Dinieithon
Dinieithon (Welsh for 'fort on the River Ieithon'; also known as Dineithon or Cefnllys) was a commote within the cantref of Maelienydd, in the medieval region of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren in Wales. It was situated near the modern town of Llandrindod Wells.
| Dinieithon | |
|---|---|
| Maelienydd | |
 Shown within Rhwng Gwy a Hafren | |
| Capital | Cefnllys Castle |
| Area | |
| • Coordinates | 52°15′21.2″N 3°20′24.7″W |
| History | |
| Historical era | Medieval |
| Today part of | Powys, Wales |
The southernmost of the four commotes in Maelienydd, it was also the most important due to its arable land and the presence of the region's administrative centre at Cefnllys. It bordered Gwrtheyrnion to the west and Elfael to the south.
Dinieithon was probably part of the Kingdom of Powys in the Early Middle Ages. In 1093, the Norman barons Roger de Montgomery, Ranulph de Mortimer, and Philip de Braose conquered the region, and Ralph Mortimer built a motte-and-bailey at Dinieithon to secure his new territory.[1] The native Welsh made a recovery in the area, until Ralph Mortimer II built a masonry castle at Cefnllys, which subsequently became seat of the cantref.[2]
Like the rest of Maelienydd, it became part of Radnorshire as part of the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542.
See also
References
- Remfry, Paul Martin (May 1998). "Discovering the lost kingdom of Radnor". British Archaeology. 34. ISSN 1357-4442. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- Brown, A. E. (1972). "The castle, borough and park of Cefnllys". The Radnorshire Society Transactions. 42: 12. Retrieved 14 September 2020.