St Peter ad Vincula, Pennal
Encyclopedia
The parish church
of St Peter ad Vincula (meaning Saint Peter in Chains
) in the village
of Pennal
in Gwynedd
, north-west Wales
, is notable as the site of the last senate meeting held by the renegade Welsh prince, Owain Glyndŵr
. It was founded in the 6th century.
It is thought that the church was so named by Glyndŵr in competition with the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London
, one of the chapels royal of his rival, King Henry IV of England
.
A copy of Glyndŵr's "Pennal Letter" of 1406, a letter to the King of France
setting out his plans for an independent Wales, originated from Pennal. While the original letter remains in the Archives Nationales in Paris
, a copy is displayed at the Parliament House in Machynlleth
, and at the National Library of Wales
. The letter was briefly returned to Wales from France for an exhibition at the National Library of Wales
in 2000, and a campaign has since sprung up for it to be returned permanently to Wales and put on show at the National Assembly
building in Cardiff
.
A memorial garden has been created in the churchyard for the native Welsh princes.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St Peter ad Vincula (meaning Saint Peter in Chains
Liberation of Saint Peter
The Liberation of Saint Peter is a story told in the Acts of the Apostles in which Saint Peter is rescued from prison by an angel. Although described in a short textual passage, the tale has given rise to theological discussions and has been the subject of a number of artworks.-Biblical...
) in the village
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...
of Pennal
Pennal
Pennal is a village on the A493 road in southern Gwynedd, Wales, on the north bank of the Afon Dyfi/River Dovey, near Machynlleth.It lies in the former county of Merionethshire/Sir Feirionnydd, and is within the Snowdonia National Park.-Roman Fort:...
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-west 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...
, is notable as the site of the last senate meeting held by the renegade Welsh prince, Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
. It was founded in the 6th century.
It is thought that the church was so named by Glyndŵr in competition with the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, one of the chapels royal of his rival, King Henry IV of England
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
.
A copy of Glyndŵr's "Pennal Letter" of 1406, a letter to the King of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
setting out his plans for an independent Wales, originated from Pennal. While the original letter remains in the Archives Nationales in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, a copy is displayed at the Parliament House in Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
, and at the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
. The letter was briefly returned to Wales from France for an exhibition at the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
in 2000, and a campaign has since sprung up for it to be returned permanently to Wales and put on show at the National Assembly
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
building in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
A memorial garden has been created in the churchyard for the native Welsh princes.
External links
- Profile on castlewales.com
- The Pennal Letter - British Library article