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Ardudwy is an area of
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 ...
in north-west
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, lying between
Tremadog Bay Tremadog Bay is a large inlet of Cardigan Bay, defined by the north Cambrian Coast and the Llŷn Peninsula of north Wales. The Afon Glaslyn flows into the north of the bay and Saint Tudwal's Islands lie at the western end of the bay. Pwllheli, ...
and the Rhinogydd. Administratively, under the old
Kingdom of Gwynedd The Kingdom of Gwynedd ( Medieval Latin: ; Middle Welsh: ) was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain. Based in northwest Wales, ...
, it was first a division of the sub kingdom (
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 we ...
) of Dunoding and later a
commote A commote (Welsh ''cwmwd'', sometimes spelt in older documents as ''cymwd'', plural ''cymydau'', less frequently ''cymydoedd'')'' Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru'' (University of Wales Dictionary), p. 643 was a secular division of land in Medieval W ...
in its own right. The fertile swathe of land stretching from
Barmouth Barmouth ( cy, Abermaw (formal); ''Y Bermo'' (colloquial)) is a seaside town and community in the county of Gwynedd, northwestern Wales, lying on the estuary of the Afon Mawddach and Cardigan Bay. Located in the historic county of Merionethshi ...
to
Harlech Harlech () is a seaside resort and community in Gwynedd, north Wales and formerly in the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies on Tremadog Bay in the Snowdonia National Park. Before 1966, it belonged to the Meirionydd District of the 19 ...
was historically used as
pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or ...
. The name exists in the modern community and village of
Dyffryn Ardudwy Dyffryn Ardudwy () is a village, community and electoral ward in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd, Wales consisting of several small, almost conjoined, villages including Coed Ystumgwern, Llanenddwyn (), Llanddwywe, Talybont and Dyffryn Ardudwy. I ...
.


History

Ardudwy features prominently in
Welsh mythology Welsh mythology (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Mytholeg Cymru'') consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of the predominantly oral ...
. In the Second Branch of the '' Mabinogi,'' Bendigeidfran holds court at
Harlech Harlech () is a seaside resort and community in Gwynedd, north Wales and formerly in the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies on Tremadog Bay in the Snowdonia National Park. Before 1966, it belonged to the Meirionydd District of the 19 ...
, and his severed head returns there for seven years before it is taken on to Gwales. In the Fourth Branch, Lleu Llaw Gyffes is given Eifionydd and Ardudwy as his fief by Math fab Mathonwy. Lleu built his palace at Mur y Castell in Ardudwy. He reigned there before and after the usurpation of
Gronw Pebr Gronw Pebr () "Gronw the Radiant" is a warrior, hunting, hunter and antagonist in Welsh mythology, Welsh tradition, appearing primarily in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, fourth branch of the ''Mabinogi'' as the lord of Penllyn (cantref), Penllyn ...
, whom he killed on the banks of the River Cynfael.''The Mabinogion (op. cit.):'
Math the son of Mathonwy
A holed stone in Ardudwy is still known as '' Llech Ronw'' (Gronw's Stone). Ardudwy is later associated with the 9th-century chieftain Collwyn ap Tango, the progenitor of the fifth of the Fifteen Noble Tribes of Gwynedd. He was Lord of Eifionydd, Ardudwy and part of Llŷn and is a maternal ancestor of the Anwyl of Tywyn Family. Ardudwy was a core part of the
Kingdom of Gwynedd The Kingdom of Gwynedd ( Medieval Latin: ; Middle Welsh: ) was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain. Based in northwest Wales, ...
above the
River Conwy , name_etymology = , image = Boats in River Conwy.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = Boats in the river estuary at Conwy , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , push ...
throughout the early
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. After the conquest and subjugation of
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 ...
in 1283, the cantref was merged with Meirionydd to form the new county of
Merionethshire , HQ= Dolgellau , Government= Merionethshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= , Status= , Start= 1284 , End= , Code= MER , CodeName= ...
. This situation was retained until 1974, when Welsh Local Government was reorganised and it became part of the reformed
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 ...
, where it remains to this day.


References

Barmouth Dyffryn Ardudwy Ffestiniog Ganllwyd Harlech Llanbedr Llanelltyd Llanfair, Gwynedd Llanfrothen Maentwrog Penrhyndeudraeth Talsarnau Trawsfynydd Commotes of Gwynedd Commotes of Snowdonia {{Wales-hist-stub