See all Historic Place in Machynlleth
Canolfan Owain Glyndwr Centre
Parliament House, Heol Maengwyn, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8EE, WalesAbout
Owain Glyn Dwr summoned a parliament at Machynlleth when he was at his most successful, and could truly lay claim to being a national prince of Wales, not just a guerrilla leader. By 1404 his influence stretched across Wales and English control was reduced to a few isolated boroughs and castles. It is held that representatives were sent to the parliament from all parts of Wales, and that envoys attended from France, Scotland and Castile. He probably chose Machynlleth for its central location in Wales, in an area under his control, with two of his recently-taken castles nearby. According to tradition, it was there that he was crowned prince of Wales, and that he appropriated to himself the full trappings and addresses of royalty. Unfortunately, beyond the bare record in the chronicles that the event took place, we can only speculate at what transpired there. The Parliament House in Machynlleth has been associated with this event, although it dates from a later period; it is nevertheless a splendid town house in its own right. Local tradition suggests that it may have been built out of materials from the original building where the parliament took place.
