Battle of Crug Mawr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Crug Mawr |
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| Part of the Norman invasion of Wales | |||||||
 The location of the battle, two miles from Aberteifi (Cardigan) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of Gwynedd Kingdom of Deheubarth |
Norman and Flemish forces from all the south Wales lordships | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Owain Gwynedd Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd Gruffydd ap Rhys |
Robert FitzMartin Robert FitzStephen Maurice FitzGerald |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 4,000 infantrymen 2,000 cavalrymen |
Several thousand | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Said to be light | 3,000 killed | ||||||
The Battle of Crug Mawr (Welsh: Brwydr Crug Mawr) was a major fight in October 1136. It was part of a long struggle between the Welsh and the Normans. The battle happened near Cardigan in West Wales. The Welsh wanted to control the area called Ceredigion. The battle was a big win for the Welsh forces. It stopped the Normans from expanding their control in West Wales for some years.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
A Welsh uprising against Norman rule began in South Wales. On January 1, 1136, the Welsh won a battle near Swansea. They defeated local Norman forces. About 500 Norman soldiers were killed.
Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare was the Norman lord of Ceredigion. He was away from his lands earlier that year. In April, he returned to Wales. He ignored warnings about danger. He rode towards Ceredigion with a small group of soldiers. He was ambushed and killed by Welsh fighters.
News of Richard's death spread quickly. This led to an invasion by forces from Gwynedd. These forces were led by Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd. They were the sons of King Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd. They captured several castles in northern Ceredigion. Then they went home to share their spoils.
Around October 11, they invaded Ceredigion again. They joined forces with Gruffydd ap Rhys from Deheubarth. The combined Welsh armies then marched towards the town of Cardigan. The Normans had a large army waiting.
Where the Battle Took Place
The exact spot of the battle is not fully known. Experts believe it was on the southeast slopes of Banc-y-Warren. This is a noticeable hill near Penparc, about two miles northeast of Cardigan. There is a farm on the slope called Crugmore.
In 2014, a study was done at Crugmore Farm. It looked for signs of a battle. No clear evidence was found there. Some people think the battle was on the northeast side of the hill. This area is closer to the road from Cardigan. The hill was known as Crug Mawr even in the 800s.
Gerald of Wales wrote about the battle in 1191. He said:
We traveled from Cilgarran towards Pont-Stephen. We left Cruc Mawr, which means 'the great hill', near Aberteivi, on our left. On this spot, Gruffydh, son of Rhys ap Theodor, won a great victory against the English army. This happened soon after King Henry I died.
Some of Gerald's own family members fought in this battle.
The Battle Itself
The Welsh army met the Norman forces two miles outside Cardigan. The battle began. The Normans were led by Robert fitz Martin. He was supported by Robert fitz Stephen, who was in charge of Cardigan Castle. The brothers William and Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan also fought for the Normans.
After fierce fighting, the Norman forces were defeated. They ran away towards the River Teifi. Many tried to cross the bridge. But the bridge broke under their weight. Hundreds of soldiers are said to have drowned. The river became blocked with the bodies of men and horses. Foot soldiers were trampled by horses.
Others fled to the town of Cardigan. But the Welsh took the town and burned it. Robert fitz Martin managed to defend the castle successfully. Skulls with battle wounds have been found nearby.
A record from 1136, the Breviate Chronicle, describes the battle. It names the Welsh leaders: Owain and Cadwaladr (ap Gruffydd), Gruffydd ap Rhys, Rhys ap Hywel, Madog ab Idnerth, and the sons of Hywel. On the Norman side were Stephen the Constable and the sons of Gerald. They were supported by Flemish soldiers. Some of these soldiers traveled a long way to fight.
Edward Laws quoted a historical account. It said:
...the killing was so great that besides the male prisoners, 10,000 widows were captured. Their husbands had either been killed in battle, burned in the town, or drowned in the Teifi. It seems the entire foreign population had gathered at Cardigan for safety. The bridge was broken, but the river was so full of dead men and horses that people could walk across without getting wet.
This account was likely written by John of Worcester.
Did Longbows Help?
Some modern writers think the Welsh won because of their longbows. No old records of the battle mention bows. However, the Welsh in the southeast were using longbows around this time. In 1188, Giraldus Cambrensis wrote that archers from Gwent used very powerful longbows. He believed Welsh archers caused the defeat and death of Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare earlier in 1136.
It has been suggested that the Normans were surprised by the long range of the Welsh archers. Even though the Normans had more soldiers and a higher position, they couldn't change their plans fast enough. In 2018, Adam Price suggested that the longbow was important in the battle. He argued that the Norman threat made the Welsh invent new weapons.
What Happened Next
The Battle of Crug Mawr was a big setback for Norman expansion in Wales. Ceredigion had been part of Deheubarth before the Normans took it. Now, Gwynedd, which was stronger, took control of Ceredigion.
Owain Gwynedd became king of Gwynedd the next year after his father died. He made his kingdom even bigger. In Deheubarth, Gruffydd ap Rhys died in 1137. This caused problems, and the Normans were able to get some of their land back in the south. However, Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth won it back for his kingdom during a war from 1165 to 1170.
See also
