Читать книгу Walking on the Gower. 30 walks exploring the AONB peninsula in South Wales онлайн

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Evidence of early medieval activity in Gower is attested to by a number of carved stones, such as those at Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Bishopston. These stones originate from early Christian sites with the Christian tombstone at Llanmadoc Church dating from around AD500. St Cenydd founded a small monastery at Llangennith in the 6th century but it was destroyed by Viking invaders and no structural evidence of it has been found. The Leper Stone in the porch of Llanrhidian Church has simple carvings of human figures and stylised animals and is thought to date from the 9th or 10th century.

Weobley Castle (Walks 26–29)

As a consequence of the Norman invasion many English settlers migrated across the Bristol Channel from the West Country into south Wales. Around 1106, the Norman King Henry I granted to Henry Beaumont, Earl of Warwick, the right to conquer the Welsh commote of Gwyr, which then extended between the rivers Tawe and Llwchr and as far north as the rivers Amman and Twrch. The Earl ruled Gwyr as a Marcher lordship, based at Swansea Castle, the control of which subsequently passed between a number of Norman families throughout the medieval period.