Llandeilo's fiery history of three Medieval torchings

However, there is an interesting tale of how one Carmarthenshire town was destroyed by fire by a Welshman, not once, but three times.

Here we take a look at the stories of Llandeilo’s fiery history.

Llandeilo was the capital of Deheubarth, the Medieval Welsh kingdom which combined Dyfed and Seisyllwg. The modern-day areas that would have come under Deheubarth are Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and parts of Pembrokeshire and the Gower peninsula.

Due to its nature as the capital, Llandeilo was part of many battles between various Welsh lords and princes, the Normans and the English during the Medieval period.

The first case we’re going to look at is of the destruction of Llandeilo by fire in 1213. At this time, Rhys Gryg, whose father was Rhys ap Gruffydd (more commonly known as the Lord Rhys, former King of Deheubarth) came from Llandeilo. Rhys Gryg was the fourth son of the Lord Rhys and would have added to his father’s anguish prior to his death when he joined sides with his older brother Gruffydd ap Rhys II against sibling Maelgwn ap Rhys in their bitter feud.

Rhys Gryg then turned on his father in 1195 alongside another of his brothers Maredudd. They captured Dinefwr Castle – the King’s home and base of operations in Llandeilo - from their father but were imprisoned in Ystrad Meurig Castle.

Llandeilo is a peaceful town these days, but in the Medieval period, it had a very fiery history

Following the death of the Lord Rhys, his sons were given lands in Deheubarth and in 1213, two of Rhys Gryg’s nephews continued the family tradition by attacking and defeating Rhys Gryg with help from an English army at Talley.

Following the defeat, he was stripped of his lands and his nephews gained possession. In an effort to stop Llandeilo getting into the hands of the English, he turned around and torched his hometown. However, this was not the first time he had torched a town, as a year earlier he set fire to Swansea.

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Prior to the second torching, Llandeilo became a twin-town as the English occupiers of Dinefwr Castle following the 1282 capture by the English created a new town – called New Town and later known as Newton – surrounding the castle.

Llandeilo was given time to rebuild as the next time it was torched was just over a century later in 1316.

This time, it was during the Llewelyn Bren rebellion. He led a rebellion after losing lands to the English and being angry at the English’s treatment of Welsh gentry. He quickly gained support from fellow residents in Glamorgan and also into Carmarthenshire, particularly in Llandeilo.

Dinefwr Castle was attacked alongside the town of Llandeilo

The rebellion only lasted a few weeks, but this time included the devastation of Llandeilo once more. Llandeilo was destroyed so badly during the attacks that when, three years later, England and Wales went through a tax increase to fund the Scottish Wars, Llandeilo was exempt from this rise.

The third and final time Llandeilo was burnt is probably one of the more well-known tales as it involves Owain Glyndwr.

Glyndwr declared himself Prince of Wales three years before the 1403 burning of Llandeilo.

In the three years since his uprising began (which also marked the end of his alliance with the English monarchy following a dispute), Glyndwr had taken control of most of Wales and his arrival at the English controlled Llandeilo was sure to have been a next port of conquest.

Professor Ralph A. Griffiths said in his book A Tale of Two Towns: Llandeilo Fawr and Dinefwr in the Middle Ages that the Glyndwr rebellion was a decisive phase in the history of Dinefwr and Llandeilo.

On July 2, 1403, Owain Glyndwr arrived and began his siege on Dinefwr Castle while the majority of his army was preparing to march on Carmarthen and Kidwelly. A 300-strong army surprised the garrison at Llandovery

On July 3, Glyndwr’s 8,240 men were camped at Llandeilo and marched on to Dryslwyn. Dinefwr Castle would hold out under siege for 10 days as other Carmarthenshire castles and towns were being captured or destroyed by the rebels.

Jenkin Havard, constable at Dinefwr Castle, wrote on July 7 how ‘a siege is ordained at the castle that I keep and that is great peril for me, and all that be within; for they have made their vow that they will all yet have us dead therein.’

Dinefwr Castle did hold out on the siege but the towns of Llandeilo and Newton were very badly destroyed, and while Llandeilo would rebuild, Newtown would end up disappearing from existence, with all that is now left is Newton House, the manor house built in the grounds of Dinefwr Castle and Llandyfeisant Church.