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54-537: The name derives from am (around, on both sides of) and glyn (valley), the valley in question being presumably the Cuch. The Cuch valley is the most prominent valley among the low foothills which lie between the Preseli Hills and Cambrian Mountains , and Emlyn is essentially the region north of, and within, the gap between these landforms. As such, it was the first part of Dyfed to face invaders from Ceredigion . Its area

108-408: A justiciarius . Sometime around 1107 or 1108, Henry I appointed his chancellor , Roger of Salisbury , as the first chief justiciar. Roger was described by chroniclers as secundus a rege (Latin for "second from the king"). Roger oversaw the administration of justice, ecclesiastical appointments, and royal finances. According to the chronicler Symeon of Durham , Roger made most decisions for

162-539: A number of communities that share parts of the Preseli range. Dyfed Archaeological Trust has produced extensive notes on the mountain range and surrounding features and villages. Some of the more notable are: Others include: Slate quarrying was once an important industry in the Preselis; the former quarries, worked for much of the 19th century, can still be seen in a number of locations such as Rosebush . Preseli slate

216-410: A number of other minor roads and lanes, provide scenic routes popular with motoring, cycling and walking tourists. The A487 road skirts the western end of the range, near Newport. Cattle grids prevent egress of grazing stock from unenclosed areas of the hills. The Preselis are popular with walkers wishing to follow prehistoric trails, with walks varying from easy to long-distance. The larger part of

270-519: A rebellion. The part of Emlyn west of the Cuch—Emlyn Is Cych (English: Emlyn on this side of the Cuch )—remained part of the Marcher Lordship of Pembroke, which continued to be held by William Marshall's descendants until 1389, when the then Marcher Lord died without direct or male-line heirs; as a result, the territory defaulted to the crown. Decades later, the Marcher Lordship of Pembroke

324-594: A stroke paralysed Llywelyn in 1237, and the birth of Henry's son Edward two years later put the King in a much stronger political position with the nobility. In 1240, Henry managed to get Welsh princes to agree to the Treaty of Gloucester , and Llywelyn Fawr died shortly thereafter. That same year, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty, the princes of Deheubarth surrendered the lands they held, and were re-granted them as honours ;

378-566: Is a brown trout fishery located on the southern slopes of the range near the village of Rosebush. To the south is Llys y Fran reservoir. There are no natural lakes in the hills, but a number of rivers, including the Gwaun , Nevern , Syfynwy and Tâf have their sources in the range. The principal peak at 1,759 feet (536 m) above sea level is Foel Cwmcerwyn . There are 14 other peaks over 980 feet (300 m) of which three exceed 1,300 feet (400 m). Villages and other settlements within

432-478: Is not permitted without the consent of the land owners, who in 2014 collectively agreed not to allow it. Castell Henllys , on the A487 road between Eglwyswrw and Felindre Farchog is a reconstructed Iron Age settlement, illustrating what life may have been like in those times. The Preselis are dotted with prehistoric remains, including evidence of Neolithic settlement. More were revealed in an aerial survey during

486-556: Is now thought that the bluestones at Stonehenge and fragments of bluestone found in the Stonehenge " debitage " have come from multiple sources on the northern flanks of the hills, such as at Craig Rhos-y-felin . Advanced details of a recent contribution to the puzzle of the precise origin of the Stonehenge bluestones were published by the BBC in November 2013. Others theorise that bluestone from

540-423: Is some forestry. As well as features of interest to geologists and archaeologists, the hills have a wide variety of bird, insect and plant life. There are three sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) : Carn Ingli and Waun Fawr (biological), and Cwm Dewi (geological). The Preseli transmitting station mast, erected in 1962, stands on Crugiau Dwy near the hamlet of Pentre Galar. To the south of Crugiau Dwy

594-435: Is spelt Percelye on a 1578 parish map, and more recent maps show the range as Presely or Mynydd Prescelly. The etymology is unknown, but is likely to involve Welsh prys , meaning "wood, bush, copse". A number of other peaks are shown on the 1578 map, but the only other named peak is Wrennyvaur (now Frenni Fawr). An 1819 Ordnance Survey Map refers to the range as Precelly Mountain (singular). An 1833 publication stated:

