Cylchgronau Cymru

PARISH OF KNIGHTON, (continued). NAME. REMARKS. 77. Part of the Dolly Dolau = plural of dole = meadow. 78. Gravels May be place where gravel is found and may come from Yr Efail=the smithy. 79. Dolly Meadow Typical mixed name and repetition. Dolau = meadows. 80. Great House Farm Near Bridge Street. The Great House is in Bridge Street, it was occupied by the Crowthers' in the 17th century. Middle portion is original. 81. Sally's Plock Sally = willow tree, Flock-small field. The rest of the names are commonplace and a very large number of the fields have no names. The Rhos-y-Meirch is partly Knighton and also in Pilleth and Whitton. SUMMER EXCURSION. THE first excursion of the Radnorshire Society took place on July 18th, 1931. Over 70 members met at Knucklas Castle at 1.45 p.m. when the Rev. D. Stedman Davies dealing of the Hill and Castle, said such a fine position must have been occupied many times by those contending for the surrounding area in olden days. Offa's Dyke ran to the east, and tradition connected the hill with King Arthur. Henry of Huntingdon speaks of Aithelbald and his expedition against the Welsh, and of his defeat by Wessex at Burford in the year 754. He died three years later, and probably the Welsh took advantage of the confusion to invade the Mercian territory, but were repelled by young Offa in a campaign which was ended by the battle of Hereford in 760. Offa died 36 years later. During those years he was busy building his dyke. We can imagine the Welshmen watching their opponents from these hills. At any rate, this hill shows evidence of occupation much earlier than the Castle we are about to consider. From the 8th to the 13th century, records are silent, Roger Mortimer inherited his father's property in the year 1246. Llewelyn ap Gruffydd succeeded his uncle David in the same year 1246, and they both died in 1282. Both were young in 1246, full of ambition and of adventure, fighting in opposite camps. Roger Mortimer owned this hill and constructed a square Castle on it, with curtain walls of about 30 yards in length, drum towers at the angles, a deep ditch on the west, and stone walling on the south.