things William did as King of England to cement this story, was to go on a pilgrimage to the shrines of these saints who had fought for Normandy in the Battle of Hastings. This meant taking the Ridgeway to the tomb of St David in his Cathedral in Pembrokeshire and stopping on the way in Newport at the shrine of St Woolos-the-bearded.
It is believed that William was accompanied on this pilgrimage by a young Robert Fitzhammon. It was while on this pilgrimage that he first saw the fertile fields of Morganwg, in the plains below the Ridgeway. This was the kingdom he would ultimately return to invade and bring under the control of the English crown only 11 years later.
Published in The Glamorgan Star Newspaper and the Buddy Magazine Jan 2022
What connects the ‘Dipping Bridge’ in Merthyr Mawr (near Bridgend) with the most notorious murderer and highwayman in 18th century Glamorgan? 🐎💀
I have gone back to where it all happened to piece together the history of that time and bring it alive.
This video is all about the man at the centre of this controversy, the veracious outlaw; ‘Cap Coch’. It looks at
▶️Who he was,
▶️The crimes he committed,
▶️What happened to him,
▶️How murder and robbery could happen on such a scale in what seems to be a peaceful, quiet spot.
▶️And how he evaded justice for so long.
I really hope you enjoy it – running time 12 minutes – feel free to share on your socials. Great introduction to history if you have kids or grandkids who are curious about what used to go on in and around Bridgend in the olden days.
Exert from Yates’ Map of Glamorgan showing Merthyr Mawr and surrounding area dated 1799
With characters like the notorious mass murderer, Cap Coch lurking in our local history, it comes as no surprise that many dark deeds were committed in the Vale of Glamorgan. Many we know about are bathed in the murky waters of hear-say, legend and folklore. Like the story that the white lady who haunts ‘The Old Place’ in Llantwit Major is the ghost of a woman whose husband starved her to death there. Great murder story, but nothing much in the way of evidence.
So, for today’s blog I have strayed into the world of the ‘Glamorgan Plea Rolls’ which were the official records kept by the Court of Great Sessions from 1542. I am delighted to say that many crimes we have actual records for are every bit as dark and weird as the accounts we hear through the ramblings of the bards. And some of the details which were captured in these records are if anything, even more weird. Let me give you an example to illustrate.
The court heard how Lawrence Wick; a labourer from Somerset murdered Katherine David of St Nicholas on the stroke of midnight on the night of 30th March 1566. He killed her by beating her about the head “with a hook of the value of two pence”. He inflicted “a mortal wound of which she incontinently died”. Then, he and an accomplice by the name of David Jevan Dyo set fire to her body and her house to try and cover it all up.
The conclusion of the court was that Dyo should be hung, but there is no record of any punishment being put the way of Wick, so the murderer appears to have got away Scott free. Which seems strange to say the least, but for me, that is not the weirdest thing about this record. Firstly, why do we need to know that the hook he used to murder poor Katherine was only worth 2 pence? Would the crime have been taken more seriously if he had used something more expensive? Secondly the word “incontinently” used to describe how she died – the word means ‘without reasonable restraint’. So, is the judge here saying that she should have made more of an effort to stay alive?
My first quandary is a little easier to answer than the second. Putting a monetary value on a murder weapon dates to early Anglo-Saxon times when it was traditional after a murder trial to sell the murder weapon (referred to as a deodand) so that it might raise some money to be put to a good cause. That way, at least some good might come of the act. As for Katherine’s frankly unconvincing attempts to stay alive on being beaten across the head with a billhook – we will never know.
Often, the punishment meted out by the establishment of the day was every bit as grisly as the crime itself. Traditionally men were hung for murder and women were drowned. Both methods are gruesome, but some justices felt a little more was required of executing someone than simply ending their lives.
For example, the court heard how on the 5th of February 1574, David ap Hopkyn strangled his wife, Matilda, at their Cardiff home with a towel. A heinous crime I am sure you will agree. But what really wound up the judge hearing the trial was not so much what he stood accused of, but that he refused to speak a word throughout his trial. It pushed him to such a peak that in passing sentence he said (and I quote):
“David ap Hopkyn is to be put naked on the ground except his breeches and a hole made under his head and his head put into it and as much stone and iron put upon his body as it will carry and more and he is to be fed on bread and water of the worst kind, bread one day and water another, so kept alive until he dies”.
Harsh.
Given his name, there is every possibility he didn’t say anything as he only spoke Welsh. In the 16th century the Vale was very divided in the language of common people. For example, the townsfolk of Cowbridge all spoke English but the traders in the market stalls who came from surrounding villages like St Hilary, Bonvilston or Colwinston all spoke Welsh. Henry VIII decreed that the only languages permissible in Welsh courts were Latin and English. If ap Hopkyn spoke neither then he probably did not know what was going on. To make matters worse he may even have been innocent but as he was unable to offer an alibi or make a case we will never know. All of which makes the sentence doled out to him even more abhorrent. But that is easy to say looking back with eyes clouded by modern day liberalism.
