Happy St David's Day
March 1st marks St David's Day here in Wales and what better opportunity to tell you a bit more about some of the fascinating figures in Welsh history in our area.
St David was a Welsh bishop who was born in Wales around c.500 AD and was renowned for performing miracles. Most famously he was reputed to have made the ground rise up beneath his feet to form a new hill - something we are very fond of here in Wales! David was a devout monk and lived a very simple life focused on "doing the little things in life" - an expression which lives on to this day across modern day Wales and would also be a very fitting for our ethos here at The Forge. He was also strictly vegetarian avoiding beer and meat (not quite so fitting for The Forge!) which is why on March 1st we wear leeks in his honour.
Also did you know that our local town, Corwen, is famous for being home to the last native Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndwr? Owain was born in 1359 and served under King Richard II but when Henry IV came to the throne in the late 1390s his personal friend, Lord Grey of Ruthin, tried to overthrow Owain and claim his lands in our nearby Glyndyfrdwy. This sparked what is now known as the Last War of Independence in 1400 where the Welsh revolted against Henry IV and the English. The war continued until 1412 when Owain's family were captured at Harlech castle and were taken to the Tower of London and killed. Owain himself was never found but his remains are said to be buried in Corwen church, where you can also see the marks of the dagger that he is reputed to have thrown from the surrounding woods as the English approached.
You can visit all of these sites within walking distance of The Forge and we can arrange for special interest history and storytelling events if you're interested in finding out more...