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Dennis Wyn Williams
Cae'r Drewyn Hillfort, Corwen.
Cae’r Drewyn Hill Fort in Corwen. Evidence discovered here has established three eras of occupation; iron-age, the Romans and middle-ages.
Evidence suggests that the first fort was a small enclosure built against the natural scarp. Only part of this early enclosure is visible as a grass covered bank. The later, larger hillfort is clearly visible due to its stone ramparts.
A number of circles are to be seen on the eastern side which could well be grain silos from either the iron-age or the Roman occupation.
It was on Caer Drewyn in Corwen in 1165 that Owain Gwynedd encamped, having summoned a great army to await the arrival of Henry II. It is said that there had never assembled an army so representative of the whole of Wales as the medieval chronicle ‘Brut y Tywysogyon’ records the event as follows:-
“And when the king (Henry II) had thought that there were would be fighting against his castles which were in Tegeingl, he moved a host in great haste and came to Rhuddlan and encamped there for three nights. And after that he returned to England and gathered along with him a mighty host of the picked warriors of England and Normandy and Flanders and Anjou and Gascony and all Scotland; and he came as far as Oswestry, purporting to carry into bondage and to destroy all the Britons (at this period of our history, the Welsh were the Britons). And to meet him came Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr, sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan, and all the host of Gwynedd along with them, and the Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd and all Deheubarth along with him, and Owain Cyfeiliog and Iorwerth Goch ap Maredudd and the sons of Madog ap Maredudd and all Powys along with them, and the two sons of Madog ap Idnerth and all their might along with them. And all steadfastly united together they came into Edeirnion, and they encamped at Corwen.”
On the 16th September 1400 Owain Glyndwr was proclaimed Prince of Wales at Llys Glyndwr in Carrog and thus began the war of independence. Following this proclamation the standard was raised at Caer Drewyn and it is thought that this was the Black Lion Rampart of Powys as opposed to the Golden Dragon which Glyndwr later adopted and unfurled at Caernarfon. The height of Caer Drewyn was chosen symbolically for here were his ancestral lands overlooking Edeyrnion.
Evidence suggests that the first fort was a small enclosure built against the natural scarp. Only part of this early enclosure is visible as a grass covered bank. The later, larger hillfort is clearly visible due to its stone ramparts.
A number of circles are to be seen on the eastern side which could well be grain silos from either the iron-age or the Roman occupation.
It was on Caer Drewyn in Corwen in 1165 that Owain Gwynedd encamped, having summoned a great army to await the arrival of Henry II. It is said that there had never assembled an army so representative of the whole of Wales as the medieval chronicle ‘Brut y Tywysogyon’ records the event as follows:-
“And when the king (Henry II) had thought that there were would be fighting against his castles which were in Tegeingl, he moved a host in great haste and came to Rhuddlan and encamped there for three nights. And after that he returned to England and gathered along with him a mighty host of the picked warriors of England and Normandy and Flanders and Anjou and Gascony and all Scotland; and he came as far as Oswestry, purporting to carry into bondage and to destroy all the Britons (at this period of our history, the Welsh were the Britons). And to meet him came Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr, sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan, and all the host of Gwynedd along with them, and the Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd and all Deheubarth along with him, and Owain Cyfeiliog and Iorwerth Goch ap Maredudd and the sons of Madog ap Maredudd and all Powys along with them, and the two sons of Madog ap Idnerth and all their might along with them. And all steadfastly united together they came into Edeirnion, and they encamped at Corwen.”
On the 16th September 1400 Owain Glyndwr was proclaimed Prince of Wales at Llys Glyndwr in Carrog and thus began the war of independence. Following this proclamation the standard was raised at Caer Drewyn and it is thought that this was the Black Lion Rampart of Powys as opposed to the Golden Dragon which Glyndwr later adopted and unfurled at Caernarfon. The height of Caer Drewyn was chosen symbolically for here were his ancestral lands overlooking Edeyrnion.
