Machynlleth in the context of "List of cities in the United Kingdom"

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⭐ Core Definition: Machynlleth

Machynlleth (pronounced [maˈχənɬɛθ] ) is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 2,147, rising to 2,235 in 2011. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Mach.

Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official recognition as a capital. It applied for city status in 2000 and 2002, but was unsuccessful. It is twinned with Belleville, Michigan.

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Machynlleth in the context of Owain Glyndŵr

Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 1354 – 20 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈoʊain ɡlɨ̞nˈduːr], also Glyn Dŵr; anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the late Middle Ages, who led a 15-year-long Welsh revolt with the aim of ending English rule in Wales. He was an educated lawyer, forming the first Welsh parliament under his rule, and was the last native-born Welshman to claim the title Prince of Wales.

During the year 1400, Glyndŵr, a Welsh soldier and Lord of Glyndyfrdwy had a dispute with a neighbouring English Lord, the event which spiralled into a national revolt pitted common Welsh countrymen and nobles against the English military. In response to the rebellion, discriminatory penal laws were implemented against the Welsh people; this deepened civil unrest and significantly increased support for Glyndŵr across Wales. Then, in 1404, after a series of successful castle sieges and several battlefield victories for the Welsh, Glyndŵr gained control of most of Wales and was proclaimed by his supporters as the Prince of Wales, in the presence of envoys from several other European kingdoms, and military aid was given from France, Brittany, and Scotland. He proceeded to summon the first Welsh parliament in Machynlleth, where he outlined his plans for Wales which included building two universities, reinstating the medieval Welsh laws of Hywel Dda, and build an independent Welsh church.

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Machynlleth in the context of Welsh Revolt

The Glyndŵr rebellion was a Welsh rebellion led between 1400 and c. 1415 by Owain Glyndŵr against the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages. During the rebellion's height, Owain exercised control over the majority of Wales after capturing several of the most powerful English castles in the country, and formed a parliament at Machynlleth. The revolt was the last major manifestation of Welsh independence before the annexation of Wales into England in 1542–43.

The uprising began in 1400, when Owain Glyndŵr, a descendant of several Welsh royal dynasties, claimed the title Prince of Wales following a dispute with a neighbouring English lord. In 1404, after a series of successful castle sieges and battlefield victories, Owain was crowned prince of Wales in the presence of Scottish, French, Spanish and Breton envoys. He summoned a national parliament, where he announced plans to reintroduce the traditional Welsh laws of Hywel Dda, establish an independent Welsh church, and build two universities. Owain also formed an alliance with Charles VI of France, and in 1405 a French army landed in Wales to support the rebellion.

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Machynlleth in the context of Powys

Powys (/ˈpɪs, ˈpɪs/ POH-iss, POW-iss, Welsh: [ˈpou̯ɪs]) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire and Wrexham to the north; the English ceremonial counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire to the east; Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot to the south; and Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion to the west. The largest settlement is Newtown, and the administrative centre is Llandrindod Wells.

Powys is the largest and most sparsely populated county in Wales, having an area of 5,181 km (2,000 sq mi) and a population of 135,059 in 2024. While largely rural, its towns include Welshpool in the north-east, Newtown in the north-centre, Llandrindod Wells in the south-centre, Brecon in the south, Ystradgynlais in the far south-west, and Machynlleth in the far west. The Welsh language can be spoken by 16.4% of the population. The boundaries of Powys largely follow those of the historic counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, and Brecknockshire.

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