History in Structure

Pillar of Eliseg

A Grade I Listed Building in Llantysilio, Denbighshire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.9921 / 52°59'31"N

Longitude: -3.1892 / 3°11'21"W

OS Eastings: 320272

OS Northings: 344528

OS Grid: SJ202445

Mapcode National: GBR 6X.HKSY

Mapcode Global: WH783.Z1HZ

Plus Code: 9C4RXRR6+V8

Entry Name: Pillar of Eliseg

Listing Date: 7 June 1963

Last Amended: 22 April 1998

Grade: I

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 19678

Building Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Also known as: Croes Eliseg
Elise's Pillar
Eliseg's Pillar
Eliseg's Pillar & Tumulus

ID on this website: 300019678

Location: The pillar is raised on a tumulus, approximately 50m from the road, and 400m N of Valle Crucis Abbey

County: Denbighshire

Town: Llangollen

Community: Llantysilio

Community: Llantysilio

Locality: Valle Crucis

Traditional County: Denbighshire

Tagged with: Archaeological site Victory column Round barrow Stone cross

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History

The cross was set up in the C9 by Cyngen, 808-854 AD, last king of Powys in honour of his great grandfather, Eliseg, who had enlarged the kingdom by taking land occupied by the English. The presence of this outstanding cross here indicates the presence of a royal estate in this valley. The mound on which it stands could well be his burial place as excavation prior to the re-erection of the cross in 1780 revealed a burial cist, but this could equally be a prehistoric tumulus. The recording of the inscription by Edward Llwyd in the late C17 has been fundamental to any understanding of the early history of the Kingdom of Powys.

Exterior

The base section of a sandstone 'round-shaft' cross, approximately 2.41m high, the upper part broken and lost after being thrown down in the Civil War, set in a socket on a large flat base, approximately 1.65m x 1.65 m x 0.42m thick. The cross was inscribed with a long text of 31 lines in round half-uncial script, and was most fortunately recorded by Edward Llwyd in 1696. It is now almost invisible, and has an added inscription on the opposite, NE, face recording the re-setting up in 1780, by T Lloyd de Trevor.

Reasons for Listing

Included at Grade I as a very important cultural icon in the history of Wales, and of the greatest significance as an early Celtic cross, unusually fully inscribed, illuminating the early history of the kingdom of Powys.

Scheduled Ancient Monument

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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Other nearby listed buildings

  • II Maes-y-llyn Farm Building
    The building stands against and at right angles to the main Horseshoe Pass road, approximately 170m N of the Pillar of Eliseg.
  • II Well House at Abbey Farm
    The well house is built into the embankment of the road by Abbey Farm, facing the lane leading to Valle Crucis.
  • I Valle Crucis Abbey
    The abbey lies in the lower Eglwyseg valley between the main road and the river, approximately 0.9km N of Llangollen.
  • II Cottage at Valle Crucis Abbey
    The building is set between the abbey ruins and the river, south of the abbey fishponds.
  • II Tramway Bridge at Maes-yr-ychain
    Maes-yr-uchain Lane connects the Horseshoe Pass Road with the Rhewl Road. The bridge is located approximately 400m from the junction with the A452 Horseshoe Pass road, S of Maes-yr-ychain bach.
  • II Pentrefelin Tramway Viaduct
    The viaduct crosses the valley of the River Eglwyseg immediately NE of the junction of the A542 and the B5103 at Pentrefelin.
  • II Maesyrychen uchaf
    The former farmhouse is set parallel to the road from Llantysilio to the A542 N of Valle Crucis, on the W side of the narrow flat valley, formerly known as the Maes-yr-ychain marshes..
  • II Pentrefelin House
    The house stands above the canal and River Dee, at the junction of the Horseshoe Pass road with the B5103 Rhewl Road.

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