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648-451: Is the extensively quarried hill Carn Wen (Garnwen Quarry) which was still actively extracting igneous rock in 2018. The Preselis have Special Area of Conservation status; the citation states that the area is "... exceptional in Wales for the combination of upland and lowland features..." Numerous scarce plant and insect species exist in the hills. For example, they are an important UK site for

702-590: The Norman Conquest of England , the ruler of Deheubarth , Rhys ap Tewdwr , accepted the suzerainty of the English king, William the Conqueror , but when William died, Rhys, taking the view that his vassalage was for William's life only, attacked Worcester ( in alliance with other magnates ). Rhys was subsequently killed in battle at Brecon, in 1093, and his land (in theory forfeit for rebelling against Norman suzerainty)

756-574: The Preseli Hills , or just the Preselis , is a range of hills in western Wales , mostly within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and entirely within the county of Pembrokeshire . The range stretches from the proximity of Newport in the west to Crymych in the east, some 13 miles (21 km) in extent. The highest point at 1,759 feet (536 m) above sea level is Foel Cwmcerwyn . The ancient 8 miles (13 km) of track along

810-661: The Statute of Rhuddlan converted the king's lands into counties, with those enfeoffed to Maredudd (including Emlyn Uwch Cych) becoming the main part of Carmarthenshire . Carmarthenshire was administratively subdivided into a number of hundreds , with Emlyn Uwch Cych falling within Elvet Hundred . Maredudd's son, Rhys ap Maredudd had by now inherited Maredudd's baronies, which continued to exist—though now within Carmarthenshire—until Rhys committed treason in 1287, attempting

864-467: The Statute of Rhuddlan established the governance of the areas of Wales under direct royal control. The new counties of Anglesey , Caernarfonshire and Merioneth were administered on behalf of the king by the Justiciar of North Wales, while Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire were placed under the control of the Justiciar of South Wales. The title justiciar or chief justiciar was commonly borne by

918-571: The chief governor of Ireland in the centuries after the Norman invasion of Ireland . By the fifteenth century the chief governor was usually styled the King's Lieutenant, with the justiciar a subordinate role that evolved into the Lords Justices of Ireland . The title Justiciar was given by Henry II of England to the Seneschal of Normandy . In the 12th century, a magister justitiarius appeared in

972-419: The exchequer and directed the procedures of the curia regis as the chief royal justice. He also supervised the itinerant justices. The chief justiciar was invariably a great noble or churchman , and the office became very powerful and important; enough to be a threat to the king. The last great justiciar, Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent , was removed from office in 1232, and the chancellor soon took

1026-519: The lagman (" lawspeaker ") was the judge, or person learned in law, for a province, an area with several local district courts. Since the position corresponds to the general meaning of "justiciar", "justiciar" is often used to translate "lagman" in English texts. Lagmän (plural) were generally also members of the Senate of the realm, an institution corresponding to the English Privy Council. Finally,

1080-464: The 1150s they had reached as far south as Carmarthen . Though Stephen's successor, Henry II launched a successful counter-attack, the situation was reversed by an uprising a few years later; Cilgerran Castle fell to Gruffydd's son, Rhys ap Gruffydd , in 1166. By now, Gilbert de Clare's son, Richard , had inherited the Lordship of Pembroke, now reduced to just Roose and Penfro . He had also inherited

1134-525: The 2018 heatwave. Samuel Lewis's A Topographical Dictionary of Wales published in 1833 said of Maenclochog parish: Part of the Precelly mountain, which is the highest in South Wales... the ancient Welsh name of this mountain is Preswylva, signifying "a place of residence," and is derived from its having been the resort of the natives, as a place of security, in the intestine [sic] wars by which this part of

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1188-693: The Forth-Clyde line. The role of justiciar evolved into the current Lord Justice-General , the head of the High Court of Justiciary , head of the judiciary in Scotland, and a member of the Royal Household. The Duke of Argyll still holds the hereditary title of High Justiciar of Argyll, but no responsibilities now attach to it. Following Edward I of England 's conquest of the Principality of Wales (1277–1283),

1242-430: The King of England was also Duke of Normandy and divided his time between the two territories. In his absence, William the Conqueror ( r.  1066–1087 ) temporarily delegated viceroyal authority to trusted officers described variously as regent, custodian, and prefect. When William Rufus ( r.  1087–1100 ) became king, this temporary role developed into a more permanent and defined office. Rufus entrusted

