List of Anglo-Welsh Wars
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the millennia of wars and battles between the Anglo-Saxons
who later formed into the Kingdom of England
and the Britons; the pre-existing Brythonic
population of Britain south of the Antonine Wall
who came to be known later by the English as Welsh. The list begins after the Adventus Saxonum in c.446AD (when the Anglo-Saxons are said to have first arrived in Britain) to the late Middle Ages when Wales was eventually subdued and annexed by England. The list is not exhaustive but seeks to note the significant campaigns and the major battles.
Germanic tribes who have colonized parts of the eastern and southern coasts of Britannia attack the Britons (which the Anglo-Saxons dub "Wealsc") in a series of coordinated uprisings. Additional reinforcements from Old Saxony
, Angeln
, Flanders
and Jutland
make landings and through conquest and treaty occupy large areas of eastern and south eastern Britain.
, Colchester
, Silchester
, Chichester
, Winchester
, Grantchester
, Leicester
, Gloucester
, Cirencester
, Bath, York
, Lincoln
and Canterbury
among other places. Later in the century Angles
defeat the northern Britons and colonize the north eastern coast.
The Anglo-Saxons consolidate their hold on southern and eastern Britain. The Mercia
n Angles made substantial gains in central Britain (today known as the English Midlands
). Cambria
is cut off from the Britons of the north west and the south west. The Anglo-Saxons convert to Christianity
by the middle of the century. The last serious attempts by the Welsh to reclaim Britain fail.
The Welsh territories in the south west (now Cornwall and little more) defend themselves and win a reprieve. The borders of modern Wales are broadly defined as Mercian expansion begins to slow.
comes to dominate most of Wales and forms an alliance with Wessex
against the Vikings who have destroyed the power of Mercia.
. The new Norman masters of England launch the Norman Conquest of Wales and ravage the Welsh kingdoms.
, Dafydd's nephew Llywelyn ap Gruffudd emerges as a major force in Welsh politics, assuming the title of prince of Wales in 1258 and establishing his authority in Powys
and Deheubarth. Llywelyn's death in 1282, and the subsequent capture and execution of his brother and successor, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, in 1283 signify the end of Welsh independence. The end of the century sees the annexation of Wales and the Edwardian Settlement.
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are the background for the national uprising led by Owain Glyn Dŵr who is briefly successful in liberating all of Wales from the England. He is defeated and English occupation of Wales is restored and maintained up to the modern era.
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
who later formed into the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
and the Britons; the pre-existing Brythonic
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
population of Britain south of the Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
who came to be known later by the English as Welsh. The list begins after the Adventus Saxonum in c.446AD (when the Anglo-Saxons are said to have first arrived in Britain) to the late Middle Ages when Wales was eventually subdued and annexed by England. The list is not exhaustive but seeks to note the significant campaigns and the major battles.
Fifth Century AD
PaganGermanic paganism
Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
Germanic tribes who have colonized parts of the eastern and southern coasts of Britannia attack the Britons (which the Anglo-Saxons dub "Wealsc") in a series of coordinated uprisings. Additional reinforcements from Old Saxony
Old Saxony
Old Saxony is the original homeland of the Saxons in the northwest corner of modern Germany and roughly corresponds today with the contemporary Lower Saxony, Westphalia and western Saxony-Anhalt....
, Angeln
Angeln
Modern Angeln, also known as Anglia , is a small peninsula in Southern Schleswig in the northern Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, protruding into the Bay of Kiel...
, Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
make landings and through conquest and treaty occupy large areas of eastern and south eastern Britain.
- c.452 The Germanic people settled on the eastern "Saxon Shore" of Britain rise in a revolt led by HengestHengestHengist and Horsa are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Great Britain in the 5th century AD...
and his sons against their Romano British masters.
- c.455 Battle of Aylesbury – Anglo-SaxonAnglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
s (particularly a group called JutesJutesThe Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people who, according to Bede, were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles...
) led by HengestHengestHengist and Horsa are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Great Britain in the 5th century AD...
defeat the Britons (Welsh) led by VortimerVortimerVortimer is a figure in British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for his fierce opposition to his father's Saxon allies...
in Battle at Aylesbury, Kent.
- c.456 Battle of Crayford – Anglo-Saxons (JuteJuteJute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
s) led again by Hengest defeat the Britons (Welsh) led by VortimerVortimerVortimer is a figure in British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for his fierce opposition to his father's Saxon allies...
in battle. The Britons are driven from (KentKingdom of KentThe Kingdom of Kent was a Jutish colony and later independent kingdom in what is now south east England. It was founded at an unknown date in the 5th century by Jutes, members of a Germanic people from continental Europe, some of whom settled in Britain after the withdrawal of the Romans...
) which is afterwards ruled by Hengist and his son ÆscOisc of KentOisc was an early king of Kent who ruled from about 488 to about 516.Little is known about him, and the information that does survive regarding his life is often vague and suspect. He seems to have been the son or the grandson of Hengest, who led the initial Anglo-Saxon conquest and settlement of...
and their descendants.
- c.465 Battle of Wippedsfleot – Britons (Welsh) defeat the Anglo-Saxons (Jutes) in battle in Kent and confine them to the island of ThanetThanetThanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
.
- c.473 The Anglo-Saxons (Jutes) move westwards and drive the Britons once again out of Kent.
- c.477 Battle of CymensoraCymenshoreCymenshore is the place in Southern England where according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Ælle of Sussex landed in 477 AD and battled the Welsh with his three sons Cymen, Wlencing and Cissa.-Historical context:The account of Ælle and his three sons landing at Cymenshore, in the Anglo Saxon...
– Anglo-Saxons (Saxons) led by Ælle defeat the Britons (Welsh) close to SelseySelseySelsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about seven miles south of Chichester, in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea...
.
- c.486 Battle on the River Glein – Arthur of the Britons is reputed to have defeated the Anglo-Saxons.
- c.490 Second, third and fourth battles of Arthur in Linnuis thought to be modern LindseyLindseyLindsey was a unit of local government until 1974 in Lincolnshire, England, covering the northern part of the county. The Isle of Axholme, which is on the west side of the River Trent, has normally formed part of it...
where he led the Britons to defeat the Anglo-Saxons at each battle.
