Glyndwr Chapel Royal

Glyndwr Prince of Wales

Memorial Garden
We are delighted to announce the creation at Glyndwr’s Chapel Royal of a commemorative garden in the style of a Mediaeval Monastic Herb Garden. With its spiral footpaths, standing stones and a wide array of native shrubs and plants, this heritage garden will contain plaques honouring the Princes of Gwynedd, Glyndwr’s Court at Pennal as well as his wife Margaret and their children.


OWAIN GLYNDWR STATUE Dave Haynes (Bethesda)
In the sculpture I am drawing attention to a period of painful struggle which helped to shape the Welsh nation. I was born and brought up in a small farming community in Shropshire, although apparently my great grandparents were over the border in Wales. I have lived in Gwynedd for seventeen years and my wife and daughters are Welsh speaking, so that I feel that I have a ‘foot in both camps’. The romantic side of me wonders if my ancestors could have fought on both sides at the battle of Shrewsbury.
I have made Owain Glyndwr fairly slim and tower-like. Seen from a little distance he is obviously a warrior with sword and shield. His face is slightly lifted as if gazing over his land. Sword casually resting on his shoulder but still held in a firm grasp. Perhaps he is on the point of picking up is shield and moving off. His work is done, but he is still ready to answer a call if need be. On closer inspection it will be seen that he has a strong but calm face, long hair and a forked beard. The clasp which holds the cloak carries the form of a dragon. On the right breastplate is an impression of a Celtic design and on the left, Owain’s coat of arms. Over his heart is a piece of chain, which represents the chains from which Wales was trying to break free. The armour carries the faces of many men who lost their lives in battle, and also the faces f mothers and widows. There are two wolf heads, which decorated Owain’s throne, and some images that speak of Wales to me personally … buzzard, hare, oak tree, raven, harp.
On the figure’s left shoulder, around the base of the armour and the back of the shield, is a simple twisted decoration, which represents the interwoven history of Wales and England. On the right shoulder are battlements and an archway representing the grand buildings that were damaged during the wars, and the great importance of taking and re-taking of the castles. The sword bears the image of the Red Kite, and much of the sculpture is textured with a rough cross hatching resembling stonework.
The shield carried a relief map of the coastline of Wales, which is slightly to the side of and behind the figure. Owain Glyndwr is protecting his country.

The Garden










The Heritage Garden is a living sculpture in itself, this unique herb garden celebrates one of the greatest of European princess and freedom fighters, Owain Glyndwr. Set in the context of the Gwynedd Royal family (who reigned for nearly 800 years), this garden is also the resting place for many local people – ordinary people – whose gravestones are also sculptures, a celebration of the cycle of death and rebirth in our village since long before the Romans arrived here nearly 2000 years ago. Like sentinels, they too witness the beauty and energy of the southern most edge of the Snowdonia mountain range, ‘Cadair Country’ as we local call it (a reference to the highest peak in the region, Cadair Idris). Designed by Peter Styles (Newtown) in the style of a monastic medieval herb garden (many of Glyndwr’s supporters were monks and friars) and funded by Gwynedd Council, objective one money, the princess garden is not only a green celebration of a key event in Welsh history but also an ideal place to share the beauty of nature and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of a sacred garden.

Plaques - centre pieces in the ground in the memorial garden

	The Assembly of Walse members 1406

	Marged - Glyndwr's wife and children, by name, including the families that the daughters married into

	Owain Lawgoch - 'Owain the Bloody Hand' - the las prince of Gwynedd, assasinated in France(Gironde Estuary) 1398. A mercenary he died serving the French king, having twice sailed to re-claim his Gwynedd crown.

	Glyndwr's Clerical supporters at Pennal. The Golden Age of the Princes of Gwynedd

Pennal was the southern most tip of the ancient kindom of Gwynedd. This ancient royal family founded by Cunedela in the 4th C, ruled for almost 800 years. Pennal Church served the princes of Gwynedd as a chapel royal during the 12th and 13th centuries. Many of these ancient churchs became parish churches. - one of the most magical ones still open is Llewellyn's Church at Llanrhychwyn in the conway valley.