CoralJackz – That History Couple

Local legend says that this cave in the small village of Aberedw, Wales is the place where Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last Prince of an independent Wales, spent his final night in hiding before being killed. There is another story that says he asked a local blacksmith to put the shoes on his horse to face backwards, to confuse his enemies. According to the legend, Llewelyn was betrayed by a villager, who reported him to an English knight.

There are conflicting accounts of how he died, but it is generally accepted that Llywelyn was tricked into leaving most of his army and was killed in the Battle of Orewin Bridge in 1282, a decisive defeat for the Welsh which effectively ended the autonomy of Wales at the time. A standing stone today marks the spot near Cilmeri, a short distance from Aberedw, where he is thought to have been killed.

Tom Bullough, in his book ‘Sarn Helen’ desribes how the story of betrayal left a powerful imprint on Aberedw, resonating across generations. One resident recalled that passengers leaving Aberedw Station would often yell “Traitors!” from the carriage windows, taunting the villagers and spurring them to chase after the train in the hope of landing a blow before it gathered speed.

Below is the OS Map Courtesy of Ordnance Survey ©2025 Microsoft – https://www.bing.com/maps/?cp=52.116235%7E-3.347225&lvl=14.9&style=s