- c.491 Siege of Anderida – Anglo-Saxons (Saxons) led by Ælle capture the Castle of Anderida from the Britons (Welsh) and slaughter the inhabitants. Ælle establishes the Kingdom of the South Saxons (Sussex).
- c.492 Battle of Bassas – Arthur defeats the Anglo-Saxons at an unidentified location.
- c.493 Battle of Guinnion – Arthur defeats the Anglo-Saxons in battle. The site was probably at WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
which was then known as Caer Guintguic.
- c.495 Battle of Urbe Legionis – Arthur defeats the Anglo-Saxons in battle at the "City of the Legions" which is thought to probably by ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
.
- c.495 A man named Cerdic reputedly defeats the Britons (Welsh) in battle close to modern day BournemouthBournemouthBournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and establishes kingdom of the West Saxons (Wessex).
- c.496 Battle of Mons Badonicus – The Anglo-Saxons are soundly defeated in battle by the Britons (possibly led by King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
) at a site generally thought to be close to Bath. This defeat establishes 50 years of relative peace.
Sixth Century AD
Pagan Anglo-Saxon tribes conquer southern Britain capturing LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
, Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, Grantchester
Grantchester
Grantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. It is listed in the Domesday Book as Grantesete and Grauntsethe...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
, Bath, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
and Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
among other places. Later in the century Angles
Angles
The Angles is a modern English term for a Germanic people who took their name from the ancestral cultural region of Angeln, a district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
defeat the northern Britons and colonize the north eastern coast.
- c.509 Battle of Natanleod – the West Saxons led by Cerdic defeat the Britons at NetleyNetleyNetley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
, Hampshire.
- 519 Another battle in which Cerdic is victorious. He establishes the Kingdom of Wessex at this point.
- 527 Battle of Cerdicesleag – the West Saxons led by Cerdic and his son Cynric defeat the Britons.
- 530 The Britons (Welsh) of the Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
are conquered by the Anglo-Saxons (Jutes).
- 538 The Britons of GododdinGododdinThe Gododdin were a Brittonic people of north-eastern Britain in the sub-Roman period, the area known as the Hen Ogledd or Old North...
are defeated at Din EidinEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and forced to retreat inland to CatreathCatterick, North YorkshireCatterick , sometimes Catterick Village, to distinguish it from the nearby Catterick Garrison, is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England...
.
- 547 the Northern Angles led by Ida the FlamebearerIda of BerniciaIda is the first known king of the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia, which he ruled from around 547 until his death in 559. Little is known of his life or reign, but he was regarded as the founder of a line from which later Anglo-Saxon kings in this part of northern England and southern Scotland...
capture the fortress of Din GuyaroiBamburghBamburgh is a large village and civil parish on the coast of Northumberland, England. It has a population of 454.It is notable for two reasons: the imposing Bamburgh Castle, overlooking the beach, seat of the former Kings of Northumbria, and at present owned by the Armstrong family ; and its...
from the Britons of the Kingdom of BryneichBerniciaBernicia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England....
.
- c.550 Presumed date for the fall of LondiniumLondiniumThe city of London was established by the Romans around AD 43. It served as a major imperial commercial centre until its abandonment during the 5th century.-Origins and language:...
(London) and CamulodunumCamulodunumCamulodunum is the Roman name for the ancient settlement which is today's Colchester, a town in Essex, England. Camulodunum is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain as recorded by the Romans, existing as a Celtic settlement before the Roman conquest, when it became the first Roman town, and...
(Colchester) to the East Saxons.
- 575 a northern alliance of the Britons led by King Urien of RhegedRhegedRheged is described in poetic sources as one of the kingdoms of the Hen Ogledd , the Brythonic-speaking region of what is now northern England and southern Scotland, during the Early Middle Ages...
defeat the Angles of BerniciaBerniciaBernicia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England....
and besiege them on Ynys MetcautLindisfarneLindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
for three days.
- 577 Battle of DeorhamBattle of DeorhamThe Battle of Deorham or Dyrham was fought in 577 between the West Saxons under Ceawlin and Cuthwine and the Britons of the West Country. The location, Deorham, is usually taken to refer to Dyrham in South Gloucestershire. The battle was a major victory for the West Saxons, who took three important...
where the West Saxons and their allies captured the Welsh fortress at Hinton Hill near DyrhamDyrhamDyrham is a village and parish in South Gloucestershire, England.-Location and communications:Dyrham is at lat. 51° 29' north, long. 2° 22' west . It lies at an altitude of 100 metres above sea level. It is near the A46 trunk road, about north of Bath and a little south of the M4 motorway...
in modern Gloucestershire. The Welsh of the Severn Valley attempted to retake this strategic location but were defeated with three of their kings killed in the fighting. The West Saxons went on to capture GloucesterGloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, CirencesterCirencesterCirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
and Bath thus separating the "West Welsh" of the South West Peninsular from the Welsh of modern Wales.
- 580 Battle of Ebrauc where the Angles of BerniciaBerniciaBernicia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England....
capture the city of Ebrauc (modern YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
).
- 584 Battle of Tintern where the armies of the Kingdom of Gwent, led by TewdrigTewdrigTewdrig or Tewdrig ap Teithfallt was a king of the post-Roman Kingdom of Glywysing. He abdicated in favour of his son Meurig and retired to live a hermitical life, but was recalled to lead his son's army against an intruding Saxon force...
and his son Meurig defeated the West Saxons and forced them to retreat from the GloucesterGloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
area. Tewdrig was mortally wounded and died three days after the battle.
- 590 the northern alliance of the Britons is defeated following the assassination of their leader and divisions between the former allies.
- 598 Battle of CatraethCatterick, North YorkshireCatterick , sometimes Catterick Village, to distinguish it from the nearby Catterick Garrison, is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England...
– the northern Angles led by Æthelfrith destroy the remaining forces of the Britons of Gododdin and Bryneich (Bernicia).
Seventh Century AD
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
n Angles made substantial gains in central Britain (today known as the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
). Cambria
Cambria
Cambria is the classical name for Wales, being the Latinised form of the Welsh name Cymru . The etymology of Cymry "the Welsh", Cimbri, and Cwmry "Cumbria", improbably connected to the Biblical Gomer and the "Cimmerians" by 17th-century celticists, is now known to come from Old Welsh combrog...
is cut off from the Britons of the north west and the south west. The Anglo-Saxons convert to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
by the middle of the century. The last serious attempts by the Welsh to reclaim Britain fail.
