Recently Rated:
Stats
1st-8th August.
The National Eisteddfod of Wales, begins today in Meifod, near Welshpool. The Eisteddfod alternates every year between North and South and is the most important cultural event of Wales.
The 1st of August is the day Lleu Llaw Gyffes, Lord of Gwynedd is celebrated.
Illegitimate, nameless, rejected by his mother, cuckolded and betrayed by his wife and murdered by his neighbour, Lleu Llaw Gyffes may seem an unlikely folk hero. However, his perseverance against odds seemingly stacked against him, his resilience, and his ability to bounce back every time, even from death, make him enduringly appealing to readers of the Mabinogi.
This is his story:
Arianrhod, the high-born niece of the great magician Math fab Mathonwy and sister to Gwydion and Gilfaethwy, claimed to be a virgin. However, her lack of chastity was revealed when she gave birth to Dylan, and to his twin, an unnamed male child whose existence was concealed by his uncle, Gwydion. Some years later, Gwydion presented the boy to his mother, who flew into a rage at this unwelcome reminder of her shameful loss of virginity. She placed a 'tynged' or curse on the child that he would forever remain nameless unless she herself would name him, something that she, of course, never intended to do. After considering the problem for a year or so, Gwydion devised a cunning plan. A master of magic and disguise, Gwydion assumed the identity of an itinerant cobbler of great skill, with the nameless child as his apprentice. The shoes he crafted were of the finest, softest leather and exquisitely wrought, and soon became widely desired by all the noble women of the district. Faced with the prospect of being the only woman without a pair of designer Gwydion shoes, Arianrhod sent for a pair. Gwydion sent her a pair which were deliberately too small, then a pair which were too big. Arianrhod had no choice other than to visit the mysterious shoemaker for a personal fitting. While she was there, the child aimed a cobbler's needle at a wren resting on a nearby post. So true was the boy's aim that he hit the bird between the tendon and the bone of the leg, prompting Arianrhod to remark, "the fair-haired boy has a skilful hand!" At this pronouncement, Gwydion revealed his true identity and declared that henceforth the boy would be called Lleu Llaw Gyffes, 'the skilful handed fair one.'
Furious at having been tricked, Arianrhod placed a second 'tynged' on the boy; that he would never bear arms unless she should dress him in them herself. This implied that Lleu would remain forever powerless, vulnerable, emasculated and unable to be a warrior. Not to be outdone, Gwydion disguised himself and Lleu as travelling storytellers or bards and smooth-talked their way into Arianrhod's castle, and performed wonderful tales and ballads. Towards the end of the evening, Gwydion used his magic to conjure an illusion of sound, as though the castle were being attacked by a marauding horde. In fear and panic, Arianrhod, sending for armour and weapons, pleaded with the itinerant players to help protect her and her castle. While speedily dressing himself in armour, Gwydion urged Arianrhod to dress his companion. When she had done so, Gwydion triumphantly revealed that she had done exactly what she had sworn not to do, namely arming her son for battle.
Arianrhod's fury was legendary, and in her third tynged, she proclaimed that Lleu would never have a wife from the human race. Temporarily outmanoeuvred, Gwydion sought the advice and assistance of his uncle, the renowned and powerful wizard Math fab Mathonwy. Together they wrought strange magic, and fashioned a woman from the flowers of the field and the forest, and imbued in her the life-force of wild nature. They named her Blodeuwedd and married her to Lleu Llaw Gyffes, who was both grateful and ecstatic. Love's young dream was not to last, unfortunately, as by trying to tame the spirit of field and forest, they had created a creature without compunction. Blodeuwedd was feral and feckless, and her lustful eye soon wandered from the morally upright Lleu. She engaged in a passionate affair with a passing lord, Gronw Pebr, who was so infatuated with Blodeuwedd that he agreed to conspire with her in arranging the murder of Lleu in order to be with her forever. Gwydion had cast a powerful protective spell on Lleu's life so that he could only be killed under almost impossible to arrange circumstances. Using her womanly wiles, Blodeuwedd discovered these secret terms and arranged their execution, culminating in an assassination attempt by Gronw on Lleu's life. Despite being mortally wounded by Gronw's spear, with Gwydion's intervention and Math's magic, Lleu survived to seek his revenge. Blodeuwedd being banished to the forest in the shape of an owl, forever deprived of the light of day, Lleu sought just revenge on Gronw Pebr. He was brought to the exact spot and circumstance of the attempt on Lleu's life, and despite pleading mitigating circumstances and requesting the protection of a rock shield, the force of Lleu's spear thrust pierced the rock and killed Gronw. Lleu seized Gronw's land and became supreme Lord of Gwynedd.
The Battle of Colby Moor, which took place near Wiston, Pembrokeshire, during The English Civil War, on August 1, 1645, was fought between the forces of Parliament and the Royalist army. It was to be the final confrontation between the two factions following three years of bitter struggle in west Wales.
Pembroke Castle was an important stronghold for Parliament as it controlled the Milford Haven waterway and the important sea route to Ireland. In early 1644, the garrison at Pembroke, led by the mayor, John Poyer, Colonel Rice Powell and Major-GeneralRowland Laugharne with support from the Parliamentary navy moved against several of the nearby Royalist strongholds. Then in the summer of 1645, in retaliation to the threat by Royalist to burn the cornfields around Narberth, Laugharne decided to attack the last remaining Royalist camp at Haverfordwest.
29th July - Laugharne marched northwards from Pembroke with two guns, 550 soldiers and 200 horse and dragoons. At Canaston Bridge, he was joined by 250 seamen from the frigate Warwick.
1st August - The Royalists moved out of Haverfordwest. They numbered 450 horse and 1,100 foot-soldiers, with four field guns. The two armies came face to face at Colby Moor. For the first hour, the action was very fierce, with neither side gaining the advantage. Eventually, the Royalist lines buckled and a chaotic retreat began to Haverfordwest Castle, during which weapons and carriages were abandoned by men fleeing for their lives.
5th August - Haverfordwest Castle was bombarded and stormed by the Parliamentarians, with 120 Royalist soldiers and 20 officers taken prisoner.
