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Llandeilo Archaeology & History
Medieval Dinefwr & Newton
Dinefwr
The exact site of the old town of Dinefwr is as yet unknown, although it is thought likely to have been located close to Dinefwr castle. It may be the location of the settlement named in 13 th century sources as Trefysgolheigion , where clerks and artisans in the service of the Princes of Deheubarth lived. In 1298, it is recorded as having 26 burgages, with a weekly market (PRN50261) and two annual fairs (PRN50259 and PRN50260) being held. It seems that Dinefwr was badly affected by the assault on the castle and borough by the forces of Owain Glyndwr in the summer of 1403, led by Glyndwr himself. Thereafter, Dinefwr fades from history.
Newton
The New Town at Dinefwr, which became known as Newton, began to form at the end of the 13 th century, close to old Dinefwr town. In 1302-3, 35 burgages appear to have been available for rent. Many of the inhabitants were Anglo-Norman immigrants, while the population of old Dinefwr appear to have been all Welsh.
Newton did not receive its borough charter until 1363, but by that time it had two annual fairs of its own (PRN50259 and PRN50262) and a weekly market (PRN50263). Like Dinefwr, Newton was damaged by the attack by Glyndwr's forces in 1403. It appears to have dwindled away by the early 16 th century. It is known that Rhys ap Gruffudd, the Lord of Dinefwr, had built a substantial new mansion for himself at Newton in 1531. A few years later, John Leland described the mansion at Newton, noting that all that remained of the town was "a long street, now ruinous." In the early 19 th century, the historian Richard Fenton visited Newton and recorded that fragments of the old town were turned up by the plough in what is now Dinefwr Park, but the location of the borough town of Newton is now completely forgotten.
There is no doubt that Llandeilo Fawr held a significant advantage over Dinefwr and Newton due to its location on the banks of the Tywi, convenient for the river crossing and trackways along the valley. This advantage may have been sufficient to ensure that Llandeilo Fawr itself continued as a market centre, perhaps enhanced by the stability offered by the interest of the Lordship of St Davids in nurturing the borough and its other estates. The decline of Dinefwr and Newton partly seem to have resulted from the fact that they were founded in an age when Dinefwr Castle was a centre of political and military control. As the centuries passed and the strategic value of the castle lessened, both boroughs appear to have lost their importance.
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