Battle of Moel-y-don
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Moel-y-don was a battle fought in the 1282 war between the Welsh and the English.
in 1277, Edward I of England
imposed harsh terms on the lands he had conquered. He had been aided in 1277 by many Welshmen, including Llywelyn's own brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd
, but oppression by Edward's officials drove many of them into rebellion. The war began when Dafydd turned against the English and slaughtered the garrison of Hawarden Castle.
Edward raised several armies through levy and indenture, and sent them into Wales on multiple fronts to surround and destroy Llywelyn's armies. One important expedition, consisting of 2000 infantrymen and 200 cavalrymen under the former constable of Gascony
, Luke de Tany
, was sent to capture the island of Anglesey. This would deprive the Welsh of much of their grain, and outflank the Welsh who were defending the Conwy.
across the Menai Strait
which separates Anglesey from the mainland. Edward's plan was to cross the River Conwy while de Tany crossed the Menai and attacked from the north. However, de Tany ignored the plan, believing he could defeat the Welsh without Edward's aid. He had contacted some of the clergy in Bangor
who had promised to aid him by giving a signal when the time was right to attack.
The bridge was finished in September that year, and on 6 November, de Tany and his men crossed the bridge having been given the signal to attack. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd had been alerted to the crossing somehow, and emerged with a large army to meet the English as they crossed. A rising tide cut off de Tany's men from the bridge. When they tried to flee, many of them drowned when their heavy armour dragged them under the sea. Walter of Guisborough wrote an account of the battle:
Luke de Tany, the nobles Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron Clifford, Phillip and William Burnell (brothers of the chancellor Robert Burnell
), 16 English knights (and their esquires) and 300 of de Tany's men perished. The Welsh suffered few casualties. The remaining English army made it back to Anglesey, however their losses were too great for them to launch a counterattack.
, having led an expedition into mid-Wales to rally supporters.
Background
After stripping much Welsh land from Llywelyn ap GruffyddLlywelyn the Last
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf , sometimes rendered as Llywelyn II, was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England....
in 1277, Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
imposed harsh terms on the lands he had conquered. He had been aided in 1277 by many Welshmen, including Llywelyn's own brother Dafydd ap Gruffydd
Dafydd ap Gruffydd
Dafydd ap Gruffydd was Prince of Wales from 11 December 1282 until his execution on 3 October 1283 by King Edward I of England...
, but oppression by Edward's officials drove many of them into rebellion. The war began when Dafydd turned against the English and slaughtered the garrison of Hawarden Castle.
Edward raised several armies through levy and indenture, and sent them into Wales on multiple fronts to surround and destroy Llywelyn's armies. One important expedition, consisting of 2000 infantrymen and 200 cavalrymen under the former constable of Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, Luke de Tany
Luke de Tany
Luke de Tany was a high-ranking Norman lord. He was once the Seneschal of Gascony. He served Edward I of England during the 1282 Welsh war by successfully capturing Anglesey. From Anglesey, de Tany sent a strong force over the Menai Strait where they were defeated at the Battle of Moel-y-don. Luke...
, was sent to capture the island of Anglesey. This would deprive the Welsh of much of their grain, and outflank the Welsh who were defending the Conwy.
The battle
After successfully capturing Anglesey, Luke de Tany's men constructed a bridge of boatsBridge of boats
A "bridge of boats" istype of bridge which floats on water instead of having permanent pillars. It is built by linking boats and the first and last being anchored to the shores. It was used as a military technique since ancient times, being the fastest method for an army to construct a water crossing...
across the Menai Strait
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
which separates Anglesey from the mainland. Edward's plan was to cross the River Conwy while de Tany crossed the Menai and attacked from the north. However, de Tany ignored the plan, believing he could defeat the Welsh without Edward's aid. He had contacted some of the clergy in Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor 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...
who had promised to aid him by giving a signal when the time was right to attack.
The bridge was finished in September that year, and on 6 November, de Tany and his men crossed the bridge having been given the signal to attack. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd had been alerted to the crossing somehow, and emerged with a large army to meet the English as they crossed. A rising tide cut off de Tany's men from the bridge. When they tried to flee, many of them drowned when their heavy armour dragged them under the sea. Walter of Guisborough wrote an account of the battle:
When they had reached the foot of the mountain and, after a time, came to a place at some distance from the bridge, the tide came in with a great flow, so that they were unable to get back to the bridge for the debt of water. The Welsh came from the high mountains and attacked them, and in fear and trepidation, for the great number of the enemy, our men preferred to face the sea than the enemy. They went into the sea but, heavily laden with arms, they were instantly drowned.
Luke de Tany, the nobles Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron Clifford, Phillip and William Burnell (brothers of the chancellor Robert Burnell
Robert Burnell
Robert Burnell was an English bishop who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1274 to 1292. A native of Shropshire, he served as a minor royal official before entering into the service of Prince Edward, the future King Edward I of England...
), 16 English knights (and their esquires) and 300 of de Tany's men perished. The Welsh suffered few casualties. The remaining English army made it back to Anglesey, however their losses were too great for them to launch a counterattack.
Aftermath
This victory, and the Battle of Llandeilo Fawr in which another English army was destroyed in South Wales, boosted Welsh morale and set back Edward's plans, but Llywelyn was killed a few weeks later at CilmeriBattle of Orewin Bridge
The Battle of Orewin Bridge was fought between English and Welsh armies on December 11, 1282 near Builth Wells in mid-Wales...
, having led an expedition into mid-Wales to rally supporters.