1296-540: The Kingdom of Laigin (in jure uxoris , at least according to English inheritance law); King Henry, concerned about the possibility of a Norman kingdom in Ireland not ruled by him, made peace with Rhys, appointing him Justiciar of all Deheubarth. However, when Rhys died, a violent succession dispute broke out between his eldest son and his eldest legitimate son , leading to the former attacking Cilgerran, and capturing it from

1350-792: The Nantmel Mudstone Formation of late Ordovician Ashgill age . The sedimentary rocks dip generally northwards and are cut by numerous geological faults . Cwm Gwaun is a major glacial meltwater channel which divides the northern tops such as Mynydd Carningli from the main mass of the hills. The hills, much of which are unenclosed moorland or low-grade grazing with areas of bog , are surrounded by farmland and active or deserted farms. Field boundaries tend to be earth banks topped with fencing and stock-resistant plants such as gorse . Rosebush Reservoir, one of only two reservoirs in Pembrokeshire, supplies water to southern Pembrokeshire and

1404-599: The Norman kingdom of Sicily , presiding over the Royal Court ( Magna Curia ), empowered, with his assistants, to decide, inter alia, all cases reserved to the Crown. There is no clear evidence that this title and office were borrowed from England; it was probably based on a Norman practice instituted in both realms. In the 13th century the office of justiciar was instituted in several principal localities around Sicily. In medieval Sweden,

1458-578: The ancient Welsh name...is Preswylva, signifying "a place of residence" , but does not cite any evidence. 21st century maps show the range as Mynydd Preseli . The hills are formed largely from the Ordovician age marine mudstones and siltstones of the Penmaen Dewi Shales and Aber Mawr Shale formations which have been intruded by microgabbro (otherwise known as dolerite or diabase ) of Ordovician age. The former slate quarries at Rosebush on

1512-692: The area was deposited close to Stonehenge by glaciation . More detailed discussions on the bluestone topic can be found in the Stonehenge , Theories about Stonehenge and Carn Menyn articles. Investigations published in 2021 suggested a link between Waun Mawn (see below) and the Stonehenge bluestones, but this was disputed in a 2024 study. The Preselis are rich in sacred and prehistoric sites, many of which are marked on Ordnance Survey maps. They include burial chambers , tumuli , hill forts , hut circles , stone circles , henges , standing stones and other prehistoric remains. These sites are spread across

1566-414: The cantref of Emlyn. That same year, the king— William Rufus —died. The following year, Arnulf took part in an unsuccessful rebellion (led by his elder brother ) against William's successor, Henry I , in aid of Robert Curthose 's claim to the throne. As a rebel against Henry's suzerainty, his lands were forfeit. The king kept the lands for himself, but unlike other areas of the Lordship of Pembroke, there

1620-496: The control of government administration to his chaplain, Bishop Ranulf Flambard of Durham. Flambard ran the government at all times, even when Rufus lived in England. Historian Frank Barlow argues that Flambard was the first chief justiciar. While Flambard was probably the first to exercise the powers of a chief justiciar, he never held that rank officially. Nevertheless, he was described by contemporary chronicler Orderic Vitalis as

1674-754: The control of the Justiciar of North Wales and the Justiciar of South Wales . A similar office was formed in Scotland, although there were usually two or three – the Justiciar of Scotia , the Justiciar of Lothian and, in the 13th century, the Justiciar of Galloway . These offices later evolved into a national one called Lord Justice-General. The modern title is Lord President of the Court of Session . Similar positions existed in continental Europe , particularly in Norman Italy and in Sweden. In Norman England , kings enlarged

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1728-543: The hills is designated under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 as 'open country' thereby enabling walkers the ' freedom to roam ' across unenclosed land, subject to certain restrictions. An east-west bridleway which runs the length of the main massif (known as Flemings' Way or the Golden Road ), together with spurs to north and south, gives access to mountain bikers and horseriders. There are cycle trails. Paragliding

1782-430: The hills were once forested but the forests had been cleared by the late Bronze Age . In 1923 the petrologist Herbert Henry Thomas proposed that bluestone from the hills corresponded to that used to build the inner circle of Stonehenge , and later geologists suggested that Carn Menyn (formerly called Carn Meini) was one of the bluestone sources. Recent geological work has shown this theory to be incorrect. It