From Haverfordwest, Laugharne moved swiftly to recover other Royalist garrisons in Pembrokeshire and by the end of September 1645, all of Pembrokeshire was under Parliamentarian control. The gentry of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire declared for Parliament during September. The Royalists abandoned Cardigan and surrendered Carmarthen to Laugharne on 12 October, Newcastle Emlyn, in December and Aberystwyth, in April 1646 after a sustained siege.
In all, the Royalists lost 150 men killed at Colby Moor, whilst over 700 were taken prisoner. Some of the dead were buried in a mound still visible in the fields near the site of the battle. Others are said to lie in unmarked graves along the northern perimeter of the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, Wiston , where a memorial to the battle may be seen.
Landscape painter Richard Wilson, was born in Penegoes, Montgomeryshire on 1st August 1714. Wilson was one of the founder members in 1768 of the Royal Academy and has been described as '...the most distinguished painter Wales has ever produced and the first to appreciate the aesthetic possibilities of his country.' Later, his landscapes were acknowledged as an influence by both Constable and Turner.
Gŵyl Galan Awst (Lughnasadh) Celtic communities marked the beginning of the harvest season with community gatherings and festivals. The Christian church, probably in an attempt to convert followers of the old tradition, established the ritual of blessing the fields and celebrating the first wheat harvest with Lammas Day when it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop. Lammastide was also the traditional time of year when shops would be decorated and people would dress in bright colours and wear ribbons. There were also craft festivals, marches, ceremonial plays and dances.
Later, Christian communities shifted the hharvest celebration to the end of the gathering in September rather than at the beginning in August. The modern British tradition of celebrating Harvest Festival in churches began when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a thanksgiving service at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall in 1843. Later hymns such as "We plough the fields and scatter" and "All things bright and beautiful" helped to popularise his idea of the harvest festival and spread the annual custom of decorating churches with home-grown produce for the Harvest Festival service.
Aberdare Low-Level railway station was opened by the Taff Vale Railway Company on 1st August 1846 on the line from Abercynon to Cardiff. Aberdare High Level) was opened in 1851 on the adjacent line from the Vale of Neath,
Aberdare situated 3.5 miles south-west of Merthyr Tydfil, was little more than a village at the end of the eighteenth century, but grew rapidly in population owing to the abundance of coal and iron ore and the population of the whole parish, 1,486 in 1801, had increased to 53,779 by 1911. A large proportion of the migrants came from the rural parts of west Wales which had been affected by an agricultural depression. It has since declined, owing to the loss of most of the heavy industry, with the population at the 2001 census being 31,705.
The Coal mining and iron smelting industries grew significantly during the industrial revolution, particularly as coal-derived coke replaced charcoal in the smelting process. Between 1750 and 1800, the availability of limestone, coal and iron ore at the heads of the valleys led to a number of ironworks being founded there, such as Cyfarthfa and Dowlais works.
Canals were built to bring the iron down the valleys to the coast for export and later the canal company and local quarries built tramroads from the canal to connect with the nearby industries.
In 1804, Richard Trevithick built a steam locomotive at Penydarren Ironworks near Merthyr Tydfil and drove the world's first steam-hauled train along the Merthyr Tramroad from the ironworks to the canal basin at Abercynon. This combined with congestion on the canal encouraged the appeal of a quicker railway route.
In 1835 , the owner of the Plymouth Iron Works, Anthony Hill, asked his friend Isambard Kingdom Brunel, to investigate the building of a railway from Merthyr to Cardiff and to Bute Docks and on 21 June 1836, Royal Assent was given to The Taff Vale Railway Company's Act, allowing for the creation of the Taff Vale Railway Company.
On 1st August 1872 - Minffordd mainline railway station opened.
Minffordd station is unusual, as it is actually two adjacent stations operated entirely independently of each other. The mainline station (Minffordd Junction) opened on 1 August 1872 at the point where the then newly built Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway line from Dovey Junction to Pwllheli (latterly to become part of the Cambrian Railways) passes under the existing narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog for export from Porthmadog. It also carried passengers from 1865 and the interchange between standard gauge and narrow gauge railways in theUK has never been common and Minffordd station, which in 1872 was the earliest to provide such a facility is still in regular use.
From 1865, it also carried passengers and from 1872, was the earliest station in the UK to provide an interchange between standard gauge and narrow gauge, a facility which is still in regular use.
Llandudno Pier, which was opened on 1st August 1877 is the longest pier in Wales at 2,295 feet (700 m) and is very unusual in that it has two entrances, either side of the Grand Hotel. The Pier, which was voted "Pier of the Year 2005" was used for the 2002 TV production of The Forsyte Saga and a 2013 advert for Volkswagon. It has been described as being like an Indian Gothic style Maharajah's palace zooming out of the sea.
On this day 1588, The Spanish Armada was spotted off the coast of England and beacon fires were lit across Wales and England as a warning.
Some Welsh connections to the Spanish Armada
* John Nash of Carmarthen was master of a merchant ship named the Margaret and John, which participated in the sea battle against the Spanish Armada.
* Penguin is given as an example of an English word of Welsh origin and is attributed to Welsh crew members of Sir Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hind in 1577, and is likely to have been constructed from the Welsh words pen and gywn, meaning white head. The first citation of the word is noted in the log of Sir Francis Drake's reading: "Infinite were the Numbers of the foule, the Welsh men name Pengwin.
* In England the victory was greeted as a sign of divine approval for the Protestant cause. In Wales, however, Protestantism was regarded with suspicion, with the feeling that it was a new and heretical English faith. The Latin services of the Catholic faith were more familiar than English, which was an alien tongue to most Welsh worshippers. Elizabeth I, concerned that England’s enemies could attack England through Wales, if Wales remained Catholic, passed the Act for the Translating of the Bible and the Divine Service into the Welsh Tongue, and ordered the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. It was an attempt to affiliate the Welsh people to the English crown.
* The provision of The Bible in Welsh, a language which was not the official state language, was unique in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Thomas Jones, the translator, had previosly written a hymn of thanksgivingfor deliverance from the Armada.
On 31st July 1917, James Llewellyn Davies from Ogmore Vale, Glamorgan was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Davies, of the 13th Battalion,The Royal Welch Fusiliers, was involved in action at Polygon Wood, Pilkem in Belgium.
