Notes:

"Bere is located at the head of a long valley leading up from the coast in Merioneth, in the shadow of Cadir Idris, and in this regard remote from river and coast that was more typical of Edward's new towns in north Wales. It was established as a new borough by a charter issued on the same day as Harlech and Cricieth were chartered, November 22 1284, having the same privileges as Conwy. .. Although it initially attracted some expenditure its demise soon came, for the castle's last constable (and mayor), Robert fitzWalker, was pardoned in April 1298 'of all the arrears due from him for the castle of Bere'. ... The new town's remoteness required a pass to be cut in 1290 'between the vill of Tewy [Tywyn] and the castle of Bere', at a cost of more than £53, but this was not enough to connect it with the wider world of trade and commerce that kept Edward's other new towns alive. Only three mayors were appointed, the first Hugo de Tuberville in October 1285, followed in November 1292 by Robert de Staundon, and then lastly fitzWalker in June 1293, after whom the town of Bere disappears such that even now not a trace remains except for the castle ruins." ('Atlas Appendix: Edward's Other Towns', appendix to Lilley, K., Lloyd, C. And Trick, S. (2005), Mapping the Medieval Townscape: a digital atlas of the new towns of Edward I (York: Archaeology Data Service), pp. 118-9 (on-line at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/edward1_ahrb_2005/ahds/dissemination/pdf/other_towns.pdf). See also Evans, E.D. (1989) 'Was there a borough of Bere?', Journal of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society 10, pp.290-98.