Battle of Crogen
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Crogen took place in Wales
in 1165, between the vanguard of the forces of Henry II of England
and an alliance of Welsh
princes led by Owain Gwynedd
. The battle was fought in north-east Wales, in the Ceiriog Valley
. Although outnumbered, the ambush tactics and valour of the Welsh aided them in their defeat of King Henry's army. Adverse weather conditions also played a major part in Henry's defeat.
and so expand the Angevin Empire
, raised an army at Oswestry
to march to the Berwyn
mountains, via the Ceiriog Valley, in the summer of 1165. Intending to reach the fortresses of Rhuddlan
and Basingwerk, Henry II expected resistance and recruited a sizeable force from his kingdoms. Owain, hearing of the invasion, raised an army at Corwen
in response, comprising forces from all over Wales. Including his own forces of Gwynedd
, led by himself and his brother Cadwaladr
, the alliance of princes was made up of men from Deheubarth, under the leadership of Rhys ap Gruffudd, and troops from Powys.
s in the thick woods overlooking the pass Henry would take. When Henry's army advanced into the densely wooded Ceiriog Valley, the Welsh defenders assailed them repeatedly from their positions of cover.
Realising the vulnerability of his army, Henry II ordered 2000 woodsmen to clear trees and widen the passage, allowing his forces to move more freely and quickly through the pass. The woodsmen were protected by the best of Henry's army and a powerful vanguard of pikemen, but their resistance was only effective for a short period. While the woodsmen cut the trees - his forces were ambushed at the point of Offa's Dyke (which then straddled the vally floor) at the point where "The Great Oak of the Gate of the Dead" now stands. - a strong force of Owain's troops emerged and assaulted Henry's vanguard, inflicting severe losses. This engagement was later known as the Battle of Crogen.
Henry came within a whisker of losing his life, if not for the brave action of Hugh de St Clare, the Constable of Colchester Castle, who sacrificed his own life when he threw himself in front of a shaft meant for his King. The English forces disengaged and did indeed reach the Berwyn mountains but, hit hard by the Welsh armies and torrential rain, were forced to retreat from Wales altogether when Owain's forces succeeded in cutting off their supplies.
, and there oversaw the mutilation of twenty-two prisoners, two of whom were Owain's sons. Forced to abandon the conquest of Wales, Henry returned to his court at Anjou
, while retaliation for the twenty-two tortured hostages was carried out on Normans throughout the Welsh lands.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1165, between the vanguard of the forces of Henry II of England
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
and an alliance of Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
princes led by Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
. The battle was fought in north-east Wales, in the Ceiriog Valley
Ceiriog Valley
The Ceiriog Valley or Dyffryn Ceiriog is the valley of the River Ceiriog in north-east Wales. It is also the name of a ward of the County Borough of Wrexham Until 1974 the valley was part of the traditional county of Denbighshire; then it became part of the short-lived county of Clwyd, which was...
. Although outnumbered, the ambush tactics and valour of the Welsh aided them in their defeat of King Henry's army. Adverse weather conditions also played a major part in Henry's defeat.
Background
Henry II, who planned to conquer WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and so expand the Angevin Empire
Angevin Empire
The term Angevin Empire is a modern term describing the collection of states once ruled by the Angevin Plantagenet dynasty.The Plantagenets ruled over an area stretching from the Pyrenees to Ireland during the 12th and early 13th centuries, located north of Moorish Iberia. This "empire" extended...
, raised an army at Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
to march to the Berwyn
Berwyn
Berwyn originally referred to the Berwyn range of mountains in northeast Wales:*Cadair Berwyn or Cader Berwyn is a mountain summit in north east Wales*Cadair Berwyn North Top or Cadair Berwyn is a top of Cadair Berwyn in north east Wales...
mountains, via the Ceiriog Valley, in the summer of 1165. Intending to reach the fortresses of Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
and Basingwerk, Henry II expected resistance and recruited a sizeable force from his kingdoms. Owain, hearing of the invasion, raised an army at Corwen
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
in response, comprising forces from all over Wales. Including his own forces of Gwynedd
Kingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
, led by himself and his brother Cadwaladr
Cadwaladr
Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon was King of Gwynedd . Two devastating plagues happened during his reign, one in 664 and the other in 682, with himself a victim of the second one. Little else is known of his reign...
, the alliance of princes was made up of men from Deheubarth, under the leadership of Rhys ap Gruffudd, and troops from Powys.
The battle
Henry's army had the advantage of greater numbers, so Owain's tactics were to raid and ambush. He planted skirmisherSkirmisher
Skirmishers are infantry or cavalry soldiers stationed ahead or alongside a larger body of friendly troops. They are usually placed in a skirmish line to harass the enemy.-Pre-modern:...
s in the thick woods overlooking the pass Henry would take. When Henry's army advanced into the densely wooded Ceiriog Valley, the Welsh defenders assailed them repeatedly from their positions of cover.
Realising the vulnerability of his army, Henry II ordered 2000 woodsmen to clear trees and widen the passage, allowing his forces to move more freely and quickly through the pass. The woodsmen were protected by the best of Henry's army and a powerful vanguard of pikemen, but their resistance was only effective for a short period. While the woodsmen cut the trees - his forces were ambushed at the point of Offa's Dyke (which then straddled the vally floor) at the point where "The Great Oak of the Gate of the Dead" now stands. - a strong force of Owain's troops emerged and assaulted Henry's vanguard, inflicting severe losses. This engagement was later known as the Battle of Crogen.
Henry came within a whisker of losing his life, if not for the brave action of Hugh de St Clare, the Constable of Colchester Castle, who sacrificed his own life when he threw himself in front of a shaft meant for his King. The English forces disengaged and did indeed reach the Berwyn mountains but, hit hard by the Welsh armies and torrential rain, were forced to retreat from Wales altogether when Owain's forces succeeded in cutting off their supplies.
Aftermath
Estimates of the losses suffered in the battle of Crogen vary, most modern historians consider them to have been relatively light with the English army suffering the bulk of the casualties. The place where this clash occurred is called Adwy'r Beddau, "the Pass of the Graves". His attempt at suppression of the Welsh and gaining control of Wales a failure, Henry II ordered Welsh hostages to be brought to him at ShrewsburyShrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, and there oversaw the mutilation of twenty-two prisoners, two of whom were Owain's sons. Forced to abandon the conquest of Wales, Henry returned to his court at Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
, while retaliation for the twenty-two tortured hostages was carried out on Normans throughout the Welsh lands.