Battle of Crug Mawr

The Battle of Crug Mawr was a battle during the uprising in South Wales after the death of King Henry I. In the hills of Crug Mawr the army of the allied Welsh princes of Gwynedd and Deheubarth won a decisive victory over an Anglo -Norman army.

Prehistory

At the beginning of the 12th century Anglo-Norman barons had conquered with the support of the English king, large parts of South Wales principalities. After the death of Henry I. it came into the conquered territories to numerous uprisings. On January 1, 1136 a Welsh army of Brycheiniog beat the Anglo-Normans of Gower in a battle between Loughor and Swansea. Even the Prince of Deheubarth, Gruffydd ap Rhys saw the opportunity to shake off the Anglo-Norman safe control of his kingdom, and formed an alliance with Owain Gwynedd, the heir to the throne of Gwynedd. After the Lord of Ceredigion, Richard de Clare FitzGilbert was killed on April 15, 1136 in a battle near Abergavenny, fell Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd and Gruffydd ap Rhys in Ceredigion one.

The Anglo-Normans rallied her troops at Cardigan under the leadership of Stephen, the constable of Cardigan, Robert FitzMartin, the Lord of Cemais and Lord of Nevern Castle and William and Maurice FitzGerald, two sons of Gerald of Windsor.

Battle

The Anglo-Normans went out to meet the Welsh in Crug Mawr battle was fought between the two armies. Probably Crug Mawr is equated with today Banc -y- Warren said, about three kilometers north of Cardigan hills. The Welsh fought back the Anglo-Normans who fled across a bridge over the Teifi. When the bridge collapsed under the weight of the fugitives, they suffered heavy losses, many Anglo-Normans were slain or drowned.

Then the Welsh stormed the town Cardigan and set it on fire. Cardigan Castle on the other hand they could not conquer, because the castle was supplied with ships of the sea.

Follow

In consequence of the Anarchy in England the Anglo-Normans in West Wales received no military support from the King of England. Even were some of the leading Anglo-Norman lords in Wales as Robert of Gloucester, Lord of Glamorgan or Ranulph de Gernon, 2nd Earl of Chester itself so heavily involved in the power struggle for the throne, that they could not take care of the defense of their Welsh territories. That's why were able to capture a large part of Ceredigion Owain Gwynedd and his brother Cadwaladr after the battle. Gruffydd ap Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth died already in 1137, but were able to greatly expand his sons and successors Anarawd and Cadell in the coming years through conquest her empire, and thus laid the foundations for the rule of her younger half-brother, Rhys ap Gruffydd, who later became Lord Rhys was called.