His citation reads;
"For most conspicuous bravery during an attack on the enemy's line, this non-commissioned officer pushed through our own barrage and single-handed attacked a machine gun emplacement, after several men had been killed in attempting to take it. He bayoneted one of the machine gun crew and brought in another man, together with the captured gun. Cpl. Davies, although wounded, then led a bombing party to the assault of a defended house, and killed a sniper who was harassing his platoon. This gallant non-commissioned officer has since died of wounds received during the attack"
On 31st July 1917, Ivor Rees from Felinfoel near Llanelli was awarded the Victoria Cross. Rees, of the 11th, South Wales Borderers, supported the capture of a fortified German defensive line during the Battle of Passchendaele.
His citation reads;
"At Pilckem, Belgium, on 31st July 1917, an enemy machine gun inflicted many casualties when it opened fire at close range. Sergeant Rees, leading his platoon, gradually worked his way round the right flank, by making short rushes, to the rear of the gun position. At 20 yards from the machine gun, Sergeant Rees rushed forward towards it, shooting one of the crew, and bayoneting the other. He bombed a large concrete emplacement, killing five of the enemy and taking 30 prisoners, including two officers and capturing a machine gun, undamaged."
On 31st July 1917, Robert James Bye from Pontypridd was awarded the Victoria Cross. Bye, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was involved in the defence of the Yser Canal in Belgium during the Third Battle of Ypres.
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
Born this day 1894 in Cardiff
Fred Keenor - former Wales soccer international, best known for captaining the Cardiff City team to success in the 1927 FA Cup Final.
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
werfwe
The first section of the Great Orme Tramway at Llandudno was opened on 31stJuly 1902 , the longest funicular railway (the ascending and descending vehicles are fixed to a cable and counterbalance each other) in the British Isles.
It is also Britain's only remaining cable operated street tramway and one of few surviving in the world. It operates between Llandudno Victoria Station to the summit of the Great Orme headland.
werfwe
On 31st July 1957 The Tryweryn Bill became law, despite the fervent opposition of Welsh MPs. It gave Liverpool City Council permission to build a reservoir which would drown the Welsh speaking village of Capel Celyn near Bala. This led to increased support in the late 1950s for the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, and gave impetus to the demand for Welsh devolution. The official opening of the reservoir in 1965 was disrupted by protesters who had cut microphone wires, and the chanting protesters drowned out the speeches. In October 2005, Liverpool City Council published a public apology for the incident.
The full statement reads;-
"The Council acknowledges its debt to the many thousands of Welsh people who have made their homes in the City. They have, in so many ways, enriched the life of the City.
We know that Liverpool, especially in the fields of medicine and education, has been of real service to the people of Wales.
We realise the hurt of forty years ago when the Tryweryn Valley was transformed into a reservoir to help meet the water needs of Liverpool.
For any insensitivity by our predecessor Council at that time, we apologise and hope that the historic and sound relationship between Liverpool and Wales can be completely restored."
On July 31st 1998, The Government of Wales Act 1998 was given Royal Assent. This led to The National Assembly for Wales being established in 1999.
The Act followed the affirmative devolution referendum in September 1997 and facilitated the transfer of the powers of the Secretary of State for Wales to the new Assembly.
Born this day 1874 in Chirk
Billy Meredith , the former Wales soccer international and captain, was considered one of the early superstars of football and one of the greatest players of his era. Billy aged 74, is pictured kicking off a match with the Glyn Ceiriog team.
Billy started work at Black Park Colliery as a pit pony driver at the age of 12 and spent eight years working in the mines. His family were Primitive Methodists and Meredith himself remained a lifelong teetotaller. Meredith's playing career was spent between Manchester City and Manchester United and he won every domestic trophy in the English football league and at 46 years, 281 days, he became United's oldest ever player. Meredith also gained 48 caps for Wales and at 45 years and 229 days, he remains the oldest player to win a Wales cap.
A model professional, he spent his spare time improving his game with extra training sessions and maintained peak physical fitness by avoiding alcohol and tobacco. His "gimmick" was to chew on a toothpick during matches, and contemporary cartoonists were quick to exploit this habit. Meredith was a firm supporter of firmly players' rights, held the view that they should, if they so wished, be allowed to move from club to club. He helped to form the players' union and supported a strike when the union entered into a dispute with the F.A.
30th July 1996 saw the video premiere of the film Hedd Wyn
Hedd Wyn is an anti-war biopic based on the life of Ellis Humphrey Evans, a Welsh soldier killed in WWl. The title is the bardic name chosen by Evans, under which he was awarded, posthumously, the Eisteddfod Chair in 1917. The film starkly contrasts the beauty of the Meirionnydd landscape of the poet's home with the horror of the trenches at Passchendaele where he died. Evans, played by Huw Garmon, is portrayed as a tragic hero with an intense hatred of war and nationalism. Writer Alan Llwyd and director Paul Turner won several BAFTA Cymru awards, and the film was voted the Best Single Drama by the Royal Television Society. It was the first Welsh language film to be nominated for an Academy Award.
edffwef
edffwef
Stan Stennett (born in Cardiff on 30th July 1925) was a comedian, musician and actor.
Stennett served in the army during World War II, and also worked as an entertainer. He became the regular comedian on a radio show,'Welsh Rarebit', although he was better known as a comedy guest on 'The Black and White Minstrel Show'. Although a renowned variety and pantomime performer, Stennett has also played "straight" acting roles in television programmes such as Casualty and Coronation Street. Stennett was a friend of Eric Morecambe, and he was acting as host during the final performance when Eric suffered a heart attack and died on 27 May 1984.
edffwef
On 30th July 1942, a German Heinkel 111 crashed on Pwllheli beach, killing three crew. The pilot survived and was captured.
During World War II, Germany used night bomber raids, in response to which the home forces employed night fighter squadrons which operated around the coast, as well as anti-aircraft guns and searchlights. One of the most successful night fighter units was 456 Squadron, stationed at Valley aerodrome on Anglesey.
On the night of 30 July 1942 Wing Commander EC Wolfe was flying a Bristol Beaufighter over the Irish Sea and Cardigan Bay, seeking enemy raiders. With him was Pilot Officer EA Ashcroft. They confronted a German Heinkel bomber on its way to Birmingham. After an exchange of machine gun fire, the Heinkel went into a vertical dive and crashed onto the beach at Pwllheli.
Three men perished in the crash, but the pilot, Dirk Hofles, did manage to bale out of the diving Heinkel and was quickly taken prisoner and taken into captivity.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established on July 29th 1958, with the aim of encouraging peaceful applications in space science.