In the Tudor period, the crime that had all the male judges and magistrates quivering in their boots the most was when a wife rid herself of an unwanted husband by poisoning him. That was considered so serious that it was not classified simply as a murder but as petty treason. In 1564, Gwenllian Morgan of Cowbridge and Johanna Thomas of Eglwysbrewis were found guilty of killing Gwenllian’s husband; Maurice Dee, by feeding him ‘Ratsbane’ concealed in a pudding. In passing sentence, the judge instructed that that they “shall be burned to ashes”.
Graham Loveluck-Edwards.
If you are interested in the history of the Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan area, why not give my book a go? It’s all about the history, the many legends, and the abundance of folklore of the area and is called ‘Legends and folklore of Bridgend and the Vale’. Available from all good independent book shops, Amazon, or direct from the author at http://grahamloveluckedwards.co.uk
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Victorians and the Luftwaffe, most of the old inns in Swansea city centre are gone for ever, but the Cross Keys (pictured above in 1880, 1926 and now) has survived them all and has antiquity by the spade full.
The name is a nod to the legend that St Peter held the keys to the gates of heaven. A clue to its godly past. The building it self was built by Bishop Henry de Gower (Bishop of St Davids) in 1330, not as an inn but an almshouse and early hospital annexed to a monastic cell. The charter of 1332 says that it was established for ‘the support of other poor chaplains and laymen deprived of bodily health.’ It was not only there to look after people taken ill or injured, but to support the destitute, poor and starving.
The institution must have had some significant patronage, as it survived right up until the Reformation and the dissolution of monasteries in 1536. It was then confiscated by the Crown and sold to Sir George Herbert, who was a very powerful and rather unscrupulous man, descended from a family of ‘Marcher’ lords. And to make matters worse, he was from Cardiff.
He was a man of very different moral fibre to Henry de Gower, and as there was no money to be made from feeding the starving or tending to the sick, he closed down the hospital and almshouse and broke the estate up, turning the old buildings into shops and an inn. Later all the other buildings were demolished, but the inn thrived.
By the beginning of the twentieth century the pub was very dilapidated and run down. and its origins had largely been forgotten, so it was a very brave undertaking to get it all restored and renovated. But when the rendering got stripped away, to the delight of the owner who oversaw the work, a lot of the original features, like the stone arched windows and medieval timber, were re-discovered. The two bays on the St Mary Street side were added onto the original building in the seventeenth century, and it is believed that when they were built, they contained two narrow shops separated by a passageway which ran to the back of the building.
Inside there are some lovely features. The massive ceiling beams tell a story of all the walls and partitions that have been added and taken away in the last 700 years, and there are fragments of medieval roof trusses on either side of a small seating area in the lounge.
The layout of the pub today suggests that this part of the original building had two uses. The old hall would have been located on the first floor, which would have been a cleric’s living accommodation. Meanwhile below would have been part of the old hospital, possibly a ward.
This exert is taken from a new book, out now, called “Historic Pubs of Wales” by welsh author and historian; Graham Loveluck-Edwards and published by Candy Jar Books. It charts the history, folklore and incredible stories that are tied up in 89 historic pubs from all over Wales. Everything from royal patronage and assassination attempts to ghosts and priest holes. Even one which claims to have an elephant buried under the beer garden. It is available from good, independent book shops, WH Smiths, Amazon or direct from the author at a discounted price at http://grahamloveluckedwards.co.uk.
A crowd of regulars outside the Cross Keys in Swansea in 1880. Historic pubs of Wales.
How on earth has Halloween managed to morph into some innocent, child friendly celebration day? Where kids dress up as pumpkins, collecting bowls of sweets from random strangers? It started out in the Celtic nations as the single darkest and most ominous day of the year for thousands of years.
Originally it was a pagan fire festival called Samhain. It was held at the midpoint between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice and marked the end of the plentiful months of sunlight and harvest and the beginning of the dark season. Where it gets dark however, is because the Celts believed passionately that this was the most dangerous time of year as the usual barriers that existed to keep the spirit world and mortal world separate would break down leaving the people of the world vulnerable to hauntings and possession and attacks by malevolent demons. Some even heralded it as the likely point of the end of the world – with only the year it would happen an uncertainty. This was not a mild threat. They were absolutely terrified by this possibility and it called for a mammoth, co-ordinated effort to keep themselves safe.
