Pilleth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pilleth is a small village, a few miles south of Knighton in Powys, Wales
A rural hamlet of a few dwellings and farms, Pilleth is the site of the ancient church and holy well of St Mary’s which stands on Bryn Glas Hill overlooking the River Lugg valley as the river winds its way to Presteigne.
[edit] Name
The earliest reference to Pilleth is in the Doomesday Book noted it as Pilelei. Pilleth has probably been a place of worship since early Celtic Christian times and the church and holy well, reputed to have healing properties for the eyes in particular, are sought out as a place of pilgrimage.
The church completed a major programme of restoration, partly funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Friends of Pilleth was formed to help raise funds for the restoration of St Mary’s and now hold fund-raising events to support the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the restored church
[edit] Battle of Pilleth
Pilleth was also the location of one of the most important battles in Welsh history, when in 1402, the Welsh forces of Owain Glyndŵr defeated the English forces of Sir Edmund Mortimer, Lord of the March. In the 19th century a burial ground of many killed in the battle was discovered on the hillside and four Wellingtonia trees were planted to mark the site