Some of Wales's connections with NASA:
* George W. S. Abbey Sr is a former Director of the NASA Johnson Space Centre. His mother was from Laugharne and he has a lifelong interest in Wales and its heritage. He is also an Honorary Fellow of Swansea University.
* Dafydd Williams, whose father emigrated to Canada from Bargoed and is exceptionally proud of his Welsh heritage, is a NASA Astronaut and A&E consultant who has shared insights into creating safer working systems with NHS staff across Wales. Dr Williams served on two shuttle missions, in 1998 and 2007, when he was mission specialist on the space shuttle Endeavour and took part in three of the four spacewalks.
* Cardiff-born Dr John “Tony” Llewellyn resigned from Nasa’s spaceman corps in 1968, less than a year before the historic lunar landings which could have seen his name added to the cosmic annals of history. Llewellyn took the decision to opt out because he’d failed to master piloting jet aircraft “blindfolded”. A special ruling had been made, making him one of only two men at the time to receive astronaut status despite not being American-born.
* The Welsh Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Harries, was awarded NASA's most prestigious civilian honour in recognition of his distinguished public service in advancing knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere and climate change.
On 29th July 1981, twenty year-old Diana Spencer became Princess of Wales when she married the Prince Charles at St Paul's Cathedral. Her wedding ring was made from Welsh gold.
Some other Welsh connections of Princess Diana;
* Her first official tour with the Prince of Wales was a three-day visit to Wales in October 1981.
* During the tour to Wales in 1981, Diana was given the Freedom of Cardiff at a ceremony in St Davids Hall, where she made her first public speech, part of which was in Welsh.
* The Princess of Wales Hospital is a district general hospital located on the outskirts of Bridgend.
* Princess Diana supported the Welsh rugby team and regularly attended international matches.
* The hymn "Cwm Rhondda was sung at Diana's funeral.
* Eight members of the Welsh Guards accompanied Diana's coffin on its procession through the streets of London.
Captain America: The First Avenger, released on 29th July 2011, is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. War scenes were filmed at the former Royal Navy Propellant Factory in the Welsh village of Caerwent.
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
Risen, released on 29th July 2010, is a film biopic, directed by Neil Jones, of the Welsh boxer Howard Winstone from Merthyr Tydfil.
Howard became Featherweight Champion of the World at the age of 29 in 1968. As a young man he lost the tips of three fingers in an industrial accident. He was no longer able to make a fist with his right hand, which was a devastating blow for a professional boxer, especially one such as Winstone who was renowned for his right-handed power. Howard, however, completely changed the way he boxed and went on, remarkably, to become British Champion, European Champion and World Champion.
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
In July 2005, a rare Sooty Tern was spotted in the Skerries, Anglesey. It was only the second sighting of the bird in Wales in the past century, and the first sighting in the UK since 1980.
Hundreds of birdwatchers, or twitchers, from all over Britain descended on Anglesey to see the bird, which is normally found in the tropics or the South Atlantic. Boatmen in Holyhead, Cemaes and Amlwch laid on charter trips.
eswer
eswer
eswer
eswer
The town of Puerto Madryn in the province of Chubut in Argentine Patagonia was founded on July 28, 1865, when 150 Welsh immigrants arriving aboard the clipper Mimosa named the natural port Porth Madryn in honour of Sir Love Jones-Parry, whose estate in Wales was named "Madryn".
Towards the end of 1862, Captain Love Jones-Parry financed a trip, accompanied by Lewis Jones, to Patagonia to decide whether it was a suitable area for Welsh emigrants. Having first visited Buenos Aires for discussions with the Interior Minister, they headed south and reached Patagonia in a small ship named the Candelaria. An unexpected storm drove them into a bay which was later named "Porth Madryn". Jones-Parry and Lewis Jones gave a glowing report of the area, and in 1865, a group of 162 Welsh emigrants departed for Patagonia in the ship Mimosa.
The settlement flourished especially after the opening of the Central Chubut Railway, built by Welsh, Spanish, and Italian immigrants. The railway, opened in 1888, linked Porth Madryn to Trelew through the lower Chubut River valley.
Puerto Madryn now has about 58,000 inhabitants and is twinned with Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula.
Today is the feast day of Saint Samson
Born in 486, Samson was the grandson of Meurig ap Tewdrig, King of Glamorgan and Gwent. He was educated by St Illtud at the Abbey of Llanilltud Fawr, where he was ordained a deacon and then a priest, but he fell out with Illtud's nephews and decided to move to the monastery on Caldey Island, where he became abbot after the death of Saint Pyr, who was killed when he fell down a well while drunk. Samson, who abstained from alcohol, considerably reformed the discipline of the enclave.
He then travelled extensively while carrying out his missionary work; first to Ireland, where he is said to have founded or revived a monastery, then to Cornwall, where he was consecrated a Bishop and appointed an abbot, then to the Scilly Isles where one of the islands was named after him and finally to Brittany where he founded the monasteries at Dol (Brittany) and Pental (Normandy), and is said to have defeated a dragon on the banks of the Seine. He is regarded as one of the foremost evangelizers of the era and has long been venerated with enthusiasm in Wales and Brittany. In the 930s King Aethelstan of England acquired a number of his relics - including an arm and his crozier and proudly displayed them in Milton Abbey in Dorset.
A short history of the potato, including its introduction to Wales;
The potato is now regarded as an essential component of the diet, providing starch, vitamin C, potassium as well as being an excellent source of fibre. But that has not always been the case; at first they were treated with suspicion and considered to be of little nutritional value.
The potato is thought to have been first cultivated in the area between the south of Peru and the northeast of Bolivia over three thousand years ago, though scientists believe they may have grown wild in the region as long as 13,000 years ago.
1532 The Spanish conquistadors first encountered the potato when they noted that the Incas had learned to preserve the potato for storage by dehydrating and mashing potatoes into a substance called chuñu which could be stored for up to 10 years. As well as using the potato for food, the Incas also thought that they made childbirth easier and also used it to treat injuries.
1570 The potato arrived in Spain, although they were regarded with suspicion, unfit for human consumption and used only as animal fodder
1589 ( 28th July ) Sir Walter Raleigh is reputed to have been the first to bring the potato to Ireland and planted them at his Irish estate at Youghal, near Cork. However in Ireland and the UK many Protestants would not plant potatoes, as they had no mention in the Bible and Catholics would only grow them if their seed potatoes were sprinkled with holy water and planted on a GoodFriday.
