Pillar of Eliseg

Llangollen, United Kingdom

The Pillar of Eliseg, also known as Elise's Pillar, stands near Valle Crucis Abbey, Denbighshire. It was erected by Cyngen ap Cadell (died 855), king of Powys in honour of his great-grandfather Elisedd ap Gwylog. The form Eliseg found on the pillar is assumed to be a mistake by the carver of the inscription.

Whilst the pillar itself dates to the 9th century, the large artificial mound is thought to be significantly older, possibly prehistoric. Certainly the mound can be dated to the Bronze Age.

The Latin inscription consisted of some thirty-one lines of insular script. It not only mentioned several individuals described in the Historia Britonum, but also complemented the information presented in that text. The inscription is one of the longest surviving inscriptions from pre-Viking Wales.

References:

Wikipedia

Statues in United Kingdom

Address

Abbey Terrace 1, Llangollen, United Kingdom

See all sites in Llangollen

Details

Founded: 9th century AD
Category: Statues in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Valle Crucis Abbey (0,4 km)
Castell Dinas Brân (2,5 km)
St Collen's Church (2,9 km)
Pont Cysyllte (7 km)

Powis Castle (38,1 km)
Erddig Hall (12,8 km)
Chirk Castle (9,2 km)
Wrexham County Borough Museum (14,2 km)
Basingwerk Abbey (32,9 km)
Burgess Gate (26,2 km)
Wrexham Cathedral (14,2 km)
Rhuddlan Castle (37,8 km)
Flint Castle (29,1 km)

User Reviews

Paul Owens (2 years ago)
If you're looking for somewhere to entertain the kids then this isn't for you if you are after a fascinating glimpse into Welsh history then it is well worth the effort

Conor Bakhuizen (2 years ago)
An amazing tranquil place of great history

Andrew Barnes (5 years ago)
We had a lovely view of Eliseg's Pillar from the garden of the Abbey Grange Hotel

Eliot Collins (6 years ago)
Eliseg's Pillar is a fragment of a 9th century cross six metres tall. Destroyed by iconoclasts during the English Civil War in 1640, the pillar holds an inscription of the lineage of the Kings of Powys back into the mists of mythology. The cross was erected on the a Bronze Age barrow, the earthworks of which remain to this day.

Peter Roughsedge (6 years ago)
Staying at The Abbey Grange Hotel, and this is just outside it.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.