Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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Gwern-y-Cleppa Long Barrow is in Duffryn, Monmouthshire, Prehistoric Wales Neolithic Burials.
An Account of Some of the Rude Stone Monuments and Ancient Burial Mounds in Monmouthshire. Plate III. About a mile from Trédegar Park is a farm Gwern-y-Cleppa, where formerly stood the residence of Ivor Hael, and upon a sloping bank to the South West in part of the ancient park, are the ruins of what was originally a large Cromlech [Gwern-y-Cleppa Long Barrow [Map]]. Facing the Bristol Channel, with a glorious expanse of hill and vale stretching out for many miles beyond it, the situation of this burial place is grand in the extreme, and when covered with its superincumbent mound of earth must have been visible at a very long distance. The supporting stones have been mutilated, and the coverer broken, but enough remains to show that the whole structure was of considerable size, see Plate II.; three of the uprights remain in situ, the largest being 3ft. Tin. broad by 2ft. 9in. thick, and measures 3ft. 6in. high, but appears to have been broken off at this height; another stone, which evidently formed one of the supports now lies partly under the coverer, and this measures 2ft. 6in. square and is 4ft. 6in. long, which was probably the original height of the cist; these stones are of conglomerate or millstone grit. The covering stone has been split in two, and only one part remains, which measures 7ft. 8in by 5ft 6in., but as this is partly covered with soil at its edge, it may be a little wider, it is of silicious grey sand- stone. The cist lay S.E. and N.W., and the mound, which covered it, was about 50 ft. in diameter, of which traces still remain.
Long Barrows of the Cotswolds. Gwern-y-Cleppa Long Barrow [Map]
Monmouthshire, 33 N.E. Parish of Duffryn. 62*.
Latitude 51° 33' 33". Longitude 3° 02' 38". Height above O.D. about 140 feet.
This is clearly the remains of a burial-chamber, but traces of the original covering mound are faint. It was probably oriented due E. and W., and as usual, the remains of the mound are most clear round the chamber at the east end where the mound is almost 50 feet across. To the west, traces of the mound are visible and may be inferred from hummocky brown patches of turf; if the inference from these patches is correct the original length of the mound would have been about 135 feet. The chamber consists at present of seven stones - a capstone, three standing uprights, one fallen, and two small, half-buried stones. The monument is not marked on the 6 in. map (edition of 1902); it is situated on the brow of the hill 500 feet S.E. of the farm called Cleppa Park, after which (for lack of any distinctive local name) it is here named. It lies almost midway between an old quarry and a spinney by the side of a field wall.