1776 It was reported that potato cultivation was widespread at Milford Haven. Up until this date, the British diet had consisted primarily of dairy produce, bread and meat. Vegetables were seldom consumed, being regarded as worthless and even harmful.
1801 - 1851 England and Wales experienced an unprecedented population explosion, due to the Industrial Revolution, their combined population doubling to almost 18 million. High yielding, easily prepared potato crops were the obvious solution to resulting increase in demand for food, which also helped mitigate the effects of such diseases as measles, dysentery, scurvy and tuberculosis. The higher birth rates and lower mortality rates that potatoes encouraged led to a tremendous population increase.
1801- 1809 In the USA, potatoes did not become widely accepted until they received an aristocratic seal of approval from Thomas Jefferson, the Welsh speaking President, who served them to guests at the White House.
1845 The Irish Potato Famine. The most dramatic example of the potato's potential to alter population patterns occurred in Ireland. By 1800, potatoes were the staple crop, and the population doubled by 1841. There was no introduction of industry or change in farming methods, simply the cultivation of the high-yielding potato. By the early 1840s, nearly half of the Irish population had become dependent on the potato. When the crop was blighted, many thousands starved.
1922 The growing of Pembrokeshire Earlies on a field scale began.
1945 After the Second World War, consequential market and political pressures resulted in an increase in the acreage of potatoes being grown in Pembrokeshire, the majority being sold to markets in the large population centres of South Wales and the Midlands.
1950's - 1970's saw an increase in the growing of the early potato sector, with Pembrokeshire farmers selling the majority of early potatoes to markets in the Midlands and North of England to meet growing consumer demand.
1980's Thirty Pembrokeshire growers came together to form a Potato Marketing Group which ensured that only potatoes of sufficient quality were supplied to market.
1995 A potato processing plant was built in Pembrokeshire which to grade and prepare potatoes for the mass market.
The Pembrokeshire potato is a brand that is in strong demand; it is regarded as a quality product with a distinctive taste that is used by many top chefs and appears as a named ingredient on their menus.
Pembrokeshire Earlies is the name given to immature potatoes of the solanum tuberosum species of the Solanaceae family. They are small in size because the potatoes are young when harvested. The potato is round or oval in shape with a soft skin and distinctive strong nutty flavour. It has a creamy texture and is a bright white colour. The first crop in May is sold with the soil still on in order to protect the soft skin of the potatoes. As the season progresses the skin hardens sufficiently to allow washing. Pembrokeshire Earlies are harvested from the beginning of May until the end of July, after which they are called main crop potatoes. There are particular skills associated with growing Pembrokeshire Earlies, with stones being left in the soil to aid warming. Hand picking is necessary to minimise damage during the first two weeks of the harvest when the potatoes are very soft. As the season progresses, the potatoes harden sufficiently to allow careful machine harvesting.
It is the short growing time and the mild climate of Pembrokeshire generated by the North Atlantic Drift of The Gulf Stream, which helps keep the western coast of Great Britain a couple of degrees warmer than the eastern side. This minimises the risk of frosts damaging the emerged crop, enabling Pembrokeshire Earlies to be grown and harvested earlier than in most areas in the UK.
On 28th July 1481 a copy of the Great Bible was sent out to every church in Wales and England.
This was during the Protestant Reformation, when in 1534, Henry VIII had broken from the papal authority of Rome in a dispute over the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and declared himself head of the Protestant Church of England. This was followed by The Acts of Union, which commenced in 1536 and was an attempt to absorb Wales into England. The issuing of the Great Bible, which was only printed in English, can, therefore, be seen as Henry's attempt to uniform and consolidate his rule throughout his kingdom. The first Welsh translation of the Bible was not printed until 1567, under the rule of Henry's daughter, Elizabeth I.
wewedw
wewedw
On 28th July 2004, the University of Wales admitted four new institutions as full members of the university;
* Glyndŵr University, formerly known as North East Wales Institute of Higher Education.
* Swansea Institute of Higher Education, later known as Swansea Metropolitan University.
* Trinity College, Carmarthen, later known as Trinity University College.
* Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
wewedw
Born this day 1966 in Neath
Andy Legg - former Wales soccer international, who was known for having the longest throw-in in football, being able to regularly throw the ball over 30 metres and once held the world record with a distance of 44.6m
Early Welsh settlers in Patagonia.
On 27th July 1865, over 150 settlers from Wales arrived on The Mimosa, at Puerto Madryn in Southern Argentina, with the intention of establishing Y Wladfa (the Welsh Colony in Patagonia)
The notion of a Welsh colony in South America was proposed by Professor Michael D. Jones, a non-conformist preacher based in Bala, who had spent several years in the United States, where Welsh settlers had adapted to the new lifestyle very quickly. He advocated establishing a Welsh speaking colony, far from the influence of the English Language, in Patagonia. The destination was chosen for its isolation and the Argentines' offer of 100 square miles of land along the Chubut river.
The Mimosa sailed from Liverpool in May 1865 and after approximately eight weeks arrived at Puerto Madryn. Unfortunately, the settlers found that Patagonia was not the fertile land they had been promised. They had been led to believe that it was similar to the fertile lowlands of Wales. In fact, it was a windswept pampas, with no water, very little source of food and no woodlands to provide building materials or shelter. Some of the settlers’ first homes were simply dug out from the soft rock of the cliffs in the bay. At first, the colony looked as if it were doomed to failure. The settlers had to walk forty miles across the desert, pushing in wheelbarrows their meagre belongings and food, finally managing to reach the proposed site for the colony in the Chubut valley. It was here in 1865, where the river Camwy cuts through the desert from the nearby Andes, that the permanent settlement of Rawson was established. The settlers on The Mimosa included miners, carpenters, brickmakers, cobblers and tailors, but very few farmers. This proved to be a serious disadvantage, as the terrain was dry and dusty and it was difficult to grow crops. Life for the settlers was made even more difficult by arguments over land ownership, bad harvests and floods. In addition, there was no direct route to the ocean to import necessities. Without the help of the Tehuelche Indians, who at first had been suspicious and unfriendly, the settlement may not have survived the early food shortages.
