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Elmet is an area close to Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It was at one time an expansive Cumbric kingdom covering large areas of what is now the West Riding of Yorkshire with its capital probably at Barwick-in-Elmet. The scant archaelogical and historical evidence that exists appears to suggest that the realm was bordered by the River Sheaf in the south and the River Wharfe in the east.
Elmet was invaded and conquered by Northumbria in the autumn of 616. The only remains of this realm, apart from writings in Sub-Roman annals, are the defensive earthworks in and around Barwick-in-Elmet, the names of other villages in the area (e.g. Scholes and Sherburn-in-Elmet, and in the Cumbric roots of many of the local geographical place names. The local parliamentary constituency is also called Elmet.
Brief history
The kingdom appears to have been created following the division of Coel Hen's great northern kingdom in about 420 AD. The people were probably Romano-British descendants of the Brigantes tribe. On Coel Hen's death his lands were split between his sons and later his grandsons, creating most of the Sub-Roman British realms of northern Britannia that existed during the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries AD and as well as Elmet included Rheged, Strathclyde, Ebrauc, Bryneich and Gododdin.
Towards the end of the 6th Century, Elmet came under increasing pressure from the expanding Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Deira and Mercia. Forces from Elmet joined the ill-fated alliance in 590 against the Angles of Bernicia who had been making massive inroads further to the north. During this war it is thought Elmet's king Gwallog was killed. The northern alliance collapsed after Urien of Rheged was murdered and a feud broke out between two of its key members. It appears that after this, and the subsequent unification of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, Elmet was compelled to construct a series of defensive ditches to the north and west of Barwick-in-Elmet in an apparent attempt to provide an extra line of defence for their king's hill fort - the remains of which can still be seen in this village.
In 616 it is reported in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle that the exiled brother of King Edwin of Northumbria was poisoned at the court of King Ceretic ap Gwallog. Edwin resolved to punish Elmet for this "crime" and his forces quickly invaded the beleaguered British territory. Within the year Elmet was overrun and Ceretic fled into exile in Gwynedd where he would die two years later.
After the conquest of Elmet the realm was incorporated into Northumbria and the people were known as the Elmetsæte. They continued to reside in the area and may have colluded with Cadwallon ap Cadfan of Gwynedd when he invaded Northumbria and briefly held the area in 633.
The Elmetsæte probably continued to reside in West Yorkshire as a distinct group throughout the Saxon period. In the area that became known as Elmet the natives were, in their own tongue, 'Loides', and that title is still marking the modern maps of the area. It is the root of the names of the village of Lead, of Ledston, Ledsham, Leathley and the modern city of Leeds.
Kings of Elmet
- Masgwid Gloff (c.460 - c.495)
- Llaennog ap Masgwid (c.495 - c.540)
- Arthuis ap Masgwid (c.540 - c.560)
- Gwallog ap Llaennog (c.560 - 590)
- Ceredig ap Gwallog (590 - 616) d.618
Further reading
The area is the subject of an acclaimed 1979 book combining photography and poetry; Remains of Elmet, by Ted Hughes and Fay Godwin. The book was re-published by Faber in 1994 simply titled Elmet, and with a third of the book being new additional poems and photographs.
External links
Sub-Roman Britain | West Yorkshire | 5th century establishments
Regno di Elmet | Elmet | Elmet
"Elmet"