The ancient Welsh

cantref A cantref ( ; ; plural cantrefi or cantrefs; also rendered as ''cantred'') was a medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law. Description Land in medieval Wales was divided into ''cantrefi'', which were ...

of Arllechwedd in north-west Wales was part of the kingdom of Gwynedd for much of its history until it was included in the new county of Caernarfonshire, together with Arfon and Llŷn under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. In the middle ages the Cantref Arllechwedd was one of the core territories of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and formed the entire west bank of the River Conwy. Within this cantref were found some of the most important civil, religious and military centres of that kingdom, including the palace of Abergwyngregyn, Dolwyddelan Castle and Aberconwy Abbey. Within Arllechwedd there were three divisions or cymydau, which were: * Arllechwedd Uchaf (Upper Arllechwedd, bordering the sea to the north and the cantref of Arfon to the west) * Arllechwedd Isaf (Lower Arllechwedd, also in the north of the cantref but on the river Conwy to the east) * Nant Conwy (Conwy Mountain, the southern portion and greatest area of the cantref, west of the Conwy from Dolgarrog to its source) Arllechwedd remains an ecclesiastical unit of the Church in Wales to this day. Most of the territory is now in Conwy County Borough and the western part lies in

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

References

Cantrefs Commotes of Gwynedd 13th century in Wales {{Conwy-geo-stub