Simple irrigation of the Chubut river was successful, and over the next several years new settlers arrived from both Wales and Pennsylvania. By the end of 1874, the settlement had a population of 270, with a patchwork of farms beginning to emerge. In 1875, the Welsh settlers were granted official title to the land by the Argentine Government, and this encouraged many more people to join the colony, with more than 500 arriving from Wales. There were further migrations from Wales between 1880-87, and 1904-12. The settlers had seemingly achieved their utopia with Welsh speaking chapels, schools and local government.
These now productive and fertile lands soon attracted settlers of other nationalities to Chubut, eroding its Welsh identity. By 1915, the population of Chubut numbered 20,000, with approximately half of these being from nationalities other than Welsh. Over the years, use of the Welsh language declined, and after 1914, there was little contact between Wales and Chubut. Change began to occur, however, when large numbers of Welsh people visited Patagonia in 1965 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the colony. There has recently been a co-ordinated attempt by the Argentine government and the National Assembly of Wales to promote and maintain Patagonia's Welsh heritage and identity. Teachers are being sent there to assist in keeping the language alive, eisteddfodau are being held, chapels are being supported and bara brith is being served in Welsh teahouses. In 2006, sporting links were established when Wales played Argentina in a rugby international at Puerto Madryn.
On 27th July 1469, following the Battle of Edgcote Moor, near Banbury, during the Wars of the Roses, William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and his brother Richard were executed.
William Herbert had been the guardian of the young Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII, between the ages of 5 and 12.
Herbert, known as "Black William", was the son of William ap Thomas who founded Raglan Castle, and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam. He was, therefore, a grandson of Dafydd Gam, who had been a loyal follower of King Henry V of England. Herbert was a Yorkist supporter in the Wars of the Roses and was rewarded in 1461 by King Edward IV with the title Lord Herbert of Raglan.
Later in 1461, at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire, the Yorkist forces defeated the Lancastrians, led by Owen Tudor, who was subsequently beheaded at Hereford. His brother Jasper had to flee in disguise to Pembroke and was hunted mercilessly by Herbert. Jasper successfully eluded capture, eventually escaping to France via Scotland.
Herbert replaced Jasper Tudor as Earl of Pembroke and as guardian of the four-year-old Henry Tudor, who had been left behind at Pembroke Castle. Young Henry seems to have been treated kindly by the Herberts and was given a gentleman's education.
However, in 1469 Herbert fell out with "Kingmaker" Lord Warwick, because Warwick reneged on the King, leading the Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Edgecote Moor, after which William was executed, along with his brother Richard.
Hugh d'Avranches (born circa 1047 – died 27 July 1101), 1st Earl of Chester. Hugh, due to his gluttony, became so fat that he could hardly walk, earning him the nickname of le Gros (the Fat). He would also earn the nickname Lupus (Wolf) for his savage ferocity against the Welsh.
Following the Norman Conquest, King William I of England (William the Conquerer) installed Hugh d'Avranches, William FitzOsbern and Roger de Montgomerie as Earls of Chester, Hereford and Shrewsbury respectively.
These areas became known as the Welsh Marches and as a frontier society, the Earls were given special powers to bring their adjacent parts of Wales under Norman control. Absorbing towns and villages and laying down their own laws and customs, they claimed these territories along the March as rights of conquest and built hundreds of small castles as assertions of power as well as defences against Welsh raids.
Hugh inherited a large estate in northern France and Normandy and was an important councillor of William the Conquerer, probably fighting with him at the Battle of Hastings, after which he was given the command of Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire.
1071 - Hugh was given the Earldom of Chester.
1081 - Gruffudd ap Cynan King of Gwynedd was captured at a meeting with Hugh at Rug, near Corwen. and imprisoned at Chester. Earl Hugh and Robert of Rhuddlan, his cousin, went on to take possession of Gwynedd, building castles at Bangor, Aberlleinog and Caernarfon.
1094 - Gruffudd ap Cynan escaped from captivity and regained Anglesey and much of the rest of Gwynedd.
1098 - Joining forces with Hugh of Montgomery, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, Hugh attempted to recover his loss in Gwynedd. Gruffudd ap Cynan took refuge in Anglesey but fled to Ireland when a fleet he had hired from the Danish settlement in Ireland changed sides. The situation was turned around when a Norwegian fleet arrived, under the command of King Magnus III of Norway, also known as Magnus Barefoot. He attacked the Norman forces, and Earl Hugh of Shrewsbury was killed by an arrow, reputedly shot by Magnus himself. The Normans evacuated Anglesey, and in the following year, Gruffydd returned from Ireland to recover possession. Hugh apparently came to an agreement with him and did not try to recover these lands.
The 27th July 1967 is a significant and vitally important date in the history of the Welsh language.
The Welsh Language Act 1967 was passed and became law. It was based upon part of the Hughes Parry Report (1965), which "advocated equal importance and significance, in both writing and speech, for Welsh and English in the court system" and was the beginning of a process of replacing out of date legislation that dated back to Henry VIII and the Acts of Union in 1536. It had been passed only after extensive campaigning by members of Plaid Cymru and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society)
* The act gave the right to use Welsh orally in court proceedings in Wales provided that the person who wishes to do so has notified the court in advance
* The act allowed the appropriate and relevant government ministers to authorise Welsh versions or translations of any documents.
* The act repealed the part of the Wales and Berwick Act of 1746 that stated that the term English should be used to include Wales as well as England.
* The significance of the 1967 Welsh Language Act lay in the fact that only English was used in the law courts, disregarding the fact that most people in Wales in the 16th and 17th centuries spoke only Welsh. Very few had any real understanding of English. The new act put Welsh on equal terms with English in public life.
However, some campaigners saw it as toothless and continued a pro-active campaign of protest, eventually leading to a new Welsh Language Act in 1993, which gave much more importance to the Welsh language. Significantly, however, it could not have been passed had it not been for the 1967 act.
Born on this day 1926 in Merthyr
Eddie Thomas was a brilliant welterweight boxer with a fast left jab, who won the European, Empire and British boxing titles and came close to a world championship. He is best remembered, however, for his success as a manager. His protégée Howard Winstone won the WBC Featherweight title and Ken Buchanan became undisputed World Lightweight Champion a decade before Colin Jones, from Gorseinon, came heartbreakingly close to giving him a third world champion.