- 614 Battle of Beandun – The West Saxons led by Cynegils defeat the West Welsh, possibly led by Tewdwr ap Peredur, at Badbury RingsBadbury RingsBadbury Rings is an Iron Age hill fort in east Dorset, England, dating from 800 BC and in use until the Roman occupation of 43 AD.-Iron Age:...
, DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. In what is likely to have been a siege over two thousand Welsh warriors died following the capture of the fort. After this battle it is likely Dorset was annexed by Wessex.
- 616 Battle of Chester – the Northern Angles of Northumbria led by Aethelfrith of Northumbria defeat an alliance of Powys and Gwynedd and capture the city of ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
amid great slaughter.
- 619 The united NorthumbriaNorthumbriaNorthumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
n Angles led by Edwin of NorthumbriaEdwin of NorthumbriaEdwin , also known as Eadwine or Æduini, was the King of Deira and Bernicia – which later became known as Northumbria – from about 616 until his death. He converted to Christianity and was baptised in 627; after he fell at the Battle of Hatfield Chase, he was venerated as a saint.Edwin was the son...
invade and conquer ElmetElmetElmet was an independent Brythonic kingdom covering a broad area of what later became the West Riding of Yorkshire during the Early Middle Ages, between approximately the 5th century and early 7th century. Although its precise boundaries are unclear, it appears to have been bordered by the River...
, a Welsh territory close to modern LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. The Kingdom of Elmet is occupied and its last ruler, CereticCeretic of ElmetCeretic of Elmet was the last king of Elmet, a Brythonic kingdom that existed in the West Yorkshire area of Northern Britain during sub-Roman times....
, is driven into exile in Powys where soon after he dies.
- 620 the Northumbrians invade Gwynedd and drive Cadwallon ap CadfanCadwallon ap CadfanCadwallon ap Cadfan was the King of Gwynedd from around 625 until his death in battle. The son and successor of Cadfan ap Iago, he is best remembered as the King of the Britons who invaded and conquered Northumbria, defeating and killing its king, Edwin, prior to his own death in battle against...
into exile.
- 633 Battle of Hatfield Chase near DoncasterDoncasterDoncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
. Cadwallon of Gwynedd invaded Northumbria and defeats Edwin who is killed. Cadwallon occupies and ravages Northumbria, capturing York and killing many members of the Northumbrian dynasty.
- 634 Battle of Heavenfield near Hadrian's WallHadrian's WallHadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
where Cadwallon is defeated and killed by the Northumbrians led by Oswald of NorthumbriaOswald of NorthumbriaOswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
. The Welsh are driven from Northumbria ending any pretentions at regaining the North.
- 642 Battle of Maes Cogwy near OswestryOswestryOswestry 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....
where the Welsh alongside their Mercian allies were defeated by the Northumbrians.
- 650 Battle of Bradford on Avon, a West Saxon victory against the West Welsh.
- 658 The small Welsh kingdom of PengwernPengwernPengwern was a Brythonic settlement of sub-Roman Britain situated in what is now the English county of Shropshire, adjoining the modern Welsh border. It is generally regarded as being the early seat of the kings of Powys before its establishment at Mathrafal, further west, but the theory that it...
in modern ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
was overrun and annexed by Mercia.
- 658 Battle of Peonnum in SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
where an allied force of the West Welsh and CadwaladrCadwaladrCadwaladr 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...
of Gwynedd are defeated. The West Saxons move to conquer western Somerset.
- 665 Second Battle of Badon, somewhere in the Cotswold Hills which was a West Saxon victory against the Kingdom of Gwent and her local allies.
- 670 The West Saxons led by Cenwealh capture central Somerset including the important religious centre at GlastonburyGlastonburyGlastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
.
- 682 the West Saxons led by Centwine move westwards and defeat the West Welsh somewhere near the River ParrettRiver ParrettThe River Parrett flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset...
, driving them "to the sea".
- c.685 The Brut y TywysogionBrut y TywysogionBrut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
records a "partial" British victory in the south west with naval support from the Kingdom of BrittanyKingdom of BrittanyThe Kingdom of Brittany was an entity in the history of France. It was created when Erispoe was appointed King of Brittany in 851. Erispoe was the son of Nomenoe, the missus imperatoris to Brittany from the Kingdom of France since 831, but Nominoe had rebelled against Charles the Bald in 845...
that forces the West Saxons back from some of their gains.
Eighth Century AD
- 710 after defeating the West Welsh of DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, led by Geraint of DumnoniaGeraint of DumnoniaGeraint was a King of Dumnonia who ruled in the early 8th century. During his reign, it is believed that Dumnonia came repeatedly into conflict with neighbouring Anglo-Saxon Wessex. Geraint was the last recorded king of a unified Dumnonia, and was called King of the Welsh by the Anglo-Saxon...
, and capturing the stronghold at Norton FitzwarrenNorton FitzwarrenNorton Fitzwarren is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated north west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 2,325.-History:...
, King Ine of WessexIne of WessexIne was King of Wessex from 688 to 726. He was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla, who had brought much of southern England under his control and expanded West Saxon territory substantially...
builds a fortress at TauntonTauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
to defend his conquests. In the course of the battle King Geraint is slain.
- 722 Ine of Wessex advances as far as the River TamarRiver TamarThe Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
but is defeated and withdraws. The West Saxon fortress at Taunton is destroyed.
- c.725 Battle of HehilBattle of HehilThe Battle of Hehil was a battle won by a British force, probably against the Anglo-Saxons of Wessex in the year 721 or 722. The location is unknown, except that it was apud Cornuenses ....
, in DumnoniaDumnoniaDumnonia is the Latinised name for the Brythonic kingdom in sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries, located in the farther parts of the south-west peninsula of Great Britain...
where the Cornish Welsh with support from Rhodri Molwynog are victorious against Wessex bringing some peace to the beleaguered Cornish for almost a century.
- c.726 Battle of Pencoed in Morgannwg which was another victory for Rhodri Molwynog against "the saxons".
- 728 Battle of Carno Mountain in Gwent where the Welsh forced the Anglo-Saxons back to the River UskRiver UskThe River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
where many were drowned.
- 733 Battle of Devawdan, another Welsh victory.