To empower themselves against this annual threat they would light huge bonfires with a wheel (symbol of the sun) which would maintain a bright light for as long as possible (but a minimum of 3 days). They would dress up in costumes to make themselves look as terrifying as possible and dance around the fires. This was to try and scare away their adversaries. They would also sacrifice bulls and cocks and leave the sacrifices on burial mounds as gifts for their dead ancestors. The idea was, if there was going to be a war with invading malevolent ghosts, demons and spirits, they wanted to make sure that their own ancestors would fight on their side, to ensure the evil spirits were vanquished.
They took this ceremony very seriously. Everyone had to participate in it. There was an agreement between tribes that any who were at war had to suspend hostilities during the Samhain and put their differences aside until the end of the festival to make sure nothing got in the way of everyone’s involvement. Failure to take part was punishable by death.
At the end of the 3 days ceremony, if everyone was alive and not possessed by spirits, it was clear that the alliance between the living and the dead had once again been victorious over the spirit world. So, it would be followed by a great celebration for a further 6 days. It featured a great feast where places were set for both the living and the dead combatants. Women folk would chatter into the air, to bring the dead up to date with everything that had happened through the year and a lot of merriment would take place. All to celebrate having survived the threat of invasion by the spirit world.
There were regional variants. One that always amuses me is that our ancestors here in Wales did not think that the festivities above were anywhere near mad enough. So here in South Wales it was customary for young men to hurl burning logs at each others heads in a game of ‘chicken’.
This festival was a really big deal to the pagan Welsh. Something that was massively underestimated when Christianity came along. The church wanted to stamp out all pagan practices which could not be re-branded as Christian. It was hard to see a way of making Samhain into something that was Christian friendly so they attempted to bring this practise to an end. Unsuccessfully. So, rebrand was needed. Pope Boniface in the fifth century tried the idea of a festival in May where bonfires would be lit in homage and as a celebration of saints and martyrs. But he had seriously underestimated how terrified the masses descended from the ancient Britons were of invasion by the spirit world at the end of October, so the practise continued in spite of the papal decree. Then in the ninth century (so no rush then? Only took 400 years) Pope Gregory moved “All Saints Day” (known in old English as All Hallows Day) to 1st November. The name “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows Eve”, or the day before all Saint’s Day. He also made “All Souls Day” (the day when Christians leave offerings on the graves of our dead ancestors) the day after the old Samhain; on 2nd November.
Common people found this a bit easier to swallow but it still continued to be a day marked by burning bonfires for centuries to follow. Eventually the bonfire got moved a week, supposedly to commemorate the foiling of the gun powder plot to blow up parliament. We still run with that idea today in the UK. But both bonfire night and Halloween are just continuations of Samhain in one way or another.
What amazes me though is the scale of the Halloween festival we have today. People in America spend more money on decorations and costumes at Halloween than at any other time of year besides Christmas. It has become massive. Yet I can say with hand on heart, in the UK even as recently as the 1980s it just wasn’t a thing. Bobbing for apples was about as far as it went.
by Graham Loveluck-Edwards.
About: Graham Loveluck-Edwards is a historian and author who writes regular columns in the Buddy Magazine and The Glamorgan Star newspaper. He has also published books about the history, myths, legends and folklore of Wales. They include Legends and folklore of Bridgendand the Vale and Historic pubs of Wales. Available on Amazon (in the UK and Europe) and all good UK based bookshops. They can also be bought direct from the author’s website (at a discounted price) at http://grahamloveluckedwards.co.uk with shipping available worldwide
An AUTHOR has published a book telling the historic tales of 89 pubs across Wales – including Newport, Caerphilly, and several cross Gwent.
Graham Loveluck-Edwards has announced the release of his new book ‘Historic Pubs of Wales’ where he relishes in some of the more colourful myths, legends and stories from Wales’ ancient past and oldest pubs.
Included in the book is an entire chapter dedicated to Gwent, titled ‘Monmouthshire and the ancient kingdom of Gwent’ which includes pubs such as The Hanbury Arms in Caerleon, The Murenger House in Newport, The Robin Hood Inn in Monmouth and several more.
“For example, the pub which claims to have an elephant buried under its beer garden, or the pub where funeral parties take a short cut to the cemetery through the bar to keep an ancient right of access alive, or the pub that claims to have invented pancake day and so many more.
“In all, I’ve compiled over 100 incredible stories based around 89 amazing old pubs – is there any truth to them?
“Some for sure, but this book captures them and puts them in the context of history so you can be the judge.”
The book also contains a travel guide so readers can go on a tour around Wales and visit all the pubs in the book.
“As you can imagine for such a book the research was relentless and thorough, and a lot of fun,” he added.
“Pubs have had such a tough time in the last year with us going in and out of lockdowns and with the introduction of social distancing measures.
“Sixteenth century inns are usually a warren of tiny rooms so being two metres apart has made opening and trading near impossible for many.
“So, a book which celebrates all that is great about our old pubs, which tells people their history, where to find them and what to expect when you get there has been welcomed by all landlords.”
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