As a young man, he joined his father and three of his six brothers in the mines at Cwmddu and continued working underground even after he became a successful professional fighter. All seven of the boys boxed, but his father opposed Eddie taking up the sport professionally as he considered it 'too dangerous'. In an ironic twist, his father was to lose an arm in a mining accident, while Thomas survived nearly fifty professional bouts without sustaining any damage. He was known as the 'Singing Boxer' for entertaining the crowd with the song "Bless This House" after every fight.
He was considered a hero outside the ring as well, being among the first at the scene of the Aberfan mining disaster in 1966, and using his mining expertise to organise the rescue attempt. He salvaged many of the children's bodies himself, and the people of his community never forgot this, giving him the freedom of the town in 1992 and electing him mayor in 1994.
Born on 27th July 1911 and raised in Abertillery
Air Vice Marshall Wilfred Oulton - The Welshman who tested the H- Bomb
After University College, Cardiff, he became a pilot officer, joining a flying boat squadron at Southampton. In 1935, he attended the School of Air Navigation at Manston where he was recognised as an exceptional navigator.
During the Second World War, the most critical campaign of all, as conceded by Churchill, was the one fought against the German U-boats, who were eventually defeated by the Royal Navy and Coastal Command of the RAF. Among the RAF pilots in that campaign, none was more expert and successful than Wilfred Oulton, who was awarded the DFC and the DSO for his courage, and who was mentioned three times in dispatches.
After the war, Oulton was deputy director of the newly-formed Air Traffic Control, helping to establish early systems at Heathrow, before being appointed as the Air attaché covering the southern part of the South American continent. At that later post, as Joint Commander of Operation Grapple at Christmas Island from 1956 to 1958, he organised and conducted nuclear tests.
On 27th July 1946, the cause of an outbreak of typhoid in Aberystwyth was traced to locally-made ice cream. During the outbreak, up to 210 people contracted the disease and four died.
The outbreak ruined the town's attempt to re-establish itself after the war as a viable holiday destination. At the time, one national newspaper carried the banner headline “Typhoid Town” above a story covering the infection, and the resulting bad national publicity reduced the number of visitors to Aberystwyth that summer and the following year.
The disease was found to have originated from a Bitchell’s ice cream cart; it appears that Bitchell’s power supply failed and they were unable to heat up the cream properly before freezing it.
Born this day 1969 in Cardiff.
Tanni Grey (Baroness Carys Davina Grey-Thompson) was christened Carys Davina Grey, but her sister referred to her as "tiny" when she first saw her, pronouncing it "tanni" and the name stuck.
Born wth spina bifida, Tanni is Britain's most successful Paralympian ever, winning 11 Paralympic gold medals, as well as six London Marathons. But she is not only defined by her sporting success, as since being made a peer, she has become an active champion in the House of Lords for the rights of disabled people, and alongside such sporting legends as Jack Nicklaus, Boris Becker and Pele, Tanni is also a Laureus Academy Member, which strives to improve the lives of disadvantaged children through participation in sport.
Tanni graduated from Loughborough University in 1991 with a BA (Hons) degree in Politics and Social Administration and is to be applauded in her recent attempt to learn Welsh, saying that "Mum was a Welsh speaker but never spoke Welsh at home. I always thought she'd be around to speak Welsh to my daughter, Carys, but when she died, there was no one else to teach Carys". Her autobiography Seize the Day was published in 2001.
Born this day 1967 in Aberdare
David "Dai" Young - former Wales and Lions rugby international and rugby league captain
Young made his debut for Wales against England in the quarter-finals of the 1987 Rugby World Cup aged 19 and went on to win 51 caps, a record for a prop forward. He is also the only man to have toured with the British and Irish Lions in three separate decades: 1989, 1997 and 2001. Young then transferred to Leeds to play rugby league, for a world record at the time of £150,000 He captained Wales in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. After retiring from playing, he became head coach of the Cardiff Blues and is currently Director of Rugby at London Wasps.
The film Ironclad, released on 26th July 2011, was filmed entirely in Wales at the Dragon International Film Studios in Llanharan. It was the largest independent production to be filmed in Wales.
Set in 13th-century England, the film depicts a small group of Knights Templar fighting to defend Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John.
A historically accurate replica of Rochester Castle was built in the studio complex.
werfwerfwer
werfwerfwer
werfwerfwer
On 26th July 1841, the proprietors of The Skerries Lighthouse off Anglesey, the last privately owned lighthouse in the British Isles, were awarded £444,984 in compensation for its sale to Trinity House.
1716 - The Skerries Lighthouse was first lit, having been built by William Trench, who tragically lost his son off the rocks.
1759 - The lighthouse was rebuilt, and was lit by a coal brazier on top of the tower.
1778 - Morgan Jones, who was twice High Sheriff of Cardiganshire, inherited the lighthouse. He raised the top of the tower by 6.7 metres (22 ft) and built an iron balcony with railings enclosing the oil-burning lantern. The light itself was comprised of square glazed panes and topped by a cupola.
1836 - Trinity House took over operation of the lighthouse under an enabling act of 1836, but not without a fight from the original owners, who wanted to protect their investment from a low takeover price.
1987 - The light was automated and is now controlled from Holyhead.
The National Pageant of Wales was held in Cardiff between 26th July - 7th August 1909.
Held in Sophia Gardens, it was intended to inspire the Welsh people to achieve great things. The roles of ancient Welsh heroes and heroines were acted out by local dignitaries dressed in sumptuous costumes, with the Marchioness of Bute leading the performance as "Dame Wales," in a dress encrusted with a large red dragon. Reportedly over 5,000 local people took part, including groups of children from local schools who played fairies, servants and supporters, and local rugby players who enacted marauding armies. The pageant was held over two weeks, with the first week's performances taking place in the afternoons, and the second week's evening performances being lit by hundreds of electric lights.
Although the pageant attracted newspaper coverage and hundreds of visitors, it was not as successful as the organisers had hoped. Various reasons were suggested for its lack of impact and overspend:
* A failure to take advantage of possible advertising opportunities. The event had only briefly been mentioned at the Eisteddfod in London a few weeks earlier.
* The cost of costumes and the spectator stands.
* The cost of the 3,000 incandescent electric lamps used during the evening performances, alongside electric flare lamps to illuminate the stage and searchlights of ten thousand candle power to sweep the grounds
* The failure of the population of Wales outside Cardiff and its surrounds to engage with the pageant.
On 26th July, the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff came to an end with the closing ceremony at Cardiff Arms Park.
The Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies, were all held at the Cardiff Arms Park. A new Wales Empire Pool was constructed for the swimming events, Sophia Gardens Pavilion was used for the boxing events and Maindy Stadium was used for cycling. Boxer Howard Winstone won a Gold medal for Wales at the games.
Cardiff had originally been scheduled to host the games in 1946, but the event was cancelled because of World War II. The Cardiff Games were the last in which South Africa participated until 1994, after the abolition of apartheid. There were objections and demonstrations against South Africa in Cardiff because their team had been selected on the basis of race and colour rather than ability.
Born this day 1895 in Llanuwchllyn, Merionethshire
Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards - best known as the founder of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the Welsh League of Youth, also a writer and film-maker,
Sir Ifan was educated at Bala grammar school and University of Wales, Aberystwyth and after military service on the Western Front during World War I, he studied history at Lincoln College, Oxford. He then worked as a teacher and lecturer from 1920 to 1948, before giving up the profession to concentrate on his work for the Urdd. In 1922, Edwards wrote a letter to the periodical Cymru'r Plant, as a result of which the Urdd was established. The first Urdd recreational camp was held at Llanuwchllyn in 1928, under his direction. It was gradually followed by more permanent camps and residential centres at Llangrannog, Glanllyn, the Wales Millenium Centre in Cardiff and Pentre Ifan. In 1947, he was knighted in recognition of his youth work.
He directed the first Welsh language sound film, The Quarryman, along with J. Ellis Williams. He was also a director of Television Wales and the West and encouraged the making of television programmes in Welsh. Owen Edwards, his son, was to be appointed as the first chief executive of S4C.
Building work commenced on Aberystwyth Castle on this day 1277, during Edward I's invasion of Wales following Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's refusal to do homage to him at Chester in 1275.
A history of Aberystwyth Castle;
1110 Marcher lord Gilbert de Clare built an earth and timber Motte and bailey castle a mile south of the current site called "Castell Tan-y-castell", which was subsequently replaced with stone.
1136 The castle was captured by Owain Gwynedd.
1221 After changing hands, at least, three times, Llywelyn the Great captured the castle and razed it to the ground, building another one in its place.
1277 Work started on Edward I's castle on 25th July.
1282 (March) Captured briefly by the Welsh and burned.
1282 (May) Recaptured by the English, with repair work overseen by Master James of St George.
1282 Edward I stayed at Aberystwyth Castle 10-16th November.
1294-5 The castle was subjected to a lengthy siege during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn.
1295 Edward I stayed at Aberystwyth Castle.
1307 A borough was thriving outside the castle walls, the Welsh name of which was Llanbadarn Gaerog.
1404 Owain Glyndwr took the castle.
1405 French troops land in Wales in support of Owain Glyndwr. Charles VI of France seals a treaty with Owain Glyndwr at Aberystwyth Castle.
1408 Castle recaptured by Prince Henry ( the future Henry V).
1415 Henry V uses Aberystwyth Castle to hold French prisoners captured at Agincourt.
1637 Aberystwyth Castle functioned as a Royal Mint making silver shillings during the reign of Charles l.
1642 - 1644 The castle was held by Royalist supporters during The English Civil War.
1646 Parliamentarians took the castle.
1648 Cromwell ordered the castle to be slighted (taken out of use).
Gruffydd ap Rhys II (died 25 July 1201) - eldest son and heir of Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord Rhys), ruler of Deheubarth.
In Rhys' last years a feud developed between Gruffydd and his brother Maelgwn ap Rhys. They became bitter enemies, so much so that when Rhys ap Gruffydd died in 1197 and Gruffydd was recognised as his successor, Maelgwn used troops supplied by Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys to attack Gruffydd in Aberystwyth. Capturing both the town and the castle, Maelgwn took Gruffydd prisoner, handing the captive to Gwenwynwyn who turned him over to the English. He was imprisoned in Corfe Castle in Dorset.
In 1198 Gwenwynwyn threatened to take English holdings at Elfael and Painscastle, and Gruffydd was released in order to mediate the dispute. He failed, but Gwenwynwyn was defeated in the resulting battle.
Gruffydd remained at liberty, and by the end of 1198 had captured Ceredigion from Maelgwn except for the castles of Cardigan and Ystrad Meurig. In 1199, he captured Cilgerran Castle. Maelgwn made a pact with King John of England, exchanging possession of Cardigan castle for the remainder of Ceredigion.
On 25th July 1201, Gruffydd died of an illness and was buried in Strata Florida Abbey.
On 25th July 2012, Cardiff hosted an Olympic event for the first time as Great Britain's women's soccer team took on New Zealand.
On July 25th 1839, Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone married Catherine Glynne of Hawarden.
A history of Hawarden House and Castle:
Hawarden House and estate had previously belonged to the family of his wife, Catherine Glynne and is still owned by the Gladstone family, In its grounds are the ruins of Hawarden medieval castle, whose earthwork embankments date back to at least the Iron Age and was the site of a Norman motte and bailey castle, which went on t0 play an important role during the Welsh struggle for independence in the 13th century;.
1260's Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was granted possession of the castle from Simon de Montfort's son Henry, but the agreement was reneged on by the English.
1265 In retaliation Llywelyn destroyed the castle and captured Lord Robert de Montalt
1267 Montalt had been returned to power at the castle but was required to swear to never again fortify the site, an agreement he did not keep, refortifying the castle with a masonry round keep.
1282 Dafydd ap Gruffydd. sieged and captured the castle and its constable, Roger de Clifford, thereby starting the final Welsh conflict with Norman England, by the end of the year Llywelyn had been killed, and Dafydd fled, only to be captured and hanged, drawn and quartered in Shrewsbury the following year
1294 The castle was taken by Madog ap Llywelyn during a revolt.
1295 The castle was retaken by the English king Edward I
1642 During the English Civil War the castle was under Royalist control.
1643 It was briefly captured by Parliamentarians, but was quickly restored to Royalist control.
1646 The castle finally fell to the Parliamentarians and was slighted and never restored,
1752 Hawarden House was erected and the castle became part of the estates
