Editing Welshpool (section)

==History==
[[File:Golden chalice in Welch Pool Church, 1794.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A golden chalice as seen in Welshpool Church, 1794]]
St Cynfelin is reputed to be the founder of two churches in the town, St Mary's and St Cynfelin's, during the [[Age of the Saints]] in the 5th and 6th centuries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical Settlement Survey - Montgomeryshire - Welshpool|url=http://www.cpat.org.uk/ycom/mont/welshpool.pdf|publisher=CPAT}}</ref><ref name="CPAT - St Mary - Welshpool">{{cite web|title=Montgomeryshire Churches Survey - Church of St Mary, Welshpool|url=https://cpat.org.uk/Archive/churches/montgom/16973.htm|website=CPAT}}</ref>

The parish of Welshpool roughly coincides with the medieval [[commote]] of [[Ystrad Marchell]] in the [[cantref]] of [[Ystlyg]] in the [[Kingdom of Powys]].

The [[Long Mountain (Powys)|Long Mountain]], which plays as a backdrop to most of Welshpool, once served as the ultimate grounds for defence for fortresses in the times when the town was just a swampy marsh.

Welshpool served briefly as the capital of [[Powys Wenwynwyn]] or South Powys after its prince was forced to flee the traditional Welsh royal site at [[Mathrafal]] in 1212, by the prince of [[Gwynedd]]; assistance from the English crown (enemies of the Gwynedd prince) restored the Wenwynwyn dynasty to their lands. Further disputes with Gwynedd again brought in the English; in 1284, the family strengthened their hold on Powys Wenwynwyn by converting it into a [[marcher lordship]] (via ''surrender and re-grant'') - the Lordship of Powys. Owain, the heir to the former principality, called himself [[Owen de la Pole]], after the town.

The town was devastated by the forces of [[Owain Glyndŵr]] (heir to [[Powys Fadog]] - North Powys) in 1400 at the start of his rebellion against the English king [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]]. Today, the waymarked, 135-mile [[long-distance footpath]] and [[National Trail]], [[Glyndŵr's Way]], ends in Pont Howell Park, alongside the [[Montgomery Canal]].

In 1411 the [[priest]] at the church St Mary's was [[Adam of Usk]].