Llewelyn the Great

Llewelyn ap Iorwerth was one of the few to unify Wales.

Place of Birth:

Dolwyddelan Castle

Famous For:

13th century leader of Wales

Biography:

It is believed that Llewelyn ap Iorwerth, who also became known as Llewelyn the Great, was born in Dolwyddelan Castle, in the Lledr Valley, near Betws-y-Coed. He was the grandson of Owain Gwynedd and the son of Iorwerth, who probably died when he was a baby. It is therefore believed that Llewelyn was brought up with his mother's family in Powys.

He took up his position as ruler of Gwynedd in 1203 and soon was accepted as the leader of Wales by the South Wales Princes. He married Joan, the daughter of King John, in 1205, but by 1210 King John had become suspicious of Llewelyn's intentions and invaded Gwynedd, pushing Llewelyn's men back into the mountains. By 1212 however, King John was in trouble with the Pope and his own barons and Llewelyn was able to win back the land and consolidate his position as the most powerful leader in Wales. By 1216 he was presiding over what was virtually a Welsh parliament in Aberdyfi.

Llewelyn ap Iorwerth remained powerful until his death in the 1230s. He died and was buried in the Cistercian monastery of Aberconwy, but when the monastery was demolished to make way for Conwy town and castle his remains were removed to Llanrwst church, where they still are today.

your comments

Lucie Pánová, Czech Republic
Hi, I am really interested in history about Llewelyn Great. So I must add that Llewelyn died 1240s.And his wife Siwan died in 1237.
Mon Aug 11 09:56:40 2008

David, Maenan Abbey
I'm the Manager of Maenan Abbey, the hotel that stands on the site of the original Cistercian Abbey. We believe that when the Abbey was relocated to Maenan in 1283, his body was brought by barge down the Conwy and re-interred beneath the high altar of the new Abbey. When the Abbey was dissolved in March 1537 his remains dissapeared with only the bottom half of his sarcophagus being retrieved from the river two miles away in the local town of Llanrwst. This is now to be seen in the Gwdir Chapel adjoining St Grwst's Church in Llanrwst.
Tue Dec 4 09:40:20 2007

David Ellis Jones of Conwy
Llywelyn Fawr's palace was at Garth Celyn, Bryn Llywelyn, Aber, Gwynedd. He had courts elsewhere but this was his main home. It is now known as Pen y Bryn, a wonderfully evocative place.
Mon Nov 27 10:48:06 2006

Laurence Budd from Ft Collins, Colorado
This is great stuff, tell us more. There is a recently discovered Llewelyn prince fort I visited near Aber, just west of Llanfairfechen. Please, everyone, contribute what you know about this part of our heritage.
Thu Jun 15 14:33:56 2006

Glyn Jones, Newark.
His body was, almost certainly, moved to the 'new' monastery at Maenan. Later, at the Dissolution, it was again moved but to St Grwst Church, Llanrwst, where his stone sarcophagus is in the Wynn Chapel.
Thu Jun 15 14:29:40 2006

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