The Llangorse crannog

BBC ^ | Wednesday 28 November 2012 | Phil Carradice

[SunkenCiv]

Giraldus Cambrensis wrote about the lake in his book about journeying through Wales in the late 12th century, reporting the local tradition that the birds in the area only ever sang for a truly Welsh prince or ruler...

As this 'house on the lake' was one of several royal houses belonging to the rulers of Brycheiniog... The crannog at Llangorse, in effect an artificial island, measures about 40 metres in width and is situated 30 or 40 metres off the northern shore of the lake...

Timbers from the wooden palisade that used to surround the island have been dated to come from between 889 and 993 AD but as several of these pieces of wood had been used on earlier buildings it is hard to be too precise with dates...

The demise of the crannog at Llangorse is a little unclear. Relations between Alfred the Great's English territories and Brycheiniog deteriorated in the wake of Alfred's death and in 916 AD Aethelflaed, the daughter of Alfred, sent an army into the Welsh kingdom. A number of burnt timbers have been found in the crannog and it is possible that the island was attacked and its defenders put to the sword by the English army.

Certainly the crannog was never rebuilt by Twedwr ap Elisedd, the ruler of Brycheiniog at the time, and in due course Brycheiniog became part of the kingdom of Deheubarth. What is left is an amazing archaeological site, the only known crannog to have yet been discovered in Wales.

[Bob Ireland]

***the island was attacked and its defenders put to the sword by the English army***

There was an 'English army' in the tenth century? What happened to Arthur and the Britons - or Brythons? Ok, ok, Alfred the Great and AEthelstan (927) and Eadred (953). But, still... ;^)

[Bob Ireland]

I don’t know how that first post got posted. Fumbling on this tablet, I suppose. Ruined the whole set up. My bad.

[SunkenCiv]

:^)

[SunkenCiv]

:^)