BattlefieldsLord Rhys Captures Abergavenny 1182
Medieval

Lord Rhys Captures Abergavenny 1182

1182
Monmouthshire, Wales
Also known as: Rhys ap Gruffudd raids into Gwent 1182
Era
Medieval
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Monmouthshire, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Marcher lords (Abergavenny)
Forces
Abergavenny garrison: c. 50–150.
VS
Victor
Deheubarth (Lord Rhys)
Forces
Deheubarth besiegers: c. 400–600
Outcome
Lord Rhys captures Abergavenny Castle briefly; campaigns across the March
The Battle

History & Significance

In his later years, as Henry II weakened and eventually died, the Lord Rhys resumed aggressive campaigning. He captured Abergavenny Castle, the notorious fortress where the de Braose family had massacred Welsh chieftains at a feast in 1175. Capturing this castle carried powerful symbolic significance for Welsh memory. Rhys demonstrated that the south-east March was not beyond Welsh reach when English political control wavered.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Monmouthshire

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Monmouthshire