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"Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon"-"A nation without a language is a nation without a heart" Welsh Proverb

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Wednesday, June 15, 2016

 

 
Ben Baillie to Heritage and History of Wales
THE BATTLE OF MYNYDD HYDDGEN, JUNE 1401 AD
Extract from THE LAST PRINCE "Wales’ Braveheart: Owain Glyndwr, The last Welsh Prince of Wales 1359-1415 A.D"
The f...irst Victory: the Battle of Mynydd Hyddgen
When the news reached Owain about his cousin’s capture of one of the mightiest castles in medieval Europe he was overjoyed. The Tudors had taken the initiative in the North and now Owain needed to force home a victory in mid-Wales to open up the road to the south. During the winter Owain had been forging weapons and training his men ready for the fore-coming campaign at his mountain headquarters near the foot of Plynlimon (Cambrian Mountains). In June 1401 A.D a force of some 1,500 English and Flemish settlers from Cededigion and the Marcher Lordship of Pembrokeshire had been sent to crush rebel activity in the Plynlimon area. Owain and his 400 followers were severely outnumbered, but he used his military experience to lure the English deep into the boggy inhospitable terrain. The battle took place in the valley at a place called Esgair Ffordd (Ridgeway) where the Llygant and Nant Goch streams flow into the Hyddgen river. In the marshy ground the English infantry and armoured knights got bogged down. The lightly armoured Welsh used their hill ponies to increase mobility and inflict devastating loses upon the enemy with the deadly Welsh longbow. After a bloody climax to the battle, the English broke ranks and fled the field in total disarray.
Gruffudd Hiraethog “The Annals of Owen Glyndwr” reported:

“In the summer of 1401 Owain rose with 120 reckless men and robbers and took them to the uplands of Ceredingion. 1,500 men from the lowlands of Ceredigion, Rhos and Penfro assembled and came to the mountain to seize Owain. The battle was on Hyddgant Mountain and no sooner did the English soldiers turn their backs in flight than 200 of them were slain. Owain won great fame, and a large number of fighting men from all over Wales rose and joined him.”
The battle of Mynydd Hyddgen was the first victory for Owain against an organised army. Overnight his reputation was transformed from a local rebel to a national leader against English oppression. Even in England Welsh workmen and scholars downed their tools, packed up their belongings and returned to Wales to join the fight for freedom.
Back in North Wales, after holding out for three months Owains cousins’ negotiated the surrender of Conwy castle.
On midsummer’s day the Welsh garrison marched out of the castle unmolested. They handed over the keys, 1000
Marks and nine hostages as agreed in the terms of the surrender to Hotspur and Prince Henry.
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