- 735 First Battle of Hereford where the Welsh are victorious after a long and bloody fight.
- 743 an allied army of Mercians and West Saxons fight the Welsh. Possible construction of Wat's DykeWat's DykeWat's Dyke is a 40 mile earthwork running through the northern Welsh Marches from Basingwerk Abbey on the River Dee estuary, passing to the east of Oswestry and onto Maesbury in Shropshire, England...
.
- 752 where Eadberht of NorthumbriaEadberht of NorthumbriaEadberht was king of Northumbria from 737 or 738 to 758. He was the brother of Ecgbert, Archbishop of York. His reign is seen as a return to the imperial ambitions of seventh-century Northumbria and may represent a period of economic prosperity. He faced internal opposition from rival dynasties...
invades the Kingdom of StrathclydeKingdom of StrathclydeStrathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
and conquered the territory of KyleKyleKyle may refer to:* KYLE, a Fox network affiliate* Kyle , a Scottish masculine given name * Kyle , a surname of Scottish origin* Kyle, Ayrshire, Scotland* Kyle, Indiana, United States...
.
- 753 the West Saxons led by CuthredCuthredCuthred was the given name of:*Cuthred of Kent, ninth century monarch*Cuthred of Wessex, eighth century monarch*Cuthred son of Cwichelm of Wessex, seventh century prince of the West Saxons...
fight the Welsh of CornwallCornwallCornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The result is not known but the Cornish preserve their independence.
- 755 the westward expansion of Wessex resumes. Over the next thirty or so years eastern and northern Devon is permanently conquered by Wessex.
- 756 the Northumbrians led by Eadbert in alliance with the PictsPictsThe Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
invade the northern Welsh Kingdom of Strathclyde and defeat their king Dumnagual who is forced to submit thus becoming, for a while, a vassal of Northumbria. A second battle at Hereford is recorded as another Welsh vistory in the Brut y Tywysogion.
- 765 where the Welsh invade Mercia and cause much devastation.
- 769 Mercians campaign in Wales.
- 760 Battle of Hereford is recorded as a Welsh vistory against the Mercians led by Offa of MerciaOffa of MerciaOffa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796. The son of Thingfrith and a descendant of Eowa, Offa came to the throne after a period of civil war following the assassination of Æthelbald after defeating the other claimant Beornred. In the early years of Offa's reign it is likely...
. The Welsh were probably led by Elisedd ap GwylogElisedd ap GwylogElisedd ap Gwylog , also known as Elise, was king of Powys in eastern Wales.Little has been preserved in the historical records about Elisedd, who was a descendant of Brochwel Ysgithrog. He appears to have reclaimed the territory of Powys after it had been overrun by the English...
of Powys and his son Brochfael ap EliseddBrochfael ap Elisedd- References :...
.
- 780 the construction of Offa's DykeOffa's DykeOffa's Dyke is a massive linear earthwork, roughly followed by some of the current border between England and Wales. In places, it is up to wide and high. In the 8th century it formed some kind of delineation between the Anglian kingdom of Mercia and the Welsh kingdom of Powys...
begins. It appears this frontier ditch delineated an agreed frontier between Powys and Mercia.
- 784 it is presumed that ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
was captured by Cynewulf of WessexCynewulf of WessexCynewulf was the King of Wessex from 757 until his death in 786.Cynewulf became king after his predecessor, Sigeberht, was deposed. He may have come to power under the influence of Æthelbald of Mercia, since he was recorded as a witness to a charter of Æthelbald shortly thereafter...
following a siege. The Welsh invade Mercia again causing havoc.
- 798 the Mercians led by Coenwulf of MerciaCoenwulf of MerciaCoenwulf was King of Mercia from December 796 to 821. He was a descendant of a brother of King Penda, who had ruled Mercia in the middle of the 7th century. He succeeded Ecgfrith, the son of Offa; Ecgfrith only reigned for five months, with Coenwulf coming to the throne in the same year that Offa...
invade Wales but withdraw after killing Caradog ap MeirionCaradog ap MeirionCaradog ap Meirion was King of Gwynedd . This era in the history of Gwynedd was not notable, and given the lack of reliable information available, serious histories of Wales, such that as by Davies, do not mention Caradog, while that of Lloyd mentions his name only in a footnote quoting the year...
.
Ninth Century AD
During the first half of the century a reinvigorated Mercia almost conquers the rest of Wales. At the end of the century Viking raids on England bring the Welsh some respite.- 815 where Egbert of WessexEgbert of WessexEgbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
invades Cornwall and subdues the kingdom.
- 816 Mercians invade Powys.
- 822 where Beornwulf of MerciaBeornwulf of MerciaBeornwulf was King of Mercia from 823 to 825. His short reign saw the collapse of the Mercia's supremacy over the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy....
invades north Wales and captures DeganwyDeganwyDeganwy is a village in Conwy County Borough in Wales with a population of 3,700. It is in a more English-speaking region of North Wales, with only 1 in 4 residents speaking Welsh as a first language...
from Gwynedd and occupies the whole of Powys.
- 825 Battle of Camelford between Wessex and the Cornish Welsh resulting in another West Saxon victory.
- 828 the lands of Powys are liberated from Mercian occupation by Cyngen ap CadellCyngen ap CadellCyngen ap Cadell was a king of Powys in eastern Wales.-Biography:Cyngen was of the line of Brochwel Ysgithrog and after a long reign as king of Powys went on a pilgrimage to Rome and died there in 855...
. The Pillar of ElisegPillar of ElisegThe Pillar of Eliseg also known as Elise's Pillar or Croes Elisedd in Welsh, stands near Valle Crucis Abbey, Denbighshire, Wales, at . It was erected by Cyngen ap Cadell , king of Powys in honour of his great-grandfather Elisedd ap Gwylog...
was probably commissioned at this time.
- 830 where Egbert of Wessex invades Powys and forces Cyngen ap Cadell to submit. Egbert then withdraws his forces.
- 838 Battle of Hingston Down in Devon where a combined force of Cornish Welsh and Vikings were defeated by Wessex. Egbert's Stone is erected to commemorate this victory.