1836-443: The king kept the Marcher Lordship of the land, while the princes became mere barons. King Henry also ordered Gilbert , William Marshal's son and successor, to hand over "a reasonable portion" of his lands to the king so that one of Rhys's grandsons, Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg , could be enfeoffed with it; Maredudd and Gilbert's mothers were distant relations, and before Maredudd had reached adulthood, he had been Gilbert's ward. To satisfy

1890-458: The king's demand, Gilbert gave Maredudd the section of Emlyn east of the Cuch - Emlyn Uwch Cych (English: Emlyn beyond the Cuch ). Early the following year, in a marriage that had probably been pre-arranged, Maredudd married Isobel, the illegitimate daughter of Gilbert's elder (but now deceased) brother, William ; he had effectively acquired Emlyn Uwch Cych as a dowry. Maredudd built a castle to control his part of Emlyn: Newcastle Emlyn . In 1282,

1944-463: The king's lieutenants for judicial and administrative purposes. The office was established in the 12th century, either by Alexander I or by his successor, David I . The title of 'Justiciar' was reserved for two or three high officials, the chief one—the Justiciar of Scotia —having his jurisdiction to the north of the River Forth . The Justiciar of Lothian dealt with the part of the kingdom south of

1998-506: The latter. Eventually the dispute completely fractured their authority, and Richard de Clare's son-in-law, William Marshal was able to recover the Lordship of Pembroke entirely, his power reaching Cilgerran in 1204. Meanwhile, Llywelyn Fawr , prince of Gwynedd took the opportunity to establish his hegemony over the Welsh princes. King Henry III was not in a position to resist this, owing to troubles with his barons, and his own young age, until

2052-468: The position formerly occupied by the chief justiciar as second to the king in dignity, as well as in power and influence. Under King Edward I , the office of justiciar was replaced by separate heads for the three branches into which the King's Court was divided – justices of the Court of Common Pleas , justices of the Court of King's Bench , and barons of the Court of Exchequer . In Scotland , justiciars were

2106-406: The principality was agitated during the earlier periods of its history. This mountain was anciently well clothed with forest timber, affording shelter to such as took refuge in its recesses, but now presents a bare and sterile aspect, dreary in its appearance, and exhibiting some small vestiges of ancient encampments, which were probably those constructed by the natives. Pollen analysis suggests that

2160-463: The range include Blaenffos , Brynberian , Crosswell , Crymych , Cwm Gwaun , Dinas Cross , Glandy Cross , Mynachlog-ddu , New Inn , Pentre Galar , Puncheston , Maenclochog , Rosebush and Tafarn-y-Bwlch. The only town in the Preseli area is Newport , at the foot of the Carningli-Dinas upland in the northwest of the range. The Preselis provide hill grazing for much of the year and there

2214-653: The rare Southern damselfly, Coenagrion mercuriale , where efforts to restore habitat were underway in 2015 and reported in 2020 to have been a success. One major road, the A478 , crosses the eastern end of the range, reaching a height of 248 metres (814 ft). Two B-class roads, intersecting at New Inn , cross the hills: the B4313 NW-SE, reaching 278 metres (912 ft) and the B4329 NE-SW, reaching 404 metres (1,325 ft) at Bwlch-gwynt (translation: windy gap ). These, and

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2268-408: The rock star Elvis Presley's ancestors came from the Preselis and may have had links to a chapel at St Elvis . 51°56′48″N 4°46′25″W  /  51.94667°N 4.77361°W  / 51.94667; -4.77361 Justiciar Justiciar is the English form of the medieval Latin term justiciarius or justitiarius (meaning "judge" or " justice "). The Chief Justiciar

2322-418: The royal government. Historian Bryce Lyon writes that "Roger was a sort of medieval prime minister but a minister immeasurably more powerful because his only responsibility was to his lord the king." The chief justiciar was responsible for directing the royal household , the curia regis , and the government departments. Nevertheless, he was not a member of the household. He was the presiding officer of

2376-427: The scope of royal justice by delegating judicial authority to members of the curia regis (Latin for "king's court"). These were called justiciars. Henry I ( r.  1100–1135 ) appointed local justiciars to supervise a county or group of counties. It was not until the reign of Henry II (1154–1189) that the title was exclusively applied to the king's chief minister . After the Norman Conquest of 1066,

