principality · British Isles

Powys Fadog

1160 CE – 1282 CE (approx.) · capital Castell Dinas Bran

The northern half of the Welsh kingdom of Powys, ruled by Madog ap Maredudd's descendants from Castell Dinas Bran above Llangollen.

Origins

When Madog ap Maredudd, the last king of all Powys, died in 1160, his kingdom split. The northern part passed to his son Gruffydd Maelor and then to Gruffydd's son Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, after whom it was named Powys Fadog, covering Maelor, Ial, Edeirnion and Cynllaith.

Rule and society

Its princes usually aligned with Gwynedd's Principality of Wales against the English crown. Madog ap Gruffydd founded the Cistercian abbey of Valle Crucis around 1201, and Gruffydd ap Madog built Castell Dinas Bran around 1260.

Decline and legacy

Powys Fadog's princes backed Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in his final war, and after his death in 1282 Edward I granted the lands to English lords. Its line survived as minor gentry; Owain Glyndwr, who led the Principality of Wales under Owain Glyndwr, descended from it.

Lineage

Kingdom of Powys 410 CE – 1160 CEPowys Fadog

Connections (2)

More states of British Isles →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Powys Fadog. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/powys-fadog
MLA
“Powys Fadog.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/powys-fadog. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Powys Fadog.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/powys-fadog.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Powys Fadog’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/powys-fadog (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