Rhwng Gwy a Hafren

Rhwng Gwy a Hafren lies in the Welsh Marches between the rivers Wye and Severn. The land once formed a medieval Welsh region, now part of Powys. It covered roughly the same area as Radnorshire. The region first took shape in the 9th or 10th centuries. Welsh leaders ruled it independently of surrounding kingdoms. After the Norman invasion it became a centre of conflict between Welsh and Norman forces. The name appears in medieval lists and in works by Gerald of Wales. It means ‘between the Wye and Severn’, though its exact borders varied. The cantrefs of Elfael and Maelienydd usually belonged to it. Gwrtheyrnion was another key area within the region. Some sources also include Buellt and parts of Arwystli. The small commotes of Ceri and Cwmwd Deuddwr sometimes appear in records. The area was home to the Ordovices in the Iron Age and Roman times. Later it lay within the sphere of Powys. In the 9th century a dynasty descended from Iorwerth Hirflawdd took control. Cadwallon ap Madog and his brother Einion Clud led Welsh resistance in the 12th century. Their alliance with Owain Gwynedd challenged English power at Corwen in 1165. By the 13th century Norman lords built castles such as Cefnllys to secure the land.