Pengwern is the name of a dark age kingdom that existed in what is now the West Midlands region of England. It's capital may have originally been at Caer Guricon (the former Roman town of Viroconium now known as Wroxeter. Evidence suggests that this town was abandoned in about 520AD when it became indefensible and the last vestiges of Romano-British central government broke down. After Caer Guricon the capital moved to Llys Pengwern. The exact location of this town is not known, but it thought that it could either be the foundations of the modern city of Shrewsbury (which many Welsh people to this day call Pengwern) or perhaps the Berth at Baschurch where there is a dramatic hill fort overlooking the town.

Nothing is known about the foundation of this kingdom although it does seem to have had a close relationship with Powys which it bordered it to the west. Pengwern and Powys are perhaps divisions of the ancient pre-Roman Cornovi tribe whose civitas or administrative centre was Viroconium Cornoviorum.

In 613 it is known that Pengwern was held by King Cyndrwyn Fawr who took part in the disasterous Battle of Caer Legion (Chester) where the British alliance of Gwynedd, Powys and Rheged were defeated by a combined Anglo-Saxon force and the City of the Legions fell. It is known that Cyndrwyn Fawr survived the battle and returned home to defend his land before dying in about 620AD.

His son, Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn Fawr succeeded him and made alliances with both Powys and Mercia to protect his realm against the increasingly powerful Anglian Kingdom of Northumbria. His exploits are recorded in the tragic poems Marwnad Cynddylan and the Canu Heledd (a cycle of poems named after Cynddylan's sister).

Cynddylan joined forces with King Penda of Mercia and fought against Northumbria at the Battle of Maes Cogwy (Oswestry) in 642 where their mutual enemy King Oswald of Northumbria was slain. This seems to have bought a period of peace to Pengwern until Penda's death when a Northumbrian raiding party led by Oswald's brother Oswiu of Northumbria overran Cynddylan's royal seat at Llys Pengwern and the entire royal family, including the king, were slaughtered.

After this the Kingdom of Pengwern collapsed and was absorbed between Mercia and Powys. The Western portion of Pengwern became what was known as Y'r Paradys Powys or the "Paradise of Powys" which remained in Welsh hands until the reign of Offa of Mercia and construction of his dyke.

In Shrewsbury there is the Pengwern Boat Club on the banks of the River Severn, opposite The Quarry park, as well as other shops and businesess that use the name.

Peter L Kessler