The Battle of Cardigan Crug Mawr (1136) by Oliver Hayes

Author:Oliver Hayes [Hayes, Oliver]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bretwalda Books
Published: 2012-08-18T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 3

The Battle

Following the course of the battle on the ground today is relatively easy. The starting point is the castle. The stone castle to be seen today is not the one that stood here in 1136 but a replacement erected in around 1260. The castle is in poor condition, but now that it has been purchased by the local council it is undergoing repairs and is sporadically open to the public. The present stone walls show where Stephen the Constable mustered his men on the south bank of the River Teifi to await news of the Welsh.

Stephen’s scouts were efficient, bringing him news of Owain’s army almost as soon as it left Aberystwyth. This gave Stephen plenty of time to march his men over the bridge and to head out on the road that is now the A487. The wooden bridge that spanned the Teifi at that time stood upstream of the modern bridge, where the narrow street Gloster Row runs down to the river, beside the church. You can follow the footsteps of Stephen’s army to the northeast by walking out of Cardigan on the A487. This is, however, a busy road so you may prefer to take the bus to Aberystwyth which runs up this road. About two miles outside Cardigan the road passes over a small, but steep hill before dropping down into the village of Penparc. It was this spot Stephen had chosen to stop Owain’s advance. There is a bus stop in Penparc.

Stephen drew his men up on the slopes of the hill, known as Crug Mawr or Great Mound (now Banc-y-Warren). In the front he placed his steady Fleming mercenaries. Behind them were stationed the mass of English infantrymen. In the rear, near the top of the slope, Stephen put himself with his heavy cavalry.

Stephen’s tactics were simple. He would let the advancing Welsh wear themselves out attacking the reliable Flemings and would use the English to plug any gaps that opened up in his defensive line. When the Welsh were sufficiently tired, or if they became disordered, Stephen would lead his knights in a massed charge. With the advantage of armoured men and the momentum given by charging downhill, Stephen was confident he could simply sweep the Welsh aside and turn a battle into a rout, and then into a slaughter.

His men in position, Stephen waited.

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