126 PRINCIPAL FISHING STATIONS. 



BEGUILDY, six miles and a half from Knighton, on 

 the Teme. 



standing on the banks of the Wye, consisting only of the 

 fragment of a tower or bastion, and part of a wall. During 

 the defensive war which he waged against the English 

 monarch, the Welsh prince summoned his adherents to a pri- 

 vate conference at this castle. Of the disastrous results of this 

 movement, a variety of accounts have been given ; the most 

 authentic of which appears to be, that, having marched to 

 Aberedw, he was there surprised by a superior force of the 

 enemy from Herefordshire, under the command of Edward 

 Mortimer and John Giffard, to whom intelligence of his 

 arrival had been treacherously communicated by some of th e 

 inhabitants of this place. Thus unexpectedly attacked, Llew- 

 ellyn fled with his men towards Builth ; taking the precaution 

 of ordering the shoes of his horse to be reversed ; there being 

 snow on the ground. This stratagem was, however, made 

 known to the enemy by a blacksmith of Aberedw. Being 

 arrived at the bridge over the Wye, he crossed it, and issued 

 orders for its immediate demolition, before his pursuers arrived. 

 Thus checked in their progress, the English returned to a ford, 

 eight miles lower down on the river, which was known to some 

 of the party still called Caban Twm Bach, or " Little 

 Tom's ferry-boat " and thus effected a passage. Meanwhile 

 Llewellyn proceeded to Builth ; but failing in his attempts to 

 procure help from the garrison, he advanced westward up the 

 Vale of Irvon, on the south side, for about three miles, where 

 he crossed the river, a little above Llanyis church, over a 

 bridge called Pont y Coed, or " the Bridge of the Wood," 

 and stationed the few troops that had accompanied him in an 

 advantageous position on the north side of that river, with a 

 view to defend the bridge. The English, on coming up, 

 made an attempt to obtain possession of it ; but failing, they 

 discovered a ford at a short distance, which a detachment of 



