The Welsh government has acquired the ruins of a medieval court used by the last native prince of Wales before the 13th-century English conquest of the country. The historic site will be conserved and presented for public view.
Llys Rhosyr, in Newborough on the island of Anglesey, with views across the Menai Strait to the peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia), was an important administrative centre for Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, also known as Llywelyn the Last.
The site – the only court of the medieval Welsh princes with visible remains that can be seen by the public – has been acquired for the nation by Cadw, the government’s historic environment service.
Though it is close to beaches visited by thousands of visitors every summer, very few members of the public are aware of Llys Rhosyr and its history. The government now plans to make sure its story is known and, perhaps carry out further archeological work to find out more about life at the Welsh royal courts before the English invasion.
Gwilym Hughes, the head of Cadw, said the site was unique and the acquisition of it is significant. “This is the only site that has been excavated and demonstrated to be a llys, a court of the princes of Gwynedd (in north-west Wales, bordering Anglesey),” he said.
The courts were non-military, secular centres that the princes would visit to collect taxes, witness land transactions and administer justice. “It would be a big moment when the prince arrived. He might have several hundred men with him,” said Hughes.
Llys Rhosyr was excavated in the 1990s by the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust. Experts found evidence of a large hall and stables. They also recovered artefacts including pottery and silver objects, indicating use by people of a high social status, as well as lead fishing weights. In recent years, the remains of the stone walling have fallen into disrepair.
Hughes said: “We felt it important to take it on, conserve it and present it to the public as a key part of our story. Half a million people pass by Llys Rhosyr every year, most without knowing it’s there. This provides a real opportunity to give a more balanced story of medieval Wales by telling the story of the life at the court of one of the Welsh princes.”
Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the prince of Wales, was killed in 1282 by English forces. Hughes said: “Llywelyn ap Gruffudd was the power in the land. After his defeat, English rule was applied pretty forcibly across the whole of Wales. Things changed significantly. A foreign power was imposed.”
Edward I, king of England, gave the title of prince of Wales to one of his sons, who later became King Edward II. The move was regarded as a symbol of English oppression. Edward I gave Llys Rhosyr as a gift to his wife, Eleanor of Castile.
In the 15th century, the Welsh leader Owain Glyndŵr claimed the title back for Wales when he fought to reclaim the country from England. But the English appropriation of the title still rankles with many Welsh politicians and nationalists, who expressed anger last year when King Charles bestowed it on Prince William.
Dawn Bowden, the deputy minister for arts and sport, announced the acquisition of Llys Rhosyr during a visit to St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff, where there are recreations of two of the Llys Rhosyr buildings.
Bowden said: “We don’t have very many pre-conquest sites. These were administrative courts, where the government of the day sat. People would go to courts and pay taxes and homage. It was really important we acquired this site for the people of Wales, for the nation.”
She added that some people continue to view the prince of Wales title as “an English imposition”.
