The Battle of Crug Mawr, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Cardigan, took place in September or October 1136, as part of a between the Welsh and Normans for control of Ceredigion, West Wales. The battle took place near Penparc, Cardigan, probably on the hill now known as Banc y Warren, and resulted in a rout of the Norman forces, setting back their expansion in West Wales for some years.
Background
A Welsh revolt against Norman rule had begun in South Wales, where on 1 January 1136 the Welsh won a victory over the local Norman forces at the Battle of Llwchwr between Loughor and Swansea, killing about 500 of their opponents. Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare, the Norman lord of Ceredigion, had been away from his lordship in the early part of the year. Returning to the borders of Wales in April, he ignored warnings of the danger and pressed on towards Ceredigion with a small force. He had not gone far when he was ambushed and killed by the men of Iorwerth ab Owain, grandson of Caradog ap Gruffydd. The news of Richard's death led to an invasion by the forces of Gwynedd, led by Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd, sons of the king of Gwynedd, Gruffudd ap Cynan. They captured a number of castles in northern Ceredigion before returning home to dispose of the plunder. Around Michaelmas they again invaded Ceredigion and made an alliance with Gruffydd ap Rhys of Deheubarth. The combined Welsh forces headed for the town of Cardigan. This army, said to number 6,000, including 2,000 mailed horsemen, had taken up a style of warfare learnt from the Normans. The Normans were said to have a substantial force.
Location
The exact location of the battlefield is not known. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales puts the site of the battle on the southeast slopes of Banc y Warren, a prominent conical hill near Penparc, northeast of Cardigan. There is a farm on the southeast slope named Crugmore. A geophysical survey and archaeological appraisal were carried out at Crugmore Farm in 2014 in support of planning applications. No evidence indicative of a battle was found in the areas covered by the surveys. Some accounts place the site on the northeast of the hill, which may be more likely because the road from Cardigan bends round the northeast side of the hill before turning more northerly again. The southeast side of the hill does not coincide with a road. The hill was known as Crug Mawr at least as early as the 9th century. Gerald of Wales, in his Itinerarium Cambriae of 1191, describes : Members of Gerald's family were participants in the battle.
Battle
Two miles outside Cardigan the Welsh army encountered a Norman force and battle was joined. The Normans were led by Robert fitz Martin, supported by Robert fitz Stephen, constable of Cardigan Castle, with the brothers William and Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan. After some hard fighting, which may have seen one of the earliest incidences of the use of the Welsh longbow as a battlefield weapon, the Norman forces were put to flight and pursued as far as the River Teifi. Many of the fugitives tried to cross the bridge, which broke under the weight. Hundreds are said to have drowned, clogging the river with the bodies of men and horses. Foot soldiers were trampled by horses. Others fled to the town of Cardigan which, however, was taken and burned by the Welsh even though Robert fitz Martin managed to successfully defend the castle. Skulls with battle wounds have been found nearby. The Breviate Chronicle of 1136 gives a contemporary account of the battle, which notes that the leaders included Owain and Cadwaladr, Gruffydd ap Rhys, Rhys ap Hywel, Madog ab Idnerth and the sons of Hywel on the Welsh side, and Stephen the Constable and the sons of Gerald, supported by Flemish forces, on the Norman side, some travelling a considerable distance to the battle. Edward Laws quotes Florence of Worcester : Florence had died in 1118, so the account was probably penned by his successor, John of Worcester. Accounts of the site and leadership therefore vary. There are detailed proposed descriptions of the battle online, supported by a number of publications; these are listed below under "Further reading".
Aftermath
The battle was a significant setback to Norman expansion in Wales. Ceredigion, which had been part of Deheubarth before the Normans had conquered it, was now annexed by Gwynedd, the more powerful member of the coalition. Owain Gwynedd became king of Gwynedd on the death of his father the following year and further expanded the borders of his kingdom. In Deheubarth, Gruffydd ap Rhys died in uncertain circumstances in 1137, and the resulting disruption allowed the Normans to partially recover their position in the south. Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth won it back for his kingdom during the war of 1165-1170.