- 853 where Burgred of MerciaBurgred of MerciaBurgred or Burhred or Burghred was the king of Mercia .-Rule:Burgred succeeded to the throne in 852, and in 852 or 853 called upon Ethelwulf of Wessex to aid him in subduing northern Wales. The request was granted and the campaign proved successful, the alliance being sealed by the marriage of...
overruns Powys. Cyngan ap Cadell abdicates and retires to RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and his kingdom is annexed by Rhodri Mawr of Gwynedd.
- 865 where Burgred of Mercia leads his forces against Rhodri Mawr and captures AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, briefly, from Gwynedd. Burgred is later forced to withdraw as his realm is invaded by the Vikings.
- 878 the Welsh of Strathclyde in alliance with Kenneth MacAlpin invade northern Northumbria, currently at war with the Vikings, and liberate the LothianLothianLothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
region.
- 890 at least some of the "men of Strathclyde" are forced to relocate to Gwynedd after their kingdom, much weakened by the Vikings, is overrun by Angles and Scots.
Tenth Century AD
A period of relative peace as Hywel DdaHywel Dda
Hywel Dda , was the well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, who eventually came to rule Wales from Prestatyn to Pembroke. As a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, through his father Cadell, Hywel was a member of the Dinefwr branch of the dynasty and is also named Hywel ap Cadell...
comes to dominate most of Wales and forms an alliance with Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
against the Vikings who have destroyed the power of Mercia.
- 925 the Cornish Welsh rebelled once more and were evicted from ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
by King Athelstan of England who annexes Cornwall to England and defines the border of Cornwall (with England proper) at the River TamarRiver TamarThe Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...
.
- 940 when Idwal FoelIdwal FoelIdwal Foel ap Anarawd was a King of Gwynedd, referred to as King of the Britons by William of Malmesbury in his Gesta Regum Anglorum. William spells his name as Judwalum in the original Latin ; the Annales Cambriae spell it Iudgual.Idwal inherited the throne of Gwynedd on the death of his...
of Gwynedd invaded EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and was driven back and later deprived of his lands.
- 943 A combined English and Scottish attack on the Welsh Kingdom of StrathclydeKingdom of StrathclydeStrathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
results in the slaying Dyfnwal III of Strathclyde the reputed "last king of the Cumbrians" at a site in CumberlandCumberlandCumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
now called Dunmail RaiseDunmail RaiseDunmail Raise is a hill in the English Lake District, the highest point of a pass on the Keswick-Kendal road, the A591, to the south of Thirlmere reservoir on the way to Grasmere, in the Lake District National Park...
. Strathclyde is divided between England and Scotland.
- 962 King Edgar the Peaceful invades Gwynedd.
- 985 Hywel ap Ieuaf of Gwynedd is killed fighting Ælfhere, Ealdorman of MerciaÆlfhere, Ealdorman of MerciaÆlfhere was ealdorman of Mercia. His family, along with those of Æthelstan Half-King and Æthelstan Rota, rose to greatness in the middle third of the 10th century. In the reign of Edward the Martyr, Ælfhere was a leader of the anti-monastic reaction and an ally of Edward's stepmother Queen Dowager...
.
Eleventh Century AD
A united English kingdom of England is formed. The Welsh are united for a while under the aggressive Gruffudd ap Llywelyn but he is killed in renewed infighting before the Norman Conquest of EnglandNorman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
. The new Norman masters of England launch the Norman Conquest of Wales and ravage the Welsh kingdoms.
- 1039 Battle of Rhyd y Groes where Gruffudd ap Llywelyn – the recently crowned King of Gwynedd – ambushes a Mercian army led by Leofric of Mercia in BrycheiniogBrycheiniogBrycheiniog was a small independent petty kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans between 1088 and 1095, though it...
, destroying them.
- 1052 Gruffudd ap Llywelyn invades Herefordshire and sacks LeominsterLeominsterLeominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...
.
- 1055 Gruffudd ap Llywelyn allies with the exiled Ælfgar, Earl of MerciaÆlfgar, Earl of MerciaÆlfgar was son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia,by his well-known wife Godgifu . He succeeded to his father's title and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057....
and ravages HerefordshireHerefordshireHerefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.
- 1062 Harold GodwinsonHarold GodwinsonHarold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
, the Earl of WessexEarl of WessexThe title Earl of Wessex has been created twice in British history, once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom...
and his brother TostigTostig GodwinsonTostig Godwinson was an Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold Godwinson, the last crowned english King of England.-Early life:...
start a series of campaigns on behalf of the English crown against Gruffudd ap Llywelyn in retaliation for years of border raids. Gruffudd is killed.
- 1067 Bleddyn and Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn, co rulers of Gwynedd, invade HerefordshireHerefordshireHerefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in support of Eadric the WildEadric the WildEadric the Wild , also known as Eadric Cild, was an Anglo-Saxon magnate of the West Midlands who led English resistance to the Norman Conquest, active in 1068-70.-Background:...
, an English rebel resisting the Norman Conquest of England.
- 1067 The Normans invade the Kingdom of Gwent and conquer it driving king Caradog ap Gruffudd into exile.
- 1073 The Normans invade Gwynedd and occupy ArfonCantref ArfonThe mediaeval Welsh cantref of Arfon in north-west Wales was the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Later it was included in the new county of Caernarfonshire, together with Llŷn and Arllechwedd under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284...
.
- 1085 The NormansNormansThe Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
launch a wholesale invasion of Wales ravaging Gwynedd and Powys.
- 1091 The Normans conquer the kingdom of Morgannwg (formerly Glywysing) driving Iestyn ap Gwrgan into exile.
- 1093 The Normans occupy BrycheiniogBrycheiniogBrycheiniog was a small independent petty kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans between 1088 and 1095, though it...
and ravage south Wales killing Rhys ap TewdwrRhys ap TewdwrRhys ap Tewdwr was a Prince of Deheubarth in south-west Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great...
, the king of Deheubarth.
- 1094 Aber Llech is the culmination of a national uprising across Wales that drives the Normans back into England with the exception of a few castles. Deheubarth makes territorial gains at the expense of other southern realms.
- 1095 The Normans return but fail to draw the Welsh into battle.
- 1098 The Normans occupy Gwynedd and Anglesey. They withdraw within the year.
Twelfth Century AD
Civil wars in England allow the Welsh kingdoms space to consolidate their positions. The end of the century sees a resurgent Gwynedd expand at the expense of her neighbours.- 1116 The Welsh of Deheubarth revolt against their Norman overlords.
