I am delighted to be giving these history talks to the people taking part on the ’10 Days in May’ walking festival in the Vale of Glamorgan. Today I met the walkers outside the Captains Wife pub in Sully to tell them about the area and shot a video of it.
In this one I cover the ancient settlements which once stood on Sully Island and how it was used by smugglers in later history. Then the thorny issue of how the pub got its name and something about the nature of folklore which you might just find interesting.
There is so much history on view on the Glamorgan Ridgeway, but are claims to King Arthur’s legacy true?
The Glamorgan Ridgeway is a footpath through millennia. Its verges festooned with ancient monuments dating back to the Bronze Age. Are we walking in King Arthur’s footsteps up here? I investigate two sites with claimed links. One more promising than the other.
You also get to meet my dog, Jasper – the history hound, as he loves a good walk.
In this video I cover:
The course of the Ridgeway, where it starts and finishes, the ancient hill fort and the battle against the Romans at Mynydd-Y-Gaer, Llanbedr-Yn-Y-Mynydd (also known as Peterston-Super-Montum) and the claim that it is the site of Avalon, Mynydd Baeden and it’s potential to be the site of the Battle of Badon Hill and lots of stuff about King Arthur and the war between the ancient Britons and the invading Angles and Saxons. And the conspiracy that this period in history has been deliberately suppressed.
This video is written, presented and published by Welsh author, columnist, broadcaster and historian; Graham Loveluck-Edwards. I produce a series of videos about history, myths and legends from South Wales. I hope you enjoy this one. And if you do, please subscribe to this channel and feel free to share on social media.
Glamorgan folklore is awash with countless stories about the Norman invasion of Morgannwg (which at that time was the south Wales kingdom spanning between the Severn and Neath estuaries). Many of these tales are no doubt based on some real history, but the narrative inevitably drifts off at some point to allow the bards who retold them to entertain their audience more fully. We are lucky that many were captured in the sixteenth century by Sir Edward Stradling in his book ‘the Winning of the Lordship of Glamorgan out of Welsh- mens’ Hands’.
One of my favourites concerns how Iestyn Ap Cwrgan, King of Morgannwg enlisted the help of the Normans to settle a dispute. But at what cost?
There was nothing the ancient kings and princes of Wales loved more than a good fight amongst themselves, and Iestyn ap Cwrgan and Rhys ap Tewdwr of Dehaubarth (west Wales) had been at it for years.
The legend has it that Iestyn was getting frustrated at how long the feud had been running. Both sides were equally matched on the battlefield, neither side willing to back down, and there had been much bloodshed for very little gain.
So, after consulting his closest and wisest councillors, he agreed to send one of them, Einon Ap Collwyn, to meet with Robert Fitzhamon, the Norman earl of Gloucester, to ask for his help in defeating his troublesome neighbour. Einon was a natural choice for the job, as he was not only a knight who had proven his loyalty to Iestyn many times on the battlefield, but he was also himself of royal descent. He was the brother of Cadifor, the former prince of Dyfed who had been deposed by Rhys. Their family were well known to the English nobility, and there are even suggestions that Einon served William II when he was in France. Iestyn promised Einon that, if his mission was successful, he would grant him his daughter’s hand in marriage, thus aligning their two royal households for eternity.
Einon met Fitzhamon and negotiated a deal whereby the earl would lend Iestyn the hired muscle of his twelve most trusted knights and their cohorts of soldiers in return for ‘a mile of gold’. The two men shook hands on the deal and Einon returned to Morgannwg with his mercenary force in tow.
Buoyed by this vast tactical advantage, Iestyn threw down the challenge to Rhys to meet him in battle at Brecon. With Iestyn’s own forces bolstered by the mighty armies of the twelve knights, he won easily, and Rhys’ army was decimated.
Rhys took flight, and Iestyn’s troops pursued him all the way to Hirwaun, where they finally caught, trapped, and killed him. It had been a great victory.
During the ensuing victory celebrations, the Norman troops marched to a mile-long section of the old Roman road (the Via Julia Maritima which was built in the Antonine period to link the forts between Gloucester and Neath – these days mostly followed by the A48). They lined up in one long rank and gold coins were placed side by side along the line of soldiers so that Fitzhamon would get his promised ‘mile of gold’. Each soldier would bend down, pick up the coins nearest them, then march back to Gloucester with their treasure. The stretch of road in question has ever since been known locally as ‘the Golden Mile’.
For Einon, the joy of victory in battle was short lived. He turned to Iestyn to remind him of his promise of his daughter’s hand, but Iestyn denied having ever made such a commitment and refused him.
Outraged that he had been duped, the broker of this victory, and the only one not to have profited from it, he returned to Gloucester and asked Fitzhamon if he would join forces with him and turn against their former ally.