2430-556: The southern edge of the hills worked the Aber Mawr Formation rocks whilst it is the dolerite tors of Carnmenyn which have been postulated, amongst other localities, as the source of the Stonehenge ‘bluestones’. In contrast Foel Drygarn towards the eastern end of the range is formed from tuffs and lavas of the Fishguard Volcanic Group . Further east is Frenni Fawr which is formed from mudstones and sandstones of

2484-717: The time she was on trial for treason, the king passed the first Laws in Wales Act in 1535, which abolished the status of Marcher Lords, and converted the Marcher Lordship of Pembroke, together with Dewisland , into Pembrokeshire . Emlyn Is Cych became Pembrokeshire's Cilgerran Hundred . Emlyn's name lives on in several local place names, including Newcastle Emlyn. 52°01′59″N 4°26′06″W  /  52.033°N 4.435°W  / 52.033; -4.435 Preseli Hills The Preseli Mountains ( English: / p r ə ˈ s ɛ l i / , prə- SEL -ee ; Welsh : Mynyddoedd y Preseli or Y Preselau ), also known as

2538-539: The top of the range is known as the Golden Road. The Preselis have a diverse ecosystem, many prehistoric sites, and are a popular tourist destination. There are scattered settlements and small villages; the uplands provide extensive unenclosed grazing, and the lower slopes are mainly enclosed pasture. Slate quarrying was once an important industry. More recently, igneous rock is being extracted. The Preselis have Special Area of Conservation status, and there are three sites of special scientific interest ( SSSIs ). A peak

2592-513: The war was the subject of a two-year ultimately successful protest by local leaders. The success of the protest was commemorated 60 years on, in 2009, with a plaque at each end of the Golden Road: one at the foot of Foel Drygarn near Mynachlog-ddu, and another near the B4329 at Bwlch-gwynt. In 2000, Terry Breverton , a lecturer at Cardiff University, in promoting a book he had published, suggested that

2646-568: Was about 84 square miles (220 km). It was divided by the River Cuch into the commotes of Emlyn Is Cuch (to the west) and Emlyn Uwch Cuch to the east. Its civil headquarters were divided between Cilgerran in the lower commote and Newcastle Emlyn in the upper. Its ecclesiastical centre (and perhaps, in the Age of the Saints , the seat of a bishop) was the church of St Llawddog at Cenarth . Following

2700-570: Was almost immediately seized by various Norman magnates. Sweeping south from Ceredigion , Arnulf de Montgomery took the lands between the Preseli Hills and Cambrian Mountains - Emlyn - and, passing south through them, conquered western Dyfed beyond it, establishing the Marcher Lordship of Pembroke in its place. With lands elsewhere, Arnulf appointed Gerald of Windsor as castellan; in about 1100, this castellan constructed Cilgerran Castle , to counter challenges from Ceredigion, and control

2754-594: Was never a large scale settlement of Flemings in Emlyn; it remained mostly Welsh speaking, as it continues today. When The Anarchy broke out upon Henry's death, one of the rival claimants to the throne— Stephen —in need of allies, gave the Marcher Lordship to Gilbert de Clare (a magnate with interests nearby), and to it attached the title Earl of Pembroke . The Anarchy also provided an opportunity for Rhys ap Tewdwr's son, Gruffydd , and his sons to raise an army and begin to reconstruct Deheubarth; starting with Ceredigion, by

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2808-531: Was not of roofing quality, but its density made it ideal for machining for building and crafts. Most quarries had closed by the 1930s but there is a workshop at Llangolman where slate is still used to make a variety of craft items. During the Second World War , the War Office used the Preselis extensively for training exercises by British and American air and ground forces. Its proposed continued use after

2862-510: Was the king's chief minister , roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . The Justiciar of Ireland was an office established during the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland and was a key tool in its colonisation. Following the conquest of the Principality of Wales in the 13th century, the areas that became personal fiefs of the English monarchs were placed under

2916-489: Was transferred to a royal favourite, who then likewise died without legitimate children, causing it to revert once more to the crown, a pattern that would repeat itself throughout the 15th century; among others it was held by Duke Humphrey (of Gloucester) , William de la Pole and Jasper Tudor . The last gifting of the Marcher Lordship of Pembroke, now attached to the title of Marquess, was from King Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn (shortly before he married her); later, at around

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