- 1134 Welsh raids into ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
destroying Caus CastleCaus CastleCaus Castle is a hill fort and medieval castle in the civil parish of Westbury in the English county of Shropshire. It is situated up on the eastern foothills of the Long Mountain guarding the route from Shrewsbury, Shropshire to Montgomery, Powys on the border between England and Wales.- History...
.
- 1136 Welsh Revolt against the Normans driving them from all Wales except the Lordship of CarmarthenCarmarthenCarmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
.
- 1137 An army from Gwynedd captures Carmarthen from the Normans.
- 1144 The Marcher lord Hugh de MortimerHugh de MortimerHugh de Mortimer was a Norman English medieval baron.- Lineage :The son of Hugh de Mortimer , the son of Ralf de Mortimer, he was Lord of Wigmore Castle, Cleobury Mortimer and at times, Bridgnorth, Bishop's Castle and Maelienydd.- Anarchy :During the Anarchy of King Stephen's reign, Mortimer was...
re-takes MaelienyddMaelienyddMaelienydd, sometimes spelt Maeliennydd, was a cantref and lordship in east central Wales covering the area from the River Teme to Radnor Forest and the area around Llandrindod Wells. The area, which is mainly upland, is now in Powys...
.
- 1145 Gilbert de ClareGilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of PembrokeGilbert fitz Gilbert de Clare , son of Gilbert Fitz Richard and Alice de Claremont, was sometimes referred to as "Strongbow", although his son is better remembered by this name, was the first Earl of Pembroke from 1138....
rebuilds Carmarthen Castle.
- 1149 Madog ap MareduddMadog ap MareduddMadog ap Maredudd was the last Prince of the entire Kingdom of Powys, Wales and for a time held the Fitzalan Lordship of Oswestry.Madog was the son of Maredudd ap Bleddyn and grandson of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn. He followed his father on the throne of Powys in 1132...
advances into ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and annexes OswestryOswestryOswestry 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 the kingdom of Powys; it remains in his possession until 1157.
- 1157 Henry IIHenry II of EnglandHenry 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...
leads a massive invasion of the PerfeddwladPerfeddwladPerfeddwlad, , , was a name adopted during the twelfth century for the territories in north-east Wales lying between the rivers Conwy and Dee, and comprised the cantrefi of Rhos, Rhufoniog, Dyffryn Clwyd and Tegeingl...
to drive Owain ap GruffuddOwain GwyneddOwain 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 insurgent king of Gwynedd, away from the border of CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. Following a failed landing on Anglesey, Henry II and Owain come to terms with Owain agreeing to withdraw to the west bank of the River ClwydRiver ClwydThe River Clwyd is a river in North Wales which rises in the Clocaenog Forest northwest of Corwen.It flows due south until at Melin-y-Wig it veers northeastwards, tracking the A494 to Ruthin. Here it leaves the relatively narrow valley and enters a broad agricultural vale, the Vale of Clwyd...
.
- 1159 Rhys ap Gruffudd of Deheubarth attacks Anglo-Norman castles and settlements in south Wales, capturing LlandoveryLlandoveryLlandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...
in 1162.
- 1163 Henry IIHenry II of EnglandHenry 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...
launches a military campaign in south Wales invading Deheubarth. He captures Rhys ap Gruffudd at PencaderPencader, CarmarthenshirePencader is a small village in the Welsh county of Carmarthenshire, and is part of the Community and Parish of Llanfihangel-ar-Arth. It is located around 5 km south-east of Llandysul and 10 km south-west of Llanybydder....
and takes him to England. Rhys is restored to his lands in 1164 after he agrees to make homageHomageHomage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to Henry.
- 1165 Rhys ap Gruffudd leads attacks on Anglo-Norman strongholds in south and west Wales. Gwynedd, Powys, Deheubarth and the smaller realms form an alliance against England. Henry II declares war and leads an invasion force from Shrewsbury through Powys and into Gwynedd. Henry is forced to withdraw after adverse weather conditions.
- 1166 Rhys ap Gruffudd captures Cardigan CastleCardigan CastleCardigan Castle is a castle located in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales.-History:The first motte-and-bailey castle was built a mile away from the present site, probably about the time of the founding of the town by Roger de Montgomery, a Norman baron....
from the English crown.
- 1167 Owain ap Gruffudd captures Rhuddlan CastleRhuddlan CastleRhuddlan Castle is a castle located in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales. It was erected by Edward I in 1277 following the First Welsh War.-Construction:Rhuddlan was planned as a concentric castle...
and Basingwerk advancing as far east as the River Dee.
- 1185 Welsh raiders sack CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
- 1196 Full scale war breaks out again. Hubert WalterHubert WalterHubert Walter was an influential royal adviser in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries in the positions of Chief Justiciar of England, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor. As chancellor, Walter began the keeping of the Charter Roll, a record of all charters issued by the...
invades Powys from Shrewsbury and places WelshpoolWelshpoolWelshpool is a town in Powys, Wales, or ancient county Montgomeryshire, from the Wales-England border. The town is low-lying on the River Severn; the Welsh language name Y Trallwng literally meaning 'the marshy or sinking land'...
under siege.
- 1198 Battle of Painscastle where a Welsh army is destroyed by the English.
Thirteenth Century AD
The primacy of Gwynedd continues up to the middle of the century when a "Principality of Wales" is proclaimed by Llywelyn Fawr. After a period of tumult following the death of Llywelyn's successor as prince, Dafydd ap LlywelynDafydd ap Llywelyn
Dafydd ap Llywelyn was Prince of Gwynedd from 1240 to 1246. He was for a time recognised as Prince of Wales.- Descent :...
, Dafydd's nephew Llywelyn ap Gruffudd emerges as a major force in Welsh politics, assuming the title of prince of Wales in 1258 and establishing his authority in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
and Deheubarth. Llywelyn's death in 1282, and the subsequent capture and execution of his brother and successor, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, in 1283 signify the end of Welsh independence. The end of the century sees the annexation of Wales and the Edwardian Settlement.