Fitzhamon needed little persuasion. He saw a chance to gain wealth and land for himself. So Einon, Fitzhamon and the twelve knights returned to Wales and destroyed Iestyn’s army in a fierce and bloody battle. They sacked his castle and court and, in the legend, killed Iestyn in the battle, although other records suggest he lived until 1093.
Thus began the Norman occupation of South Wales.
There is some arguement about where the ‘Golden Mile’ actually is. According to local historian, Alun Morgan, the stretch of road in question is now part of the A48 between the top of Crack Hill and Pentre Myrig in the Vale of Glamorgan, not, as some believe, from the bottom of Crack Hill (by Brocastle) to roughly where ‘Bridgend Ford’ is. His arguement against the Brocastle stretch was that this was never part of the Roman road (which is true). But as we are discussing folklore here, rather than verifiable history, it’s probably not a detail worth getting too hung-up about. Each is as likely as the other in that regard.
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.
The Old Swan Inn and the White Hart in Llantwit Major
What’s the oldest pub in Llantwit Major? What links it to Britain’s first educational institution and the most successful pirate and smuggler in eighteenth century south Wales? What did the American newspaper tycoon; William Randolph-Hearst have in common with King Arthur and his knights of the roundtable at the court of Camelot?
In Llantwit Major we have two pubs on the medieval town square with history oozing from every beam. In this video I talk about the Old Swan Inn and the White Hart Inn.
They have a chequered history in which they have been inns, shops, the royal mint and bank of an ancient Welsh king, the headquarters of a notorious pirate and smuggler and the bolt hole for some of Hollywood’s most celebrated stars of the silver screen. To say nothing of a secret network of tunnels, the ghost of a Roman soldier, Britain’s first ever school or university and its links with the legendary King Arthur of the court of Camelot.
🏴🍺⛪️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
Picture featured: “Mallt-Y-Nos” by Carys Fletcher (used with artist’s permission). See http://www.carysfletcherillustration.com for more information and other works.
As we move closer to Christmas, our ancestors would have urged us to keep one cautious eye on the night sky over Glamorgan. Because it was at this time of year that people in these parts would traditionally catch sight of one of our most famous, and sinister visitors from the underworld; “Mallt-Y-Nos”.
She is described in some texts as a witch, in others as a ghostly apparition but she is quite unique to the counties of South Wales. She filled the hearts of all who saw her with fear, as she was known to strike down and kill those who crossed her path.
She also has quite a back story, believed to be the ghost of Robert Fitzhamon’s beautiful but cruel mistress to whom he gave lands in Glamorgan. She was known to be a great horsewoman who loved nothing more than riding to hounds. On one particularly exhilarating hunt she quipped, ‘If I cannot hunt in heaven then I would rather not go there.’ She kept up the hunting until the day she died, but when she faced St Peter at the gates of heaven, her wicked soul was refused entry. Instead, she was given a pack of spirit hounds (known locally as the ‘cwn annwn’ or ‘demon dog’) to ride with for all eternity, in a terrifying ghostly hunting party that charged across the still, Winter, night skies.
I believe that the legends of Mallt-y-Nos are derived from stories that not only pre-date Fitzhamon and the Norman invasion, but also pre-date Christianity. Most of Glamorgan’s mythical beasts, ghosts and witches do. But in her case, it looks like some inspiration also came from overseas.
As you know, I study a lot of folklore and mythology, from all over the world, and there is a trend I frequently stumble across which we may have an example of here. Once the Welsh bards had sunk their teeth into a good locally recognisable character for a story, they often would embellish by bringing in much older stories, originally based on other characters, sometimes from other parts of the world and re-employing them locally. In my latest book ‘Historic pubs of Wales’ I expand on this using the example of the stories which led to the naming of ‘the Captains Wife’ in Sully. We might just have an example of it here, and from an unexpected source.
In Norse mythology there is a legend that on the night of the Winter solstice the god; Odin would lead a team of ferocious gods and ghosts on a rampaging deer hunt through the skies above the towns and villages of Scandinavia. If a mortal encountered the hunting party, there was every possibility they would be slaughtered on the spot. Sound familiar? Incidentally, Odin was also believed to leave gifts for children as he went on this rampage through the skies so not only has this Norse tradition embellished our tradition of Mallt-y-Nos, it also fed into another, more globally familiar mythical character. Someone who also rode through the winter night sky pursuing reindeer and leaving gifts for children. But that is, may be, for another time.
When you start digging around it is surprising how much synergy there is between Celtic and Norse mythology, suggesting that these two cultures were far more aware of one another, possibly through travel, than is generally recognised.
If you are interested in Glamorgan folklore then give my book; Legends and folklore of Bridgend and the Vale a go. It is available to buy on my website, from Amazon and good independent book shops such as the Cowbridge Bookshop, Nickleby’s in Llantwit Major, Bauhaus in Bridgend and Sussed in Porthcawl.
You can also read this and many other items like it in my regular column in the Glamorgan Star newspaper. Out today.
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