Kingdom of Powys

The Kingdom of Powys was one of several kingdoms that ruled a part of modern Wales. In its earliest periods, its boundaries extended to the east and south to include parts of modern Shropshire and Worcestershire that are part of the valleys of the Severn and Tern rivers. This region is referred to in later Welsh literature as "the Paradise of Powys".

Related Topics:
Wales - Shropshire - Worcestershire - Severn - Tern - Welsh literature

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The capital of Powys is said to be Pengwern, though its exact location has yet to be determined.

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At some point in the 6th or 7th centuries, the Mercian kings conquered the easternmost parts of Powys. King Offa made this conquest permanent by ordering the construction of Offa's Dyke. Powys suffered from repeated Anglo-Saxon raids in the following centuries.

Related Topics:
Mercia - Offa - Offa's Dyke - Anglo-Saxon

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The kingdom of Powys came to an end when Merfyn Frych, king of Gwynedd married Nest, the sister of king Cyngen; on the death of Cyngen in 855, their son Rhodri inherited the title to the kingdom, and it was thenceforth ruled as part of Gwynedd.

Related Topics:
Merfyn Frych - Gwynedd - Cyngen - 855 - Rhodri

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Powys was recreated as a kingdom in 1075 to provide a domain and title for a junior branch of the kings of Gwynedd, who sometimes held both lands themselves.

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