- 1211 King John of England launches an invasion of Gwynedd from ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
but has to retreat without making gains. A second invasion later that year, this time from Shrewsbury, leaves the Welsh town of BangorBangor, GwyneddBangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
in ruins; John succeeds in securing the surrender of the prince of Gwynedd, Llywelyn Fawr, who agrees to cede the PerfeddwladPerfeddwladPerfeddwlad, , , was a name adopted during the twelfth century for the territories in north-east Wales lying between the rivers Conwy and Dee, and comprised the cantrefi of Rhos, Rhufoniog, Dyffryn Clwyd and Tegeingl...
to the English Crown as part of the peace terms.
- 1215 Llywelyn Fawr in alliance with other princes attacks English holdings across Wales capturing Cardigan CastleCardigan CastleCardigan Castle is a castle located in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales.-History:The first motte-and-bailey castle was built a mile away from the present site, probably about the time of the founding of the town by Roger de Montgomery, a Norman baron....
, Carmarthen Castle, Kidwelly CastleKidwelly CastleKidwelly Castle is an Norman castle overlooking the river Gwendraeth and the town of Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales.The present remains of the castle include work from about 1200 to about 1476. Created as a defence against the Welsh, the castle fell to the Welsh several times in the twelfth...
and many other places. At a Welsh assembly (1216) Llywelyn is, to all intents and purposes, acknowledged as prince of Wales by the noblemen of Powys and Deheubarth. In 1218 the fighting finishes following a peace deal with England.
- 1223 Marcher lord Hubert de Burgh starts a series of campaigns during which he retakes Carmarthen, Cardigan and MontgomeryMontgomery, PowysThe historic county town of Montgomery in Powys, Wales lies just three miles from the English border in the Welsh Marches. It is best known for its castle, Montgomery Castle, begun in 1223, and its parish church, begun in 1227. However its origins go back much further, as seen by the Celtic Iron...
.
- 1240 With Llywelyn Fawr dead the English attack. Marcher lords retake the territorial gains made by Llywelyn.
- 1241 Henry III invades Wales; Dafydd ap LlywelynDafydd ap LlywelynDafydd ap Llywelyn was Prince of Gwynedd from 1240 to 1246. He was for a time recognised as Prince of Wales.- Descent :...
is forced to surrender (Aug). The subsequent peace agreement, the Treaty of GwerneigronTreaty of GwerneigronTreaty of Gwerneigron was a peace treaty signed by Henry III, king of England and Dafydd ap Llywelyn, prince of Wales of the House of Gwynedd, on 29 August 1241. The treaty brought to an end Henry's invasion of Wales begun earlier that month....
, sees the English occupy the Perfeddwlad.
- 1244 Dafydd declares war; several Welsh raids are mounted on the Wales-England border.
- 1245 Dafydd's war intensifies. Gwynedd and her allies in Deheubarth and Powys FadogPowys FadogPowys Fadog or Lower Powys was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
make few gains in mid-Wales; however, MoldMoldMolds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...
is recaptured by the Welsh (28 Mar). In August the English attack Gwynedd from ChesterChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
; defeated by Dafydd in battle, the invasion force advances as far as DeganwyDeganwyDeganwy is a village in Conwy County Borough in Wales with a population of 3,700. It is in a more English-speaking region of North Wales, with only 1 in 4 residents speaking Welsh as a first language...
, where Henry is halted after heavy fighting. In the autumn a truce is agreed, and the English army withdraws to England. Dafydd's death in 1246 precipitates a new attack on Gwynedd from the south by Marcher lord Nicholas de Molis which compels Deheubarth and then Gwynedd to surrender. Under the terms of the Treaty of Woodstock, Gwynedd withdraws from Perfeddwlad.
- 1256 Gwynedd, led by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, grandson of Llywelyn Fawr, invades and annexes the Perfeddwlad. Gwynedd annexes Brycheiniog, Maelienydd, Gwrtheyrnion and Builth (late 1250s). The Treaty of MontgomeryTreaty of MontgomeryBy means of the Treaty of Montgomery , Llywelyn ap Gruffydd was acknowledged as Prince of Wales by the English king Henry III, the only time in history that an English ruler would recognise the right of a ruler of Gwynedd over Wales...
(1267) allows Llywelyn to keep these gains. Deheubarth makes territorial gains in the south.
- 1277 Llywelyn II is declared a rebel by Edward I and the English invade Wales; the First War of Welsh Independence begins. English armies from Carmarthen defeat the princes of Deheubarth, armies from Chester overwhelm Powys FadogPowys FadogPowys Fadog or Lower Powys was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
and armies from Shrewsbury retake Maelienydd, Builth, Brycheiniog and Gwrtheyrnion. In the Treaty of AberconwyTreaty of AberconwyThe Treaty of Aberconwy was signed in 1277 by King Edward I of England and Llewelyn the Last of modern-day Wales, who had fought each other on and off for years over control of the Welsh countryside...
Llywelyn is confined to western Gwynedd and Powys Fadog and Deheubarth are broken up.
- 1282 Gwynedd is drawn into a rebellion in the Perfeddwlad and goes to war against England.
- 1282 The English invade Wales under Edward I. 16 June – Battle of Llandeilo; an English army in the south is routed, but Edward's forces continue to make slow progress for the rest of the summer. 6 November – Battle of Moel-y-don; an English army is routed on the banks of the Menia Straits. Battle of Orewin BridgeBattle of Orewin BridgeThe Battle of Orewin Bridge was fought between English and Welsh armies on December 11, 1282 near Builth Wells in mid-Wales...
(11 Dec); Llywelyn II is killed in a chance ambush nearby at Cilmeri. Dafydd ap Gruffudd succeeds him.
- 1283 The last remaining castles in Gwynedd are captured. The royal court of Wales withdraws to shelter in the mountains. Dafydd ap Gruffudd is captured in June and executed in Shrewsbury in October. Gwynedd is conquered. Resulting accords leave no part of Wales other than Powys WenwynwynPowys WenwynwynPowys Wenwynwyn or Powys Cyfeiliog was the southern portion of the former princely state of Powys which split following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
, EdeirnionEdeirnionEdeirnion is an area of the county of Denbighshire and an ancient commote of medieval Wales. According to tradition, it was named after its eponymous founder Edern or Edeyrn....
, GlyndyfrdwyGlyndyfrdwyGlyndyfrdwy , or sometimes Glyn Dyfrdwy, is a village in the modern county of Denbighshire, Wales. It is situated on the A5 road half way between Corwen and Llangollen in the Dee Valley .-Owain Glyndwr:...
and Dryslwyn CastleDryslwyn CastleDryslwyn Castle is a native Welsh castle, sited on a hill roughly halfway between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in Wales. It is notable inasmuch as it is the only native Welsh castle with three wards.- Excavation :...
under native lordship.
