Dinas Mawddwy
Encyclopedia
Dinas Mawddwy is a village
in Gwynedd
, north Wales
, just to the side of the A470
so that most visitors pass the village by. Its population is roughly 600. The village marks the junction of the unclassified road to Llanuwchllyn
which climbs up through the mountain
s to cross Bwlch y Groes
at its highest point, the highest road pass in Wales
. This minor road also provides the closest access to the mountain Aran Fawddwy
.
The village was served by the standard gauge Mawddwy Railway
which connected with the Cambrian Railways
at Cemmaes Road
Station. This was built to serve the slate quarries
at Minllyn and Aberangell
.
In the 16th century, the Mawddwy area was the home for a group of highway robbers and bandits named the ‘Gwylliaid Cochion Mawddwy’ or ‘Gwylliaid y Dugoed’. They say that the Gwylliaid were the dregs of society, who came to the Dinas Mawddwy area having been excommunicated from their own areas.Some were hanged and others were exiled from the area forever. Two brothers pleaded to be pardoned by the Baron Owain, but they were rejected, thus enraging the Gwylliaid. They were intent on revenge and one night, while the Baron Owain travelled home from Montgomeryshire, the Gwylliaid set traps on the road and shot arrows at the baron and his company. His body was found with thirty arrows attached to it.
Mawddwy was also the only remaining part of the ancient Kingdom of Powys still ruled by members of the native "royal family" (of Powys Wenwynwyn
) after 1309. On the division of the realm in 1293, Mawddwy had been awarded to William de la Pole (of Mawddwy)
and his descendants. Eventually the ruling family in Mawddwy would expire in the male line in 1414. The Mawddwy Family who claim descent from William de la Pole still use a version of the traditional Lion of Powys as their arms.
Dinas Mawddwy is the home of the 1996 British Rally Championship
winner Gwyndaf Evans
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, north Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, just to the side of the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
so that most visitors pass the village by. Its population is roughly 600. The village marks the junction of the unclassified road to Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, near the southern end of Bala Lake . Its population according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 834., of which approximately 81% were Welsh-speaking....
which climbs up through the mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s to cross Bwlch y Groes
Bwlch y Groes
Bwlch y Groes is the highest public road mountain pass in Wales, with a summit altitude of 545 metres . It lies on minor roads linking Dinas Mawddwy , Llanuwchllyn and Lake Vyrnwy...
at its highest point, the highest road pass in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. This minor road also provides the closest access to the mountain Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy is a mountain in southern Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom.The nearest urban centres to the mountain are Dinas Mawddwy to the south, Llanymawddwy to the southeast, Llanuwchllyn on the shores of Bala Lake to the north, and Rhydymain to the west. On the eastern slopes of Aran Fawddwy is...
.
The village was served by the standard gauge Mawddwy Railway
Mawddwy Railway
The Mawddwy Railway was a rural line in the Dovey Valley in mid-Wales that connected Cemmaes Road and the Cambrian Railway with Dinas Mawddwy....
which connected with the Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid-Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904...
at Cemmaes Road
Cemmaes Road
Cemmaes Road is a village in Powys, Mid Wales, in English, the village was named after the now-closed Cemmaes Road railway station. The Welsh name for the village, and for the community, is Glantwymyn , as it lies on the River Twymyn. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of...
Station. This was built to serve the slate quarries
Slate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
at Minllyn and Aberangell
Aberangell
Aberangell is a village in Gwynedd, Wales named after the Welsh Folk-tale king Aberyn Angell .It stands at the confluence of the River Angell and the River Dyfi and was the terminus of the narrow gauge Hendre-Ddu Tramway and also had a station on the Mawddwy Railway. Aberangell has a very small...
.
In the 16th century, the Mawddwy area was the home for a group of highway robbers and bandits named the ‘Gwylliaid Cochion Mawddwy’ or ‘Gwylliaid y Dugoed’. They say that the Gwylliaid were the dregs of society, who came to the Dinas Mawddwy area having been excommunicated from their own areas.Some were hanged and others were exiled from the area forever. Two brothers pleaded to be pardoned by the Baron Owain, but they were rejected, thus enraging the Gwylliaid. They were intent on revenge and one night, while the Baron Owain travelled home from Montgomeryshire, the Gwylliaid set traps on the road and shot arrows at the baron and his company. His body was found with thirty arrows attached to it.
Mawddwy was also the only remaining part of the ancient Kingdom of Powys still ruled by members of the native "royal family" (of Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn
Powys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
) after 1309. On the division of the realm in 1293, Mawddwy had been awarded to William de la Pole (of Mawddwy)
William de la Pole (of Mawddwy)
Sir William de la Pole was the fourth son of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn and would have inherited the principality of Powys Wenwynwyn, if it had continued to descend in the male line according to Welsh law, instead of having been surrendered to Edward I and regranted to his father as a marcher lordship...
and his descendants. Eventually the ruling family in Mawddwy would expire in the male line in 1414. The Mawddwy Family who claim descent from William de la Pole still use a version of the traditional Lion of Powys as their arms.
Dinas Mawddwy is the home of the 1996 British Rally Championship
British Rally Championship
The Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship is a yearly rallying series based in the United Kingdom. It comprises seven events with eight scoring opportunities throughout the British Isles. The first championship was run in 1958 and it has been licensed by the MSA Motor Sports Association since...
winner Gwyndaf Evans
Gwyndaf Evans
Gwyndaf Evans is a Welsh rally driver, ex-school bus driver, and car dealer. He won the British Rally Championship in 1996, and was also the runner-up in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2010...
.