Sean Davies - Edward Is Conquest of Wales

Sean Davies

First published in Great Britain in 2017 by

PEN & SWORD MILITARY

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

47 Church Street

Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S70 2AS

Copyright Sean Davies, 2017

ISBN 978-1-47386-166-4

eISBN 978-1-47386-168-8

Mobi ISBN 978-1-47386-167-1

The right of Sean Davies to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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The view east from Aberconwy to the twin peaks of the ruined Deganwy Castle.

The castles of Dolwyddelan, Cricieth and Dolforwyn.

Two views of Caerphilly Castle.

The castles of Aberystwyth, Flint and Rhuddlan.

The view from Denbigh Castle.

Denbigh Castle.

The Menai Straits.

Bangor Cathedral.

The view over the river Wye from Builth Castle.

St Cannen Church, Llanganten.

The well in the village of Cilmeri.

The statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd by Henry Pegram, in Cardiff City Hall.

The monument by the well in the village of Cilmeri.

Llywelyns grave slab in Cwmhir Abbey.

Three views of Conwy Castle.

Two views of Harlech Castle.

Two views of Caernarfon Castle.

Dryslwyn Castle.

The view from Dryslwyn Castle.

Newcastle Emlyn Castle.

Beaumaris Castle.

A sixteenth-century depiction of Cadwaladr the Blessed (d. 682) in Llangadwaladr Church, Aberffraw.

On a blustery day in 1056, King Edward the Confessor of England stared west across the river Severn, awaiting a meeting with his troublesome neighbour Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, King of Wales:

Ambassadors were sent from both sides and then they negotiated from opposite banks of the Severn, Edward being at Aust Cliff, Gruffudd at Beachley. The nobles went to and fro between them in boats, and after many exchanges of messages, the question was long debated which of them ought to cross over to the other. It was a difficult crossing owing to the roughness of the water, but that was not the ground of the dispute. Gruffudd alleged his precedence, Edward his equality: Gruffudd took the ground that his people had gained all England, with Cornwall, Scotland, and Wales, from the giants, and affirmed himself to be their heir in a direct line: Edward argued that his ancestors had got the land from its conquerors. After a great deal of quarrelsome contention Edward got in a boat and set off to Gruffudd. At that point the Severn is a mile broad. Gruffudd seeing him and recognising him cast off his state mantle for he had prepared himself for a public appearance went into the water up to his breast and throwing his arms lovingly about the boat, said: Wisest of kings, your modesty has vanquished my pride, your wisdom has triumphed over my foolishness. The neck which I foolishly stiffened against you you shall mount and so enter the territory which your mildness has today made your own. And taking him on his shoulders he seated him upon his mantle, and then with joined hands did him homage. This was an admirable beginning of peace, but, after the Welsh manner, it was only kept till they felt able to do mischief.