Cantref Mawr was a
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 ...
in south-west
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. It was of strategic importance in medieval Wales as the location of the main seat of the princes of
Deheubarth
Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House of ...
at
Dinefwr.
''Cantref Mawr'' means "The Great Cantref". Each cantref in medieval Wales was divided into
cwmwd
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 Wales ...
au, and a typical cantref would be made up of two or three cwmwd. Cantref Mawr was made up of seven cwmwdau, which made it one of the largest cantrefs in Wales. Cantref Mawr was an upland area, bounded by the rivers
Tywi
The River Towy ( cy, Afon Tywi, ) is one of the longest rivers flowing entirely within Wales. Its total length is . It is noted for its sea trout and salmon fishing.
Route
The Towy rises within of the source of the River Teifi on the lower sl ...
,
Teifi
, name_etymology =
, image = File:Llyn Teifi - geograph.org.uk - 41773.jpg
, image_size =
, image_caption = Llyn Teifi, the source of the Teifi
, map =
, map_size =
, map_caption ...
and
Gwili. The area at this period was covered in dense scrub which caused difficulties for invading armies, so that the Cantref Mawr often provided a secure refuge for the princes of Deheubarth when facing an invasion.
References
Lloyd, J.E. (1911) ''The history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest'' (Longman, Green & Co.)
Cantrefs
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