ld of Cardigan played no small part in the
constant warfare between Welsh and English, either side from time to
time gaining possession of the castle and the small town dependent on
it. In 1136 the English army under Randolf, earl of Chester, was
severely defeated by the Welsh at Crug Mawr, now called Bank-y-Warren, a
rounded hill 2 m. north-east of the town. During the latter part of the
12th century the castle became the residence of Rhys ap Griffith, prince
and justiciar of South Wales (d. 1196), who kept considerable state
within its walls, and entertained here in 1188 Archbishop Baldwin and
Giraldus Cambrensis during their preaching of the Third Crusade. In 1284
Edward I. spent a month in the castle, settling the affairs of South
Wales. This famous pile was finally taken and destroyed by the
Parliamentarian Major-General Laugharne in 1645. The lordship, castle
and town of Cardigan formed part of the dower bestowed on Queen
Catherine of Aragon by King Henry VII. Henry VIII.'s charter of 1542
confirmed earlier privileges granted by Edward I. and other monarchs,
and provided for the government of the town by a duly elected mayor, two
bailiffs and a coroner. In the assizes and quarter sessions were removed
hence to Lampeter, which has a more central position in the county.
Cardigan was declared a parliamentary borough in 1536, but in 1885 its
representation was merged in that of the county.

CARDIGANSHIRE (_Ceredigion, Sir Aberteifi_), a county of South Wales,
bounded N. by Merioneth, E. by Montgomery, Radnor and Brecon, S. by
Carmarthen and Pembroke, and W. by Cardigan Bay of the Irish Sea. It has
an area of 688 sq. m., so that it ranks fifth in size of the Welsh
countries. The whole of Cardiganshire is hilly or undulating, with the
exception of the great bogs of Borth and Tregaron, but the mountains
generally have little grandeur in their character; Plinlimmon itself, on
the boundary of the county with Montgomeryshire, in spite of its
elevation of 2463 ft., being singularly deficient in boldness of
outline. Of other hills, only Tregaron Mountain (1778 ft.) exceeds 1500
ft. in height. Of the rivers by far the most important is the Teifi, or
Tivy, which rises above Tregaron in Llyn Teifi, one of a group of tiny
lakes which are usually termed the Teifi Pools, and flows southward
through the county as far as Lampeter, forming from this point onwards
its southern boundary. A succession of deep pools and rushing shall