Name: | Cynwyl Gaeo [Also: Cynfil Cayo] | CISP No: | CNWYL |
Place: | Cynwyl Gaeo | Grid Ref: | SN 6749 3990 (GB) |
Parish: | Cynwyl Gaeo | Stones: | 3 |
County: | Carmarthenshire (Caerfyrddin) , Wales | Saint(s): | none |
Site Type: | ecclesiastical |
Jones/1994, 81--95, argues that Cynwyl Gaeo was an important centre in the 6th and 7th centuries, and that at least one of the reasons for this was its proximity to the Dolaucothi gold mines. He argues that many of the marginal charters in the Book of Chad concerned this area when the Book was at Llandeilo.
The first reference to the name Gaeo seems to be in the lists of properties of St Davids queried by Llandaff; these include a Cair (i.e. fort) Caiau; in papal letters of 1130 to the bishop of St Davids (Evans/Rhys/1893, 56, 62 (=287)).
Also see Jones/1972, 316--320, for further discussion of this site and the documentary sources.
Wyn Evans/1992, 249, 'could it be that Caeo was once the mother church of Cantref Mawr, to be eclipsed first of all by Llandeilo and then by Talyllychau...in this connexion it is worth noting that Chad 3 and Chad 4...are grants to God and St. Teilo of lands in the parish of Caeo'.