- 1287 Rhys ap MareduddRhys ap MareduddRhys ap Maredudd was a senior member of the Welsh royal house of Deheubarth, a principality of Medieval Wales. He was the great grandson of The Lord Rhys , prince of south Wales, and the last ruler of a united Deheubarth...
of Dryslwyn, a prince of Deheubarth incensed at his treatment by Edward I, leads attacks on English holdings in the south taking back the Deheubarth royal centre at DinefwrDinefwrDinefwr was a local government district of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was named after Dinefwr Castle which was the royal capital of the Principality of Deheubarth and one of the three principal royal courts of Wales....
and capturing the Ystrad TywiYstrad TywiYstrad Tywi is an area of south-west Wales situated on the banks of the Tywi river as it approaches the sea to join the Bristol Channel at Carmarthen...
. By 1288 he has lost all his holdings but remains a guerilla leader until his capture and execution in 1292.
- 1294 a Welsh uprising led by Madog ap LlywelynMadog ap LlywelynMadog ap Llywelyn, or Prince Madoc, was from a junior branch of the House of Aberffraw and a distant relation of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last recognised native Prince of Wales.-Lineage:...
, a junior member of the House of AberffrawHouse of AberffrawThe House of Aberffraw is a historiographical and genealogical term historians use to illustrate the clear line of succession from Rhodri the Great of Wales through his eldest son Anarawd....
with estates in AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
sweeps north and central Wales briefly capturing Castell y BereCastell y BereCastell y Bere is a native Welsh castle near Llanfihangel-y-pennant in Gwynedd, Wales. Constructed by Llywelyn the Great in the 1220s, the stone castle was intended to maintain his authority over the local people and to defend the south-west part of the princedom of Gwynedd...
, Carnarvon Castle, Cardigan CastleCardigan CastleCardigan Castle is a castle located in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales.-History:The first motte-and-bailey castle was built a mile away from the present site, probably about the time of the founding of the town by Roger de Montgomery, a Norman baron....
, Dinas Bran and Denbigh CastleDenbigh CastleDenbigh Castle was a fortress built following the 13th-century conquest of Wales by Edward I.The castle, which stands on a rocky promontory above the Welsh market town of Denbigh, Denbighshire, was built upon an earlier Welsh stronghold. It was defended by a unique triple-towered gateway.A planned...
among others. Madog proclaims himself prince of Wales.
- 1295 Battle of Maes Moydog (5 Mar); Madog is defeated and the Welsh army destroyed. Madog is soon captured and imprisoned.
Fourteenth Century AD
A period of relative stability punctuated by two significant revolts.- 1316 uprising in Gwent and Morgannwg led by Llywelyn BrenLlywelyn BrenLlywelyn Bren , or Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys or Llywelyn of the Woods , was a nobleman who led a revolt in Wales during the reign of King Edward II of England in 1316. The revolt would be the last serious challenge to English rule in Wales until the attempts of Owain Lawgoch to invade Wales with...
the lord of Senghennydd and a descendant of the kings of Morgannwg. Rebels put Caerphilly CastleCaerphilly CastleCaerphilly Castle is a medieval castle that dominates the centre of the town of Caerphilly in south Wales. It is the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Britain after Windsor Castle...
under siege for six weeks and burn the town. Bren's forces are defeated, he is captured and executed.
- 1345 an uprising in Gwynedd known as the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre when Henry de Shaldeforde, the king of England's attorneyLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and his men were ambushed and slaughtered by Welsh rebels. Anti-English rioting had begun earlier in 1344 centred at RhuddlanRhuddlanRhuddlan 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...
.
Fifteenth Century AD
Civil conflict in England and the deposition of Richard IIRichard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
are the background for the national uprising led by Owain Glyn Dŵr who is briefly successful in liberating all of Wales from the England. He is defeated and English occupation of Wales is restored and maintained up to the modern era.
- 1400 The Glyndŵr RisingGlyndwr RisingThe Glyndŵr Rising, Welsh Revolt or Last War of Independence was an uprising of the Welsh, led by Owain Glyndŵr, against England. It was the last major manifestation of a Welsh independence movement before the incorporation of Wales into England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542.- The Fall of...
erupts in Powys FadogPowys FadogPowys Fadog or Lower Powys was the northern portion of the former princely realm of Powys which split in two following the death of Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1160...
led by Owain Glyn Dŵr, a nobleman of the house of Powys. Owain proclaims himself prince of Wales (16 Sep) and raids towns in north-east Wales (late Sep); after a few months of inactivity; the revolt spreads across Gwynedd.
- 1401 Conwy CastleConwy CastleConwy Castle is a castle in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales.It was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second campaign in North Wales....
is captured by Owain's men. The Battle of TuthillBattle of TuthillThe Battle of Tuthill took place at Caernarfon on 2 November 1401 during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr. Glyndŵr's success at the Battle of Mynydd Hyddgen the previous June had provided the revolt with fresh impetus, and the battle may be seen as indicative of his determination to foster revolt in...
ends inconclusively during a siege of Caernarfon CastleCaernarfon CastleCaernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
.
- 1402 Battle of Bryn GlasBattle of Bryn GlasThe Battle of Bryn Glas, was fought on 22 June 1402, near the towns of Knighton and Presteigne in Powys...
; Owain defeats the English led by Marcher lord Edmund MortimerEdmund Mortimer, son of the 3rd EarlEdmund Mortimer , was the second son of Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March by his wife Philippa Plantagenet, and is the best-known of the various Edmund Mortimers because of his role in the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr...
who is captured and later allies with him. The English are driven from Wales.
- 1405 The English launch multiple attacks on Wales retaking many captured castles. In August, Owain leads a combined Franco-Welsh army into England, and reaches as far as Woodbury Hill before retreating.
- 1409 Harlech CastleHarlech CastleHarlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
, Owain's last stronghold, falls to the English. Edmund Mortimer is killed. Owain leads guerilla raids across Wales and is never captured; he is believes to have died around 1415. Maredudd ab Owain Glyn Dŵr accepts a